: : Eleven
Sabo opened the door to their third base, which was a cellar located within the center of the abandoned town, Luffy and Sanji walking in with obvious emotional states. Luffy was pouting for being excluded and Sanji was with a different emotion, so Sabo shut the door behind them and waited for them to power up the light sources.
"I hate being treated like a little kid," Luffy muttered, taking to one of the folding chairs and slouching in it. "Why can't I hang out with the others and watch?"
"For one," Sabo said, coaxing Sanji to sit in the other chair, "Law is the only alpha we've known. And his powers are something else. We just watched another alpha attack him, and clearly he was…troubled. Frankly considering, you younger kids could be used as bait or possibly get seriously hurt."
"I haven't been hurt in all my life."
Sabo stared at him with a flat expression until Luffy started to sweat, averting his eyes. Sabo then looked to Sanji, furrowing his brow.
"I hate myself," he muttered bitterly, Sabo fretting. "This stupid thing…I can only feel that I'm not in my control. I'm scared, and I don't understand why, and I don't wanna be scared because no one scares me."
Luffy looked to him, then reached out with a hand to his shoulder. "We're here with you! You don't have to be scared now."
"It's not that type of scared!" Sanji insisted, accepting the gesture. He struggled to look braver for the younger kid. "It's…something that's…like looking at an animal in the face and knowing it's going to bite. And I know I can fight it, but something in me just – holds back! It's frustrating! I'm not a baby!"
"You aren't," Luffy whispered with sympathy, patting his shoulder. "You're one of the bravest kids I know!"
"Thank you, Luffy…"
"You can't fight instinct, Sanji," Sabo said gently, sitting on his knees before them. "If it's telling you you need to be scared, there's a reason for it. Try to understand that it's telling you you need to be safe."
"What's that guy gonna do? Like I'm not afraid of violence!"
Sabo recalled Law once saying that alphas responded to omegas in foundations that included terrible acts of crime – but he wasn't sure if he should say that. It felt wrong, especially when addressing a child. Sabo now understood the basics of alpha and omegas, and while it sounded like a dreadful existence for both, actually being in the presence of it felt like a burden he wasn't sure how to handle. It was times like these when he wished for an adult's presence.
"Um, well," he stuttered nervously, "perhaps it was that…alpha's response to you. Something he can't control, either. Both of you complain regularly that you do things you each cannot help, and he seems our age, so maybe he can't control himself, either."
"Law told me that things like that happen, but I'm bonded," Sanji muttered. "So alphas shouldn't respond to me that way. I actually can't take another's child, so…"
Sabo was slightly relieved Law spoke more to Sanji about these things than Sabo ever could. "Well," he said, "perhaps it's that alpha's own uncontrollable instinct. He's learning to…accept himself as well. He probably can't help it."
"I just don't want Law to be there alone because I saw how he reacted," Sanji then said, nervously playing with his fingers. "If my pair dies, I could take on another. Like…we're only animals. And…I… I'm scared of that happening because I'm used to him already – I can't get used to someone else!"
Luffy looked downright confused, looking at Sabo with his mouth open and his expression explaining it all.
Sanji sighed heavily. "I guess I'm just afraid of him for these reasons. I know he stumbles when he hits a barrier and he gets right up but it might be too late, now. Facing off with another who could kill him and I could…be open…?"
Sabo swallowed tightly.
"I might've sensed him coming," Sanji then determined. "Because why would I be afraid of those guys…?"
"A bad guy radar," Luffy whispered, eyes widening. "You can sense extreme bad guys and give us a heads-up and we'd be prepared!"
Sanji looked at him, then brightened up while Sabo looked concerned. "I could! Like a radar! Extra sensory perception!"
"I don't know what that is, but it sounds like exactly what I just said!"
The kids grinned at each other and Sabo had to admit that it felt okay to accept.
"Okay," he said slowly. "There's that. But um…I would have more confidence in your pair, Sanji. He's done quite alright these past few years. You have to admit, he takes good care of us. Considering…well, he's a fast learner. He's come a long way from barely being able to focus on one object and now he's expanding his…Room and including multiple bodies from a distance without seeing them. However he does it, he's been successful so far."
Sanji thought about it. He thought about that first time Law was to use them while he was panicking – he couldn't teleport them out of the car when it had wrecked, with Corazon commanding him to. So his feelings of insecurity began to dim a little. He had to admit that Law was stronger since then, and it was because he'd practiced and worked hard on including other methods with his basics. He could take apart and put together properly, and even go so far as fixing a man's arm. He could assimilate from a distance and could easily teleport them in the same manner. All with flicks of his hand – which caused worry because that new alpha had caught on immediately and restrained him. So the new worry hit him.
Sabo realized Sanji was over worrying and he couldn't do a think about it.
"Listen," he then said, capturing the pair's attention, "let's do this. Give it exactly fifteen minutes then we'll sneak in from the tower."
The two brightened, and Sabo had his doubts, but his own were wondering What If…?
: :
Law had been overconfident that both were restrained properly. He had to stop thinking he was allowed to relax when a man was down. The other bounty hunter attacked him with matching machetes, and Law used his sword to fend off the fierce attacks. The kid was quite light on his feet while absolutely silent. Most of his actions were newer movements compared to the kids' attacks with their favored metal pipes, and Law was struggling to keep up. If he wasn't careful, one of those machetes would sink right into him.
The sound of their battle rattled off the libary walls. All Law saw was long, grungy blond hair fashioned into a ponytail that vaguely reminded Law of Sanji's old hairstyle. Thinking about that picture for a moment propelled him into gaining more strength and confidence in his defense. He flipped a hand and slapped the flat of the blade outward, catching the down swing of those machetes, then kicked out with a knee to the other kid's gut. Once he saw him bend forward in reaction, he then applied all his weight and strength to his sword's grip and smashed it into that teen's face. Once he stumbled back, his arms swinging downward in continued motion once the barrier was lost, Law leapt away for space, resettling back into defensive position.
