I lie here paralytic
Inside this soul
Screaming for you till my throat is numb
I wanna break out
I need a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating
*Feel your presence filling up my lungs with oxygen
I take you in
I've died
Rebirthing now
I wanna live for love wanna live for you and me
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow)
Rebirthing now
I Wanna live my life wanna give you everything
(Breathe for the first time now
I come alive somehow) *
Right now
Right now
I lie here lifeless
In this cocoon
Shedding my skin cause
I'm ready to
I wanna break out
I found a way out
I don't believe that it's gotta be this way
The worst is the waiting
In this womb I'm suffocating
**
((Bridge))
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when I'm gonna breathe you in
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'm gonna feel alive
Tell me when I'm gonna live again
Tell me when this fear will end
Tell me when I'm gonna feel inside
Tell me when I'll feel alive
... - Skillet
Chapter 9: Comrades
Once we parted ways with the old lady doctor, we head out back to the other medical offices, only to come across Sniper and the three boys, being cornered by a man in a black kimono and gloves with blades on the tips.
"Captain!" The boys called as Sniper was forcefully shoved to the side before the man posed to strike.
"Ah!" Chopper said, gaining the man's attention.
I didn't hesitate when I stretched my arm to hit him, but he disappeared, only to reappear again about to strike me. I barely dodged it, only to have a small nick above my shoulder.
"Chopper! Take care of them!"
"Right!" He started to head over to Sniper and the kids when that guy appeared again.
Speed is his advantage, and I have to protect everyone here. I did a quick stretch, grab him by his kimono, since his focus was to harm the group and not paying any attention to me, and pulled him away from Chopper and the group.
---
I ran to the stairs leading down and threw him to the floor.
He obviously didn't like that one bit as he glared at me, his eyes are nothing but black orbs.
I gave him a punch, which he disappeared and was inches away from my face. What he didn't know was that my hand was coming back just as I grabbed the front of his kimono, of course he was aiming at slicing my neck clear off my shoulders.
Luckily I recoil back just as easily, being rubber and all, and quickly as bouncing back as I quickly turned my body slightly before my stretched out fist collided with his face. I had to let go of him as he flew across the wall, and was barely conscious when I came up.
I really thank to whoever gave me a quick reflex reaction, because as soon as I got close enough, he was going to spear me with those sword-like claws.
But I grabbed a hunk of ice and used it as a shield. I then leaned back with a great amount of force that would, to a normal person, hurt my back, lifted him off the ground and threw him towards the railings of the stairs.
I saw a piece of glass not far from where I was and had to make the quickest decision of my life. I grabbed the glass, went straight to the guy as he was rolling to his back, and sliced the piece across his stomach.
For sucking at dissecting frogs, I did okay without cutting the Gensen open.
I dropped the glass piece, not bothered that my hand is a little cut from it, and grabbed hold of the large Gensen sack that took up the whole torso.
"Sucks being you." I said to him as I forced it out of him, seeing him die slowly as I saw that most of the organs that were supposed to be there, well… not there anymore. It's just an empty torso cavity.
---
I ran back up to the other floor to see Chopper.
"Luffy! This one needs a lot of fresh Gensen!"
I handed the Gensen I got from that guy, which seemed to surprise Chopper, but he soon turned into a doctor mode and started procedure.
"You beat Kuro…"
I looked to see the three boys. "Yeah, I did."
"Are you some kind of monster?"
I haven't really thought about that.
"Dunno, I always thought I was human."
"You're weird."
"Crazy head."
"Have you hit your head on something?"
"I know. Thanks. And I got quite a history with that."
The three just stared at me as if I grew three heads.
Luffy's POV: End
---
Chopper's POV
It was quite unexpected to go along with someone I barely know, but he's good so it works.
But when we headed out to where the other medical centers are, we soon saw a Kuroi no Bachiatori injure an Aniki no Bachiatori.
"Ah!" I said, which was stupid because I got the guy's attention.
Luffy attacked, but the guy disappeared suddenly and appeared, nearly slicing his arm off!
"Chopper! Take care of them!"
"Right!" I said as I charged, only to see him again, which nearly gave me a heart attack if Luffy didn't grab him and ran off somewhere far off.
