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Things are different now...
Family Part 4
"I don't know how you know my brother's name," Spade said in a dead serious and scary voice as he stood in front of Phoenix as if he was going to protect to the taller blonde. wait… Phoenix's name was Marco…? "But I won't let you take him. I won't let you have him. I won't let you hurt him. He's my family."
The last thing that Marco and the others need right now is a fight against the Whitebeard Pirates! Spade was not fighting against the Whitebeard Pirates! That was a huge NO. It was going to get him killed!
"Spade, don't!" Marco said grabbing Spade arm to stop him from moving away from Marco right now. The Phoenix devil fruit eater needs gets his Captain under control, he was the First Mate and it was his job to keep the captain under control. This would hurt the family if he didn't! The last thing they need is the Whitebeard Pirates coming after them too! They already had one Emperor chasing them! They don't need another! "They're the Whitebeard Pirates! They're out of our league right now! Let's just leave! It doesn't matter if they know my name. I don't care. We just have to get back to the family. Alive." Stressing the last part. "We have to go back to the crew Spade. Everyone is worried."
"Fine," Spade said as the animals disappeared in a weird smoke but reappeared on his arm as he let the sleeve of his jacket drop. Marco was the only the one who could talk Spade out of fighting, most of the time. Marco let out a sight of relief of being able to talk his captain down, though, he wanted to know what has gotten into Spade right now. He was not normally like this.
"Good, let's go home to the crew, yeah?" Marco smiled to Spade who managed to do a smile back which made Marco smile even more.
"I'll like that. I want to go back home to the others, to the Ink Hearts." That being their pirate crew.
Wait, these kids were apart of the Ink Heart Pirates? Their captain and most likely first mate? Just who the hell are these two? When did they meet? Why has Marco joined them? This Marco was their Marco, wasn't he? Emmet was going to need to look into who the Ink Hearts are.
Thatch hugged Marco suddenly out of no where which didn't go over all with either Marco or Spade. What was Thatch doing!?
"Thatch!" Izou shouted as Spade grabbed the Fourth Division Commander's arm and twisted it. Thatch made a whimper sound as the cook let go of Marco. The kid called Spade looked like he was going to murder Thatch.
Damn it! What the hell is Spade doing?! He needs to let the Whitebeard Pirate go! Like, right now! Marco needs his stupid brother and captain to let the division commander and Whitebeard Pirate go!
"Spade!" Marco said in a stern voice. "Captain. Let go, right now."
Spade let go as he looked at Whitebeard. "We're leaving." It wasn't a request or the kid asking a question. It also wasn't an order or demand. It was just the kid telling Whitebeard what was going to happen.
"Brat, if you think your leaving right now you have another thing coming," Whitebeard told Spade. He was not impressed by Spade's actions against his son but he could tell the kid only did it because he thought Thatch was a threat to his brother, to his crew mate. "You owe us some explanations first."
"Fuck off!" Spade answered as put up his rude finger. Marco sighed as he covered it and bowed to Whitebeard. Whitebeard looked a little annoyed by that but he always couldn't help but feel amused by it too. Damn cheeky annoying little brat… it was like the kid, not matter what the kid's actual age is, he was still a kid, boy and brat to Whitebeard. It was like he had no fear. As the Whitebeard Pirates kind of stood there in disbelief at the kid's behaviour. He was insane, rude and disrespectful. How could this guy do this to their Pops?!
"Please forgive my Captain's rude behaviour," Marco bowed as he apologised for Spade's behaviour as he was wondering where it was coming from. Spade was not normally like this, especially after someone treating with him respect. He was normally respectful back, sometimes he can rude without meaning to be and Spade was normally insane but still! This was not how Spade normally acts and it was not what Marco needs right now! "I'm Marco Fennec but most call me Phoenix, First Mate. This is my Captain, Spade, he's normally better behaved then this, I swear." What the hell was Spade doing? Was he trying to get them killed?! What the hell put Spade in such a bad mood?
"They're the ones that won't let me sleep," Spade said seeing Marco's question in his eyes about his mood and behaviour. "It's their own fault I'm in a shitty mood."
Why this Spade kid, well, guy, for real? He was being rude and disrespectful because they had waken him up? Because they wouldn't let him sleep, because they didn't let him go back to sleep? What the hell is wrong with this guy?!
"That does not give you the right to be rude and disrespectful!" Marco yelled- not caring right now. He did not want to get killed because of that! They were not being killed because of this!
"Whatever," Spade yawned- feeling very tired and sleepy still, though he had no idea why. "I just want to sleep… where's the family?"