He glanced over at Ace and saw the kid looking dazed, struggling to get up. The other teen had punched him pretty hard across the temple, and the kid had dropped deadweight to the floor. Both Law and Ace had been unprepared for the surprise attack, and it infuriated Law that he was this weak.
The other teen caught his breath, shaking a little as he made to steady himself. From the shouts ringing out in the distance, his friend was hollering at him to come and pick him up. Law grit his teeth – this other teen was a normal kid. No powers to speak of. And his fighting skill, while fierce and agile, wasn't as strong as a man's. They were equally matched. The kid was just as winded as he, but Law should have already beat him already. His continuous need for perfection berated him for not handling the situation properly.
Law still had his Room up – just in case, which left him straining with concentration amidst the physical fight. He released his sword with one hand to make a gesture and the teen attacked savagely, forcing Law to grip his sword once more and focus on defense. Iron clanked noisily against iron, and Law realized he was being driven back. They would hit a corridor leading to the kitchen in a few more feet.
He managed to catch the downward sing of one machete with the length of his sword, twisting hard to the right to avoid being sliced by the left – just as the other teen regained his footing, a man appeared between them. It was an instant vision of a man without defined facial features, but it shook the other teen with a start. Law used that moment to swing outward, knocking one machete out of his grasp. He used his foot to kick it behind him, and the kid adjusted his stance with a hard exhale.
Law drove forward, putting all his strength into several sweeps that had the killer jumping backward and forcing his body to react defensively. Once he had the appropriate distance, Law released the sword with one hand and used a gesture against the braided handle to send the teen flying off his feet and slamming into the ceiling. He finally made a sound, grunting with impact – Law swept his hand to the side with enough force to have the teen cracking his head against the wall, watching him slump down onto the floor after releasing his machete.
Panting for breath, Law stood there for several moments, trying to get himself put back together. He released his Room, feeling exhausted. Lowering his sword to his side, Law struggled to find the energy needed to finish the teen off.
…don't, someone whispered at his side.
"Why?" he questioned sharply.
When he didn't receive an answer, Law slowly walked over to the other teen. His hair pretty much covered his face, and Law thought about how many times he'd seen kids throughout his life.
But this is an enemy, he thought to himself, furrowing his brow. Who will one day oppose me as a result of this encounter -
'Doflamingo has been killing other people since before you arrived to Spider Miles, Law. For territory, for shallow disputes for reputation!' Corazon's voice flittered over his thoughts all of a sudden, as if the man himself spoke them aloud. Jolted by remembering his words at this pinnacle moment, Law debated with himself. He could say it was the protection of himself and the others, but at the same time, if someone were looking for these two and the others that had accompanied them – it would be for reputation. Here was an alpha that had just destroyed others – how valuable could he be for others to use?
Or he could just pick up the kids and jet away in the night, leaving this all behind them and avoiding that reputation.
Law refused to be like Doflamingo.
He turned away from the kid, but formed the Room once more. He jerked up pieces of the floor and encased the kid within them. He wasn't dead but he wasn't allowed to leave, either. His friend would have to save him himself.
Law dissipated the Room, found his sheath, and slid the sword back home. He looked at it with approval. He and the kids had found it sitting in the open one day while they were out hunting. Gleaming in the sunlight, the colors of its sheath and rope as brilliant as the day it was made, catching his attention amidst the foliage. The kids had oohed and ahhed over it but someone had told Law, It's yours.
And it felt like his. It felt like a personality that fit Law, and it felt like an extension he'd never thought he wanted. It was lengthy and completely out of his knowledge, but he learned that the length was useful for keeping distance in allowing him to weld his powers safely and none of the kids could hit him when he was using it.
He then tossed it around his shoulders, strap in place. Heading over to Ace, he crouched down next to him to look at him with pity. Ace looked back at him with a petulant expression.
"Does it hurt?" Law asked.
"My brain's ringing," Ace admitted stiffly. Law examined him for himself, assimilating briefly to discover the painful headache there. With his other hand, he drew upward – coaxing the blood vessels that had reacted to widen to allow blood flow. Ace would have a bruise, but at least his headache would lessen. Ace sighed with a pouty expression.
"That guy was good," Ace muttered. "I didn't even see him get up. Those knots were supposed to be tight. We trap animals and monsters with those knots!"
"Lesson learned, right?" Law straightened away from him. "Go to the others."
"But - !"
"GO!"
Without any more argument, Ace grumbled and took off, his steps unsteady. Once Law heard the front doors open and close, he ventured off towards the head that was yelling from the main first floor. He found the teen snarling at him, tilted over on the floor with an angry expression. But it was obvious his concern for his friend made him bold.
The teen glared up at Law, who watched him with revulsion.
"I thought alphas were supposed to be good looking," he muttered, causing the teen to react with anger.
"Obviously I'm a slow grower!"
"Is that the same pithy excuse you'll tell your partners in the bedroom?"
"Why, you - !"
"Who hired you?" Law then asked. "Enel?"
"None of it matters to you! I came for those two punks over there!"
Conscripture, someone whispered close to Law's left ear, causing him to shiver.
Not understanding the meaning, he asked aloud, "What does that mean?"
….bought.
The kid looked at him with bewilderment, eyes rolling about as he searched for whomever it was that caused Law to speak out loud. "Someone paid you to find them. They're slaves who've run at an opportunity, and you've mentioned that you're a bounty hunter. So it goes to say that you worked for Enel, which means you pledge allegiance to no one which means you're a free agent. Which tells me you don't come from a larger group than which we fought already – which means, as an individual, if I should kill you, no one will come looking for us."