I ran up to the really injured guy and looked up at the three. "Are any of you hurt?"
All shook their heads.
"N-No…"
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'm a doctor!" I said as I checked the guy and saw that he needed to be healed quickly! I just hoped Luffy is able to get a Gensen out okay.
---
Minutes seem like days before he came back with a huge sack of Gensen.
"Luffy! This one needs a lot of fresh Gensen!"
He handed the Gensen to me as I continued to work on the injured guy.
After another long minute, I confirmed that he'll be okay.
Chopper's POV: End
---
Luffy's POV
When Chopper said that Sniper, or Usopp now, was going to be okay, I was relieved to hear that.
"So, you're a doctor, huh?" The boy, Carrot, said.
"Y-Yes…"
"Then why are you a deer?"
"I'm a reindeer! And I was an experiment and an ex-Aniki no Bachiatori!"
"No one can be an ex-Aniki or any other kind of Bachiatori! That's impossible!" The other boy, Pepper, said.
"It's not! And Luffy here is the only one who could do it!"
All three of them looked at me.
"That true?" Said the third boy, Onion.
"Well, I got the only prototype to making it possible to anyone who wants to save the Bachiatori."
"You're crazy." The three said in unison and I just laughed.
"How do you save a Bachiatori?" Onion asked.
"I have to give one of you a hug."
"Pedelfiler!"
"It's the only way it could work!" I argued.
"Prove it!" Pepper said.
I went to Usopp, who was out cold through all this, and did the same thing I did with Chopper.
When that was done, it seemed to quicken the healing process as well, because he woke up and gave me a weird look.
"Just so you know, I'm taken."
"You're welcome!"
"Huh?"
"Captain! Your eyes!" The three boys said pointing at Usopp.
"What about them?"
"They're not glowing!"
"Eh!?" He said, his dark brown, almost black eyes revealed his confusion.
"Who's next?"
All three looked at one another before doing rock-paper-scissors.
Onion was up first, and I could tell he didn't like the idea of being hugged by some stranger who took down a Kuroi no Bachiatori.
I did what I did with Chopper, but without holding out my hand.
It took some time, but I felt the kid trying to bulldozer me and I hugged him out of reflex. I ruffled his hair a bit, which seemed to work out for him, since it wasn't too affectionate.
---
Once all three boys were done, Usopp patted me on the back.
"I'm glad someone around here isn't trying to kill us!" Usopp said with a big smile. "Right men?"
"Aye!"
"Though it felt really weird." Usopp said.
"Be glad that it's a onetime thing." I said as all of us laughed.
"So? Where to Luffy?" Chopper asked.
I remembered the argument with Cep Nian, and wondered if he'll still talk to me. "I don't know… I've only gotten this far with Cep Nian's help." I looked at the radio transmitter.
"Who's Cep Nian?" Carrot asked.
"He's the one who knows this place and tells me where to go."
"So… What happened?" Pepper asked.
I looked at Chopper, who looked down at the floor. "He wanted me to harvest Chopper, when he was still an Aniki. But I argued with him and turned this off."
"Sounds like a jerk." Onion said.
"I'm sure he'll understand that I choose to harvest only the ones that can't be saved and use some of the Gensen if I really need it."
"I don't know…" Usopp said. "I may not know the guy, but I don't like him."
"Me too!" Chopper said with a bit more volume.
"Well… only one way to find out." I looked at the radio and turned it on.
Luffy's POV: End
---
Usopp's POV
I learned that my real name is Usopp. It has a familiar ring that's like a long forgotten song yet you know the lyrics.
Of course when I woke up seeing the guy, Luffy, holding me, it was a bit weird.
"Just so you know, I'm taken."
And an even weirder thing happened.
"You're welcome!" He said cheerfully.
"Huh?"
"Captain! Your eyes!" The three boys said pointing at Usopp.
"What about them?"
"They're not glowing!"
"Eh!?"
When I learned what he was able to do, I was quite surprised to he could and that it was possible. Even being treated by a reindeer was pretty weird too.
"I'm glad someone around here isn't trying to kill us!" Usopp said with a big smile. "Right men?"
"Aye!"