"Mania Island," Marco answered, noticing the sudden change in mood. Why was Spade so sleepy? That unusual…
That was one of Whitebeard Protected Islands wasn't it?
"Tell them to leave then," Spade told Marco- not liking the idea of their family being at a Whitebeard Protected Island. "It's protected by them," Spade pointed at the Whitebeards. "And I won't let them near the family or give them a reason to go after them," as he glared at Whitebeard. It seems this kid has a problem with them. He is very protective of his crew, of his family.
"Do you boys view your crew as your family too?" Emmet asked slowly moving closer. Mostly to go check on Thatch. Though, most of the crew had weapons out. He stopped when Spade glared at him. Emmet wasn't going to admit it out loud, but, the kid kind of scares him…
"We're twenty-six," Spade told Emmet- Whitebeard noticing how tired the boy seemed to be now from his body language, though he still had the same emotionless face and lifeless eyes. Something seemed off... but Whitebeard wasn't sure what it was. "We're not boys."
"Then stop acting like one," Marco sighed as he walked up to Thatch who was nursing his arm, Spade hadn't broken it, just hurt and bruised it real bad. Luckily for the Whitebeard Pirate. Marco offered him a hand and Spade just stood there, watching everyone carefully, though he still felt so tired, like he was going to die if he didn't get any sleep soon. Why was he so tired? "I'm sorry. Spade is very protective, we have a bad history of people always coming after us and trying to separate us. So he doesn't take to strangers hugging me or anyone else in the family very well. Are you okay?"
Thatch nodded his head and took the hand. Well, Thatch guessed that was understandable then.
"I'm sorry," Thatch nodded. "You just reminded me of someone we lost… our older brother Marco…"
Marco and Spade both seemed unsure what to say at that.
"Why don't you young men stay for a bit," Whitebeard smiled. Seeing that this Marco seemed to have Spade under control and on a lease, at least at the moment he seems too anyway. Though Whitebeard was wondering how long it would last. "If you're tired. You can rest here. We are actually on our way to Mania Island."
Spade seemed to tense at that. It seems that this boy was more protective of his family/crew than Whitebeard and that's saying something. Since Whitebeard would start a war to get any of them back but it seems that that this kid would not only start a war, but several wars if it meant to protect someone close to him or get them, just to make sure that the people couldn't try it again. Like he would make they were deader than well, dead.
"Spade, relax," Marco said going back to him as he forced them both to the ground. Marco rested Spade's head on his lap. "Go to sleep." Spade always sleeps better knowing that Marco was there for him. Whether it was them sleeping in the same room or the same bed.
'Um… kind of the relationship do these two have…?' The Whitebeards would really love to know…
"But…" Spade said looking at Whitebeard. Worrying clearly though it didn't sound in his voice, face or eyes but everyone could tell by the action.
"I'll handle it Captain," Marco told him. "You need to sleep and be in a better mood before you think or do anything else."
"Fine…" Spade said closing his eyes as he curled into a little ball and hugged his book again around Marco's leg with his head on his lap. Marco had Spade's bag on the other side of him.
"That would be nice, thank you Whitebeard sir." Marco nodded to Whitebeard.
Whitebeard was even sure of it now. This kid… Marco, he was their Marco. His Haki was too like to their Marco it wasn't funny. Whitebeard was sure of it! But how that possible? He died…
"Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself Marco?" Emmet smiled- seeming to thinking the same thing as his father. That there were too many similarities between this Marco and theirs. It was like they were same person… no, they were same person. Now they just to collect information and see what happened with this Marco.
"Well, I'm from the South Blue, I'm twenty-six and I'm this idiot brother," Marco smiled fondly at Spade.
"Not an idiot…" Spade muttered.
"Go to sleep," Marco laughed.
"I am…" Spade mumbled.
"Then stop talking," Marco told him.
"Stupid Blue Fire Bird…" Spade muttered teasingly.
"Idiot Tattoo Weirdo," Marco teased back.
"Why are we brothers again…?" Spade mumbled.
"I have no idea!" Marco laughed as he ran his hand through Spade's hair. "But seriously Spade. Sleep."
Spade nodded his head as he made himself comfortable with his head on his Marco's lap. Was this their way of showing each affection…? Or something? It was kind of… weird and unusual but oddly enough, it was also sweet and touching and really amusing too.
Just what happened to these two for this kind of relationship to form?
"Are you twins?" Emmet asked.