The other teen sputtered, unsure of where to start first. But he said, "You sound like a damn nerd!"
Reluctantly, Law then added, "I won't kill you. Not intentionally."
"You bastard – "
"What's your name, kid?"
"Don't call me a fuckin' kid!"
"You're younger than me, I can do whatever I want. Don't forget, you can't do a thing to stop me but," Law added patiently, "if you should follow my orders, your friend can be saved. Only you can do it, so you better listen carefully."
For once, the teen's voice sputtered then changed expression. There was loyalty there, and Law jumped on it. He snatched the head up by his hair and looked revolted.
"Clearly, you don't bathe," he muttered, pinching his nose shut. "I'll have to burn my hands in oil just to get rid of yours."
"I'll never forget your face! Once I find you - !"
"Threats won't help you," Law reminded him, walking back towards his body. He was relieved to see Shachi up and moving, looking just as dazed as Ace was earlier. "You okay?"
Shachi registered that he was there, and gave a pained nod. Seeing that Penguin was still out, Law said, "If you can help, we're going to dump him in the basement. It can be locked from the outside."
"So stupid, I can use magic to manipulate metal," the kid told him impatiently. "And I can blast those doors right open."
"The lock is made of wood, which can hold doors shut in the event of a tornado, so do your best," Law told him flatly, which caused that confident expression to drop again. "Now, this won't be easy for both of you, but it'll give us time to escape."
"You're so fucking dumb! Why allow us to live when we can come back and bite you in the ass?"
"Indeed. I am a benevolent soul. Take appreciation of it."
He set the head down, and it took several minutes for them to move the bounty hunter's wiggling body down the basement stairs and into the room. The kids had left it in a fantastic mess, but there were plenty of blankets and toys lying about for the teen to occupy himself with. Law retrieved his head, and after making sure Shachi was a good distance away, he moved to put the teen back together.
But before he could do so, Law told him, "If either of you can remove yourselves from your bonds, you may escape. But he's trapped between floor and foundation. It's up to you to figure out how to escape."
The teen looked rattled. "How the fuck are you benevolent?"
"Also. I couldn't help but notice your reaction to…my omega."
"You're disgusting. Bonding yourself to a kid."
"You reacted to that same kid, don't forget your place." Seeing his face redden as much as his hair, Law settled himself once more. It took a lot not to react in a way he wanted to. But Corazon's voice at the back of his thoughts seemed to placate him. Once he was composed, Law asked, "I had thought that other alphas couldn't react to a bonded omega."
"You talk book smart, shit head. But it sounds like you lack common sense. We react to whomever the fuck we want."
Law stared at him until the teen realized who he was reacting to. His face turned purple once more as he sputtered noises that should have been words. His body in the background reacted with upraised hands that fluttered with agitation.
"I don't know shit about that!" the kid finally exclaimed, voice changing. "I actually never ran into one, myself! It's the first one I'd recognized as a damn trash can, I couldn't help it! You say you bonded? That's fucking filthy!"
"It was a marriage forced upon us years ago by a priest."
A little confused, the kid absorbed this information then said, "I don't know! I don't know anything about that shit! I never researched it myself! All I know is that I got powers from it! We're fuckin' rare things out there in the world, like I told ya earlier, that's the first omega I ever met! I don't know what you're trying to ask when you're yelling at me!"
Law remembered the priest telling Doflamingo that the ritual couldn't be complete if the bride was underage. "So if the bond isn't complete, then he can still attract other alphas…"
"So, what, you're gonna go right off and complete the act? Fucking disgusting…"
Law sought to arrange his thoughts. His emotions of revulsion roiled inside of him, but he acknowledged one small relief. Despite their bond, a forced marriage that forced them to feel things for each other, they weren't entirely mated. In a way, he felt he had a chance.
To what, exactly? Escape? I can't even stay away from him for fifteen minutes, he thought with exasperation. And with his maturation, he can't stay away from me.
"Look," the noisy teen said, capturing his attention, "whatever your shitty story, it has nothing to do with me. But if I, a great man myself, can react to that kid, I'd think that whatever you're reading wasn't the right stuff."
"Which means…if another alpha came along and sensed that for themselves…they could attach to him. Which means I…could be free…"
"This has nothing to do with me…"
"This is such a revolting topic," Law muttered to himself, lowering his head to his side. His fingers tightened in his hair as the kid sputtered noisily in protest. "But consider this a warning, shit head. You can be an animal and allow your instincts to control you, or you can rise up and be a man. Like me."
"Like hell I'd want to be like you - !"
Unbeknownst to Law, the other teenager had his body up and moving towards him. Quickly, Shachi took him down with a kick to the back of his knees and shoved him away while the head cried out with surprise. Law looked over at him with a frown.
He reattached the kid's head, then teleported out of the room at a safe distance. Shachi quickly shut the doors, Law locking it in place with the heavy piece of wood. They couldn't hear anything inside.
Shachi looked at him uncomfortably. He had dried blood glued to his neck and collarbone from his head injury, and Law winced, wondering if continued head impacts had left more damage to his brain.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Shachi said slowly, speech slightly slurred and naturally slow – as if struggling to remember words, "but bulls can't just impregnate whatever cow is available. Bulls are forced to rape at man's hand because cows choose their mates, and they probably won't choose him."
Law stared at him, processing this answer. He exhaled tightly. "…this is such a revolting topic. Whatever decided that sub genders was a good idea - !"
"The strongest have to survive. In this world. I ain't ever seen so many kids, before. You're all strong. So it makes sense that a strong…boy…can…take on the responsibilities of…mating…? For future generations."
Law frowned heavily, wearing a revolted expression. "If only the circumstances were different."