"Though it felt really weird." I said.
"Be glad that it's a onetime thing." He said making us all laugh.
Now if I just find Blackleg, who despite my warning went off on his own and hasn't come back, he'll be okay too… Even get our memories back.
"So? Where to Luffy?" Chopper asked.
"I don't know… I've only gotten this far with Cep Nian's help." He looked at the radio transmitter.
"Who's Cep Nian?" Carrot asked.
"He's the one who knows this place and tells me where to go."
"So… What happened?" Pepper asked.
He looked at Chopper, who looked down at the floor. "He wanted me to harvest Chopper, when he was still and Aniki. But I argued with him and turned this off."
"Sounds like a jerk." Onion said.
"I'm sure he'll understand that I choose to harvest only the ones that can't be saved and use some of the Gensen if I really need it."
"I don't know…" I said. "I may not know the guy, but I don't like him."
For some reason, the name itself doesn't sit well with me.
"Me too!" Chopper said with a bit more volume, of course, who can blame him if the guy wanted Luffy to harvest him.
"Well… only one way to find out." He looked at the radio and turned it on.
I guess this guy is our only source for to where to go from here.
Usopp's POV: End
---
Chopper's POV
Usopp and the boys seem to be okay and trust Luffy a bit more than a moment ago.
"So? Where to Luffy?" Chopper asked.
"I don't know… I've only gotten this far with Cep Nian's help." He said as he looked at the radio transmitter.
When he mentioned the name, I still remembered what he wanted Luffy to do.
I don't like him, but Luffy doesn't know the areas of Raftel, and not all Bachiatoris are able to leave a certain area.
I lived in the Medical Central for as long as I can remember, and it looks like Usopp and the boys just started going to the new areas.
"Well… only one way to find out." He said as he went to turn the radio on.
Chopper's POV: End
---
Luffy's POV
"Kiddo!?" Cep Nian called out.
"Y-Yeah…"
"Listen, I'm sorry for not… Well, anyone can blame me for being biased. But I've been watching you, and I've got to say, I'm impressed with your selfless kindness."
"How's your nakama? Are you able to contact them?"
"Aye! I have! They helped me calm down as I watched you."
"That's good to hear!"
"Aye! There's nothing like a good nakama to lead you in the right direction!"
I smiled as I looked at the ones I've met and those whom I've seen. "Yep. Speaking of which, where should I go from here?"
"Remember that room when you flipped the switch, but needed the key for?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Well, use that key and get down to Roger's Cove. There's some strong Kiras and Bachiatoris down there…"
"We'll handle it! Right!?"
"Aye!" All of them chorused.
"Okay, there should be an elevator after you get out of that room and should be able to operate to get you down there."
"Yosh!" I said as I put Boshi on my head and got up. "Let's go! Who knows who we'll meet!"
"S-So soon?!" Usopp said.
"We have to find Sanji one way or another!"
He sighed as all of us went to the foyer place.
---
Once we got through the doors that led to the medical center and into the fancy lobby area known as the foyer, a grenade was launched at us from the room I was going to get into.
We dodged the first grenade and I led them to the area where I couldn't get pass through last time, dodged another thrown grenade, and followed that Bomu no Kira up the stairs and hit him good with my jutte.
Once that was done, the others came up as I slid the key in and the red lights were gone.
"Security alert deactivated. Thank you for your patience." The automatic woman's voice said as we went down to the doors that suddenly opened, revealing the strange elevator thing.
"Not much longer now Kiddo." Cep Nian said. "I look forward to shaking your hand when we finally see face to face."
All of us entered the elevator, the door shut and I pulled the lever down, making the elevator go down as well.
'I hope I get to see Swordsman again.' I thought as I remembered that he and Rika were in a different walkway tunnel towards the same building.
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I'll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we're meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I'll be holding my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with
*Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There's gotta be somebody for me like that.
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.*
Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And damn it this feels too right
It's just like Déjà Vu
Me standing here with you
So I'll be hold in my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I spend forever with?
**
Ooooooh,
You can't give up!
Lookin' for that diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
Cause it could be the one,
the one you're waiting on
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me
Ohhhhhh.
Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There's gotta be somebody for me out there.
Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there - Nickelback