"No," Marco answered. He wasn't sure why but he felt like he could trust the Whitebeards, especially Whitebeard himself. "We met when we were eight. I ran away from home the year before, moving from island to island and had been living the streets then had been caught by some slavers. Spade saved me and set me free. He then ran away from home after that. His family was horrible. Spade was taught from a very age by them to not show or have emotions and his family… But we both wanted the one thing- a family, a loving one. We started the crew up to have that, an actual proper family. Where no-one judges you for being you and accepts it."
That explains a lot. Spade was emotionless because that's how he was taught to be. The poor kid. Whitebeard would love to know the whole story of Spade and his family, he could tell that Marco was not telling them everything and that something horrible, very horrible had happened to Spade. That this 'family' that isn't their crew, that they did something to Spade, something very terrible at that too.
"But… They come back for Spade when we were eleven as he was slowly learning to show emotions again from me," Marco continued. "It took some time to find Spade again with some help from the crew we had at the time, Cal, Jay and Sekki. But the damage had been done. Spade can't show or feel emotions properly after that. I don't know what they did but… it doesn't matter. We got him back and that's all that matters and won't be losing him again."
The Whitebeards couldn't help but feel for the two young men. It seems that they had seen and been some things horrible things during their childhood that has caused some real damaged to Spade. Making him the way he is.
Spade looked like a hopeless kid sleeping. Marco was smiling as he kept running his fingers through the other blonde's hair. He was finally asleep, Marco's phoenix side could tell when Spade was sleeping or faking it.
"After that, we set sail so his family couldn't come for him again," Marco told them- feeling as though he had too. "We're been together since. And we sailed around a lot. Collecting crew mates, new brothers and sisters as we go. Between the Four Blues, the Grandline and here. And we made a promise to always come for each other."
That was something that Marco and Spade would always keep. Their promise to always for the other. That's kind of what got them in trouble with Emperor who is after them right not that isn't Whitebeard. They had taken Marco and Spade took him back.
"When did you come here?" Thatch asked- really curious on when the two younger guys and their crew got here.
"The New World? Um… about six months ago I think…" Marco answered. "We had to wait till our youngest members were able to handle themselves in a fight here. They trained with Ray-san for two years and we waited for them."
Their youngest members…? How old are their youngest members? Ray-san? Who was Ray-san? Did they mean Rayleigh or someone else? But back to the most important thing, how older are their youngest members?
"How old are your youngest members?" Izou asked- on behalf of the crew. "If you don't mind me asking."
"I don't mind you asking. They're thirteen," Marco answered. "The closest in our crew to their age would be nineteen. Most of the crew are in their twenties."
That was young. How big is the crew? And why do they have thirteen years in their crew?
"How big is your crew?" Emmet asked.
"There's twenty-five of us including the youngest four," Marco answered then muttered as he thought of something. "Ace better not try to start a fight when we get back… I'll throw his fiery ass into the sea if he does. Thirteen or not." Speaking of the youngest crew members, it had reminded Marco that Ace would probably start a fight. He always seems to start a fight with other pirate crews.
What? Why would a thirteen year old kid try to start a fight with them…?
"Why would he try to start a fight?" Whitebeard asked out of curiosity on behalf of all of his crew. He really wanted to know why someone so young would start a fight with them.
"He has a strong sense of 'must fight everyone stronger than me to make myself stronger'," Marco answered with a sigh. He has had to save that kid's ass more times than he could count because of that idiot's 'must fight everyone stronger than me to make myself stronger' sense. "So simply put, he's an idiot. And of course, if Ace is in a fight then he's twin and the other two are, then that means all of us are too. We don't leave one of us behind. Plus, we raised Ace and the others from babies so they're been with us for thirteen years. They're our family as much as we as theirs." Plus, there was the odd chance that the crew might think that Whitebeards kidnapped Spade and defended him and Marco.
Whitebeard laughed. He was liking the sound of the crew, this Ace kid and the other three thirteen years old more and more. Whitebeard could really see them fitting in with his crew. Be it that they join the Whitebeards or just being allies.
"I can't wait to see your new family," Whitebeard said out loud without meaning too.
"What…?" Marco asked really confused.
"Nothing my son, nothing," Whitebeard smiled.
Marco couldn't help but smile back. He had never had someone call him 'my son' or 'son' before. Not even with his actual family. In the crew, it was brother or big brother, not son. So this… it was different and Marco liked. He always got a sense he could Whitebeard. He wasn't sure how or why, but he trusts the man. Just as much as he trusts Spade and the crew, the family. But why…? They're never met before… right?