Shachi shrugged helplessly, unable to assist with that.
Not wanting to discuss the topic any longer, Law muttered, "Grab your things. We're leaving tonight."
Shachi didn't move, looking down at his boots.
Law hesitated once he saw Shachi looking disappointed in himself.
"We're useless."
Seeing that the man was beating himself up for his predicament, Law felt that sympathy hit him again. He swallowed tightly, reaching out to clasp a hand on his shoulder.
"You just helped me, here. And there's nothing – we don't know all that much, and you guys have other outside experience that will come in handy. I think, together, we can help each other. Don't call yourself useless."
"Neither of us can contribute to much. Only physical labor."
"That's fine," Law said. "We can't do everything ourselves. We're going to need your help."
"But it won't matter if we're not as strong as you guys."
"We can't lift and dig and hoe and…whatever it was you guys did," Law assured him clumsily. "I'm sure all that will come in handy."
Shachi gave him a skeptical look, still feeling uncertainty. He nodded anyway. Patting his shoulder, Law then turned away and headed upstairs to grab his bag.
: :
Sabo arrived with the others, surprising them as they were gathering their things and helping Penguin recover. Seeing the situation as it was, combined with Ace's report, Sabo nodded. It was all he could do. The group made their way to their motorcycles, which were packed already and everyone, despite the time, was ready to go. They left the town behind them, setting off onto the main road. It was dark and dangerous, but Law was confident that they'd be fine. This situation here spoke volumes of their capabilities, but he had his to reflect on.
The first motorcycle was modified with a longer seat – the boys drove each other around on it, crowding upon it while Sabo or Ace drove, but now it was piled with four bodies with Law at the handles. He had Sanji in front of him, with Sabo against his back, and Ace and Luffy sitting at the back, clasping onto each other. Penguin and Shachi used the other motorcycle, which was packed tightly with their belongings. Law was thinking about the encounter when Sanji mumbled just loud enough to be heard, "You didn't kill them, did you?"
Annoyed at the question, Law struggled to ignore Ace and Luffy's argument on who had to use the only helmet they had. Sabo was snoring against his back.
"No," he answered reluctantly.
Sanji let out a sound of relief, and Law had to crane his head down to look at him with a puzzled expression.
"There's too much death, so it doesn't make sense that you're the cause of it," Sanji told him, tilting his head back against Law to look at him.
"It could still happen," Law then mumbled. "With the way I left them."
"The world's for the strong so if they aren't strong, then that's on them," Sanji said lightly.
"Yep."
"But it's okay to be weak, too," Sanji then said, twisting slightly to look back at the other motorcycle. "I think kindness speaks bigger than fear."
"Says the kid who kicks other kids in the nuts if they don't eat everything he makes."
"It's not good to waste food!"
Law thought about the exchange he had with the other alpha. He felt uneasy revulsion slosh around in his mid-section, watching the headlamp illuminate the road ahead of them. It would take a while before they reached any territory, so the loud engines screamed through the trees like an accusing giveaway.
How disgusting do you have to be to complete an act? he thought to himself, upper lip curling. The more he thought about it, the more Doflamingo's taunts came back to him. So it fired his building hate for the man, and built more anger in him. Law was so blind back then, spoiled by comfort and fake security that to find himself now felt like he'd pulled himself from a tar pit. Ever so slowly, he was removing the clinging pieces of weight that went with him.
He was proud of himself for leaving the alpha and his friend intact – he didn't do it for the reputation, but he didn't give them that much of a choice, either. He was determined not to be that man.
: :
They made camp late the next day. The kids were exhausted and laid out sloppy tents before falling asleep. The two men contributed lightly to the camp before Law allowed them to take their rest. He was exhausted, but his mind kept moving. He looked over the map carefully, consulting his battered compass and tracking their progress through various towns before settling in a hilly landscape that overlooked a land of thick trees. There was the ocean in the considerable distance – a slow moving fog coated the horizon. It was cold, but everyone was dressed warmly. They'd received odd looks but the kids covered themselves up in hoods and capes – their small frames still standing out. They didn't linger long in the areas they passed through.
The road was wide and uneven – they'd set up camp just high enough to overlook it, and to avoid being seen by the travelers that moved through. He watched as a horse drawn carriage and a trailer attached to it passed by, with several people around it. Their voices were loud and cheery, talking about light, everyday things. Law watched them pass cautiously, feeling apprehensive.
He wondered if they'd run into Shanks along the way. He felt old anger flare up inside of him as he did. The man gave them pretty promises then moved on without any more indication that he was speaking the truth or creating pretty music as Sanji's Pied Piper. It seemed whenever Shanks ran into children, he created a promising picture of a fabled land that may or may not exist. He considered himself a 'hunter', so did he not follow the blood trail left behind to make sure a kill had been completed?
He rummaged through the food pack and pulled out a bruised apple. Eating that, he looked over the map once more, closed up his compass, then settled with his head on Sanji's back to get some sleep.
He woke up, unsure of the reason why; it was either the ringing, intense pain in his head or the noise that made it difficult to stay asleep. His thought was that the kids were fighting again, and he had been so exhausted that he slept through it without trouble and ended up as a victim. Someone must have either hit him on accident or landed on him during some intense wrestling.
So before he opened his eyes and registered exactly what it was, he bellowed mightily. "Shut the fuck up, all of you!"
The intense silence allowed him relief, but it didn't remove the jarring sensation of movement. Confused, Law opened an eye. He realized the sky and the trees overhead were missing, and he was looking up at the ceiling of a steel cage. He sat up with a start and choked at the feel of weight and restraint around his neck, his hands moving up to explore and finding them restrained at the wrists as well. Shocked, Law struggled to sit up properly and could only twist his head around to see surprised kids' faces looking in his direction with chastised expressions.
Only, he didn't know these kids. Their dirty faces and worn, hollow cheeks suggested maltreatment and starvation, their expressions of despair foretelling of their fate. He swallowed tightly and searched for his omega.
"What the fuck," he cried with horror, straining to reach for the collar around his neck.
"Law!" he heard Ace bellow, a short distance away. Separated by steel walls between them – the abrupt pounding told him that those kids were caged as well. The others called out, their voices suggesting distance between them all. The ones he could see looked confused and frightened. "You finally awake? We got caught!"
The bars of his cage door rattled with a punch, and Law looked over with a start to see a man grinning in at him.
"Hello, there! Long time no see, Trafalgar," Bellamy said cheerily. With horror, Law stared at him; recalling his younger face years ago. This man idolized Doflamingo. Realizing their predicament, the surroundings showed him a road they hadn't explored, and what looked like a caravan of vehicles. The rumble of engines and snorts of horses told him they were moving slowly. "Don't worry about the restraints, it's necessary I chain up all the big kids. It's good to see you two are okay. We were worried about you guys. Thought you were snatched up and eaten by monsters years ago."
"Where's Sanji?" Law asked with panic, trying to sit up and finding it difficult to do so.
"Oh, don't worry about him," Bellamy assured him with a rather mean expression. "He's taking company and getting to know the rest of us."
Law stared at him with mounting horror, searching for any disturbance within himself. He wanted to clutch his head, but his hands remained inches from the floor. The cage was banged upon from his left.
"I blame you for this!"
The voice was startlingly familiar, causing Law to suck in surprise air. "Kid?"
"DON'T CALL ME A KID!"
"There was a surprising amount of you guys along this route," Bellamy continued, amazed. "All our cages are full, we've been stuffing you guys two to. Gave you some special treatment, upon Doflamingo's request. He's excited to see you guys, again."
Law struggled to hide his dismay, but his voice was shaky when he demanded, "Give me even more special treatment and bring Sanji in here with me."
"I ain't no damn baby! I can stick it out by myself!"
Law's head snapped in that direction. He couldn't see Sanji, but his voice came from the other rows of kids to his left, in freestanding cages with lighter security spaces. Almost like chickens on display behind wire. Law exhaled shallowly with hidden relief. Bellamy laughed at his expression, walking on. He banged upon the cage doors one by one while a motorcycle passed by. He recognized Doflamingo's crest and colors on it. Panic and horror flooded through him, and he looked at his restraints. Glancing back at the fallen expressions of the kids to his left, Law noted that they wore a variety of worn clothing, smelling of various scents that suggested they hadn't been able to bathe in a while. Unlike he, they were unrestrained – just shoved into small cages that only allowed them to sit.
Some of them were young, Sanji's age. Surely potential candidates to alpha or omega status. His instincts were already going haywire with the recognizance of others, but it was possibly just the kid next to him.
"Why haven't you used your abilities, kid?" he asked his neighbor, knocking on the wall separating them.
"I won't answer to that stupid name."
"I let you go and you still get caught."
"Shut up! It's because you imprisoned us both that we both got caught! This is your fault."
"Your powers. Why?"
"I don't know," the kid replied with a rather surprised look. "I can't use my magic here."
Law examined the ceiling, head aching with such an intense throb that it was difficult to hold properly. He ended up using his shoulder to provide some sort of relief against the movement of the vehicle. He squeezed his eyes shut and angrily hit the floor.
"Every time I fucking shut my eyes - !" he muttered to himself with disbelief, opening his eyes to glare at his feet. "There's always shit that happens…"
He trailed off, noticing that there were kids staring at him with curiosity. He struggled to ignore them. Concentrating hard, he closed his eyes and moved to form a Room. There was an immense weight to the action that caused him to jolt – he realized his magic was being purposely blocked. The feeling was horrifying after all these years of being free to use them as he pleased. He couldn't talk to the others, and that was a difficulty in itself.
He looked at the kids again, noting their bedraggled state.
"Sanji!" he then called out. "Status update."
"We all got caught, dumb ass," Sanji said, appearing over the heads of others as he stood at a crouch, stuck into a cage of his own. Law looked him over, then furrowed his brow.
"But you're free."
"Yeah." Sanji winked repeatedly with indication that he knew exactly what Law was thinking. Law couldn't help but smirk. Looking around himself, Sanji then said, "There's twelve kids here. Seven boys and five girls. In your row is ten kids, including you and those other dumbasses."
"We're not dumb!" Ace bellowed back angrily. "We was just tired! We didn't hear nothin' til we were being dropped!"
"Including those other two?" Law asked Sanji over his shout.
"Yeah. We're all here. There's seven men in Doffy's colors. Two vehicles. One of which is us on the back of what looks like a trailer. We're in a big truck. The other is a coach. There are four motorcycles. None of those guys are alphas. Just you two guys."
The other kids looked at Sanji with doubt, then continued listening as Law absorbed this information.
"How long was I out?"
"I counted two hours." Sanji tutted, giving him a disgusted look. "I think you got a sleeping disability, because you don't wake up for shit when you're tired. But it was Bellamy that knocked you senseless cuz he said he was pissed at you for being alive and he was already mad because I called him a loser still in Doffy's diapers and Ace was calling him names and Luffy spit on him so he took it out on you. You slept right through it."
"I will never sleep again," Law vowed uselessly. Without warning, he head-butted the wall separating him from the other teen, startling him into a curse. "Keep your eyes to yourself, pervert."
"I wasn't even doing anything!"
"I can smell it."
"YOU CANNOT. What are you, a goddamn dog?" the other teen exclaimed, voice switching octaves.
Law struggled to compose himself, head ringing with the impact. One of the kids looked at him with amusement. He looked to be Sanji's age, with a girl clinging to his arm with a frightened look.
"Before you bash your head in," Sanji continued, leaning against the cage, face distorting against the metal, "let's plan. Because I don't wanna go back to that place. I need to use you to do it if I want to rescue the others."
He reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a key. "I found this. I don't know what it goes to, but it was in Bellamy's vest pocket. He might be missing it soon. He's still stupid – all he wanted to do was talk to Doffy before paying any attention to anything."
Sanji then crouched, whispering for the unrestrained kids to pass the key over. The one closest to Law pushed his thin arm through the bars and allowed Law to take it under the cover of one hand. Then he froze.
"How the hell am I going to distort myself to use this?" he muttered, finding that his hands were restrained shoulder width to the floor without much room to move them. Then he noticed that his feet weren't restrained, and it took several moments of consideration before he used one foot to slip out of one boot.
Sanji laughed at him. "You have long toes, but I doubt you have the coordination to do that!"
"Shut up, brat! Words of encouragement, not doubt," Law grumbled, slipping out of his mended socks and staring at his bony, narrow feet. He wiggled his toes and realized he was not Luffy – he never had to use his feet in this way. So doubt weighed heavily on his expression.
"If you can contort yourself to use your toes as fingers, I'm going to be impressed," the kid said to him with doubt, crinkling his brow. His hair was so dirty that Law swore it was startling to mold – patches of green were evident in the roots.
"What the hell is going on over there?" the other teen demanded from next door.
Law glanced at the first kid, noting his amused look. "Shut up. You've got a big forehead."
"To hide big brains."
Law remembered Sanji telling him that same thing long time ago.
"I'll only do it if I know for sure you can," Sanji then called out to him, still pressed against his cage.
Law knew he couldn't contort himself to do so, but he could use his magic if he willed it so. He closed his eyes, striving to ignore everything around him. He focused on forming his Room – as little as he could. The weight against him convinced him that he couldn't, but he mused himself to be a stubborn shit that refused to give up. It was almost the sensation of blowing up a balloon in a very small, tight space; that space popped the balloon every single time he willed it. His head throbbed with aching sensation as he focused all his energy on the area around his wrist. He had just enough space to form a very light, weak Room that wavered unsteadily, threatening to die out just as quickly.
At that moment, he thought of Corazon desperately urging him to teleport himself and Sanji out of the rolled car. The memory propelled him into focusing intensely, the Room growing distinctively stronger. It wavered like a glitch, and without any more thought he jerked his wrist upward to free himself.
Once his arm was free, Law had to catch his breath. He felt like someone had nearly smothered him – all his muscles felt weak and useless, and he crumbled backward with a tired sound.
"Oh, c'mon," the kid next to him said, big forehead pressed against his cage as he looked at Law with disappointment. "You're going to give out right when it matters?"
Law rolled his eyes, finding it difficult to straighten up. "That took a lot out of me."
"I knew you could do it!" Sanji cheered. "So, should I do it now?"
"Wait - !" Law called out breathlessly, focusing on the ceiling. He just needed a few minutes to regroup – every part of him felt like jelly, head ringing continuously. His neighbor pounded upon the wall separating him.
"What you doing over there? It better involve me!"
With a heavy roll of his eyes, Law struggled to sit up. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, then found it too exhausting to do much else. It felt like he was being drained of everything he had left. He slumped against the wall of his cage, feeling his limbs shake.
"Great," he heard Sanji say with a heavy sigh. "He's dead. Too bad for him, good for me! I'm a free man! Ladies, yes, all of you – I am single. Guess what? I can cook so you don't have to lift a finger!"
"Shut up," the kid next to Law grumbled, looking back at him incredulously as the girl clinging to him looked startled. "Have you seen your face? No female is going to find you attractive!"
"Funny, the grass in a human body is talking to me like he matters!"
Law sat up, bracing himself against the floor. Sanji gave a long sigh of frustration, while the kids closest to Law clapped with amazement.
"Stop trying to kill me!" Law snarled at Sanji with gritted teeth, then panted for effort.
"So, if you're dead," his neighbor mused, "then can I have - ?"
Before he could finish it, Law punched the wall separating them, the noise surprisingly loud. He knew he was strong, but to actually see the dent caused Law surprise. He looked at his flexing hand with rising awe.
"I WAS GOING TO SAY YOUR FUCKING SWORD!"
"You have a sword?" the kid closest to Law whispered with surprise. "I have three of them."
"God," Law muttered, free hand to his forehead as his headache persisted, "I hate kids…"
Face pressed against his cage, Sanji then said, "Then hurry up so I can get spayed."
"Who taught you that?"
"Ace. Said they used to do that to stray animals in the villages he used to stay at. That's correct, right? Or is it neutered?"
Law struggled to stay focused. But he grabbed the key and used it to turn the lock of his other restraint. His hands free, he found the lock in his collar and turned that as well. Once he was free, he shifted away to try and see if he could see Bellamy and the others. But judging from the amount of dust rising with the truck's movement, and the motorcycles' action away from the cages, he decided it was time.
He looked to Sanji and nodded.
Sanji coaxed those surrounding him to get as far away from him as he could. Once they shuffled out of his proximity, he inhaled a deep breath before alighting furiously with heat and flame. Kids screamed with horror and fear as he erupted. Mightily, he accompanied the display with a childish roar.
"What the fuck? That kid's on fire!" the teen next to Law shrieked.
All of them smashed against their cages to escape sure injury or death as the vehicle slowed to a short stop. Sanji righted himself, barely visible within the flames. He shrieked shrilly with pain and horror, acting as if he were burning alive. Kids around him burst into terrified screams and tears, clawing away from him in a panic.
"Holy fuck!" Bellamy cried with terror, hands to his face. "Get the water, get the water!"
Law watched as Sanji rolled about dramatically, his cagemate shrilling with terrified screams. Just below the din, Law thought he heard Luffy laughing in amusement.
"He got me good that one time with that, too!" he heard the kid said before being abruptly shut up.
Several men appeared with horrified expressions of their own. Law crouched at the edge of his cage, then forced himself to sound desperate.
"Bring him to me! Bring him to me, only I can turn him off!" he cried, hands at his sides. "Bellamy, it's our bond! He's going to cook if you don't!"
"Shit, shit, do it, do it!" Bellamy bellowed at the others, all of whom were too terrified to do so. With a strike of confidence, Bellamy reached into the cage for Sanji, but drew his hands back as the heat ate at his fingertips. Sanji continued to scream, crying at the same time. Bellamy looked back at Law, then directed his men to open his cage. "Unlock him, bring him close!"
Pensively, Law waited for the panicked crew to follow Bellamy's orders. Sanji dramatically tossed himself out of the opened cage, rolling about on the gravel while Bellamy danced away from him. Kids continued to scream and cry hysterically while Law's cage was opened. He was dragged out – he noticed they didn't react to his lack of restraints.
They practically threw him like a toy near Sanji. Once Sanji realized Law was free, he abruptly powered down, and Law formed a large Room. Bellamy realized the deception too late as Law found and assimilated into the surrounding men, and pulled them apart. Their bodies dropped in pieces while Sanji brushed himself off and sighed over the state of his white shirt.
Rising to his feet, Law searched Bellamy's torso for keys while the man shrilled with horror and dismay at losing parts of his body. Sanji kicked pieces of the fallen men away from the cages as Law stood up with a ring full of keys.
"About time!" Ace complained from his cage, watching them with a bored look. Luffy was slobbering at his shoulder while Sabo looked down with worry, Penguin and Shachi crowded around him.
The two bounty hunters nearby were watching with startled expressions. Law was unlocking the kids' cages when he was hit with vertigo so strong that he nearly collapsed against the trailer. Sanji awkwardly caught him, the bigger kids surrounding to help allow Law to sit. Sanji snatched the keys from him while Law sat with a bewildered look, surprised at his sudden weakness.
The kid with the green hair tutted. "You're not a very strong guy," he said gruffly. "You're too skinny. I think you need more protein in your diet."
Law gave him an exasperated look. "Idiot. I just performed a feat for others to fear - !"
He gave a strangled noise when chains wrapped around him ferociously, squeezing him out of air. Kids scattered for a safe distance as the other alpha emerged from his cage dramatically. His friend kicked Sanji aside, the kid giving a surprised grunt as his friend marched forward.
Law looked at him with shock, the chains tightening around his arms and neck like a boa constrictor. He could feel his head and neck building with suffocating pressure.
"This is my revenge," the other alpha declared dramatically. He was stripped of his earlier armor and weaponry, wearing only a sleeveless tee stained at the underarms and shredded at the hem. The other had a similar get-up, only his hair hung over his face and shoulders like a living mass. Crossing his surprisingly thin arms over his chest, the redhead looked down at Law with satisfaction. "Nobody can remove those chains. If your friends can save you – "
He fell forward with a surprised choke of sound, clearly attacked from behind while his friend looked startled at the attack. The kid with green hair pulled the teen into a chokehold while his female friend retracted a Taser from the back of the alpha's leg, looking back at the other teen with a threatening expression. She'd retrieved it from one of the men lying on the ground in pieces.
"Listen up, you dumb asses," she commanded, thumb squeezing the Taser's power button and causing it to zap noisily, "if you're done comparing egos, we're going to escape. We don't have that much time. You. I will electrocute your buddy to death if you don't allow that idiot up."
The quiet teen grabbed Sanji by his hair and placed him into a chokehold, Sanji strangling with a kick of his legs. Before he could negotiate, he was struck from above by Ace, Luffy and Sabo. The dog pile was messy as they sought to teach the teenager a noisy lesson. Once free, Sanji caught his breath. He shot Nami a cheerful smile.
"You saved me!" he exclaimed happily, clearly ignoring the scramble behind him.
Seeing that one of the other kids had gone about to free everyone else during the confrontation, Law jerked the chains off him with a cough. He rose shakily then had to take a seat. Every part of him felt like jelly, and he didn't understand why.
The girl Tased the redhead once more when he made to attack, his body jerking violently. She ended up electrocuting her friend, who relinquished his hold with a clenched curse.
"Oops," she chuckled. "Sorry, Zoro."
"…Nami…! …I'll…kill you….!"
Penguin snatched the Taser from her while Shachi tried to help Law to his feet. He didn't understand why his legs refused to work, so Shachi lifted him onto his back.
"I'm so tired," Law wheezed, wearing a confused expression as he barely found strength to clasp onto the man.
"Gahhhh! NO! Not again!"
Ace walked over to the screaming redhead, who was frustrated by being felled once more. He kicked him in the side then planted his hands on his hips as he was pierced with a glare.
Sabo joined Ace, seeing as Luffy and Sanji had turned the tables on the redhead's friend.
"What's your name, kid?" Ace demanded of the redhead.
"It's Kid, obviously," Law muttered. "He's just a dumbass. Chain him back up. Leave him."
"Let's kill him!"
"Dismember him!"
"Ruin his entire day!"
"Atomic wedgie!"
"Make him smell my socks!"
"Pluck his nose hairs one by one!"
"No! Stop!" Kid cried against the kids that cheerily called out their threats. Law noticed that most of the kids were running away, using the distraction to do so. He also noticed that Bellamy and his men were scattered about, trying fruitlessly to put themselves back together. Bellamy himself was watching them with hate blazing in his eyes, trying to attach his feet to his torso.
Wearily, Law muttered, "Lock up Kid and his friend in their cage. Ace, make your dying rabbit noises, and make them loud. Don't give the adults any chance to call for help. Kid, if you want to live," Law added as Ace began making the noises, causing the kids around him to clamp their hands over their ears, "you'll stay in your cage."
"You can't do this to me! You realize this was your mistake coming back to bite you in the ass by letting me go the first time!" Kid snarled at him as Penguin, Zoro and another kid picked him up from the ground. Nami held the Taser, threatening him with it.
"Life experience," Law reasoned, Ace panting for breath before resuming. As that was handled, he looked down at Bellamy. "As for you…let this be a message to Doffy. Neither of us will be returning to that place, ever."
"Doffy will find you," Bellamy vowed. "He might've moved on, but as long as you draw breath, he'll find you both. You better pray I don't survive the night."
Law frowned down at him. Before he could respond, Penguin returned with a tool in hand. Without saying anything, Penguin disposed of the talking head, causing multiple children's faces to drop with absolute horror and alarm. The silence was amazing as Penguin straightened up, looking satisfied as he handled his bloodied tool within both hands.
Law gave him a look of approval. "That solves that. The rest of you, find useful supplies. Ace, I don't hear any predators responding."
"I just…" Ace trailed off, staring at the mess of Bellamy's head. "Okay."
"My lady," Sanji introduced himself to Nami, who looked at him skeptically. He removed his shirt to place around her shoulders, Law watching and wondering where he'd learned that behavior after being surrounded by selfish males most of his entire life. "I will be your escort for the remainder of this time. Pay no attention to anyone else, here. They're all just simple children."
"Ah, my only knight in shining armor," she decided flatly. But her dirty fingers tugged the shirt firmly around her stained, threadbare t-shirt with a unicorn on the front.
"I will be in your debt," Sanji told her seriously with a bow. "Because I thought I was near death myself until I saw you, and was revived simply by your astounding beauty!"
"What a moron," Zoro decided, looking at him skeptically. He reached out and swatted Nami as hard as he could against her back, causing her to shriek with surprise. "This is a sturdy and reliable steel post of will and strength. She doesn't need no man's assistance – she is a man herself."
"Don't touch her!" Sanji lunged at him, both of them fighting each other while Nami looked insulted. But Ace sidled up to her, displaying his muscles with a wiggle of his eyebrow. He crooked an arm and pointed this way and that.
"Have you looked in both directions, Nami?" he asked her smoothly, indicating his flexed bicep. "You should always look in both directions before you cross the road."
"What exactly am I looking for?" she asked with that same flat tone.
"My heart." Ace wiggled his eyebrows and she looked away with a roll of her eyes. "Which is…located here."
He flexed his chest and abs with such flashy action that it was terribly hard not to notice.
"Wow," Sabo whispered with mortification.
"Gross," Law agreed. "Guess Ace isn't gay after all."
"LAW!" Ace bellowed at the older teen with embarrassment while Nami tittered behind one hand.
"I can drop the cage-trailer," Penguin told him, dropping the tool. "I used to drive heavy machinery, sometimes. Trucks like these, too. There's plenty of room for us to use."
"Great idea. Because it looks like we've adopted more," Law added with a lift an eyebrow as he saw Luffy talking excitedly to another boy with curly hair and a long nose. Kid was shouting from inside his cage, vowing revenge. Those that had run off were already gone from sight. Law hoped the best for them.
"We'll find supplies," Penguin then told Law as they headed for the rumbling truck. "Anything and everything we can find. Just sit and rest, boss."
Surprised by the title, Law had to accept that it didn't hurt to hear.
Almost an hour later, the back cab was crammed with kids talking different subjects amongst each other while they made their introductions and learned about each other. Law cradled his sword within the crook of one arm, sitting slumped in one roomy back seat. Penguin, Shachi and Sabo sat in front, excitedly watching the view as the truck. Bellamy had taken some of Law's things along with them – including the treasured map. There was a considerable food supply that was moved into the truck's storage space behind the cab, and they managed to tie a single motorcycle to the suspension, atop of the fifth wheel.
He had Luffy and the others scratch over Doflamingo's crest on the truck's sides and hood, promising to allow them to decorate it with their own design later.
The truck's dash had its own navigational system, and Law trusted the three up front to follow it. As he was sitting there, fighting against sleep, Sanji crept over to him from the cab. The kids' voices were noisy with excitement and cheer, excited shrieks shrilling out from time to time. Out of their view, Sanji slipped his smaller hands into Law's, holding tightly.
"I can feel how tired you are," he whispered to Law with concern. "That magic they used – I heard them say they used a spell on the stronger cages in case they found any alphas and omegas. Bellamy didn't think I had matured, yet. I convinced them to separate us so I could help."
Law nodded to acknowledge this. "Smart move."
"Are you praising me?"
Considering the circumstances, Law had to nod with a tired smile. "Yes. You're pretty smart for a dumb kid."
Sanji beamed up at him, then stood up to hug him tightly around the neck. He pressed noisy kisses against his cheek, then rubbed in his spit with a rub of his nose. The gesture made Law chuckle, made him feel just as affectionate by rubbing his sore forehead back against his. Without thinking, he rubbed his lips in a clumsy kiss against the kid's eyebrows, which made Sanji flush with delight.
Just the scent and weight of him felt revitalizing, giving Law energy he didn't think he needed. It was a physical thing that affected his body, allowing it to grow lighter and expanding with much needed strength. Law was both surprised and alarmed at recognizing this exchange. After a few moments, Sanji pushed up to sit next to him with a yawn, draping an arm over his chest to clench lightly at his opposite shoulder.
Law, despite the feeling of rejuvenation, was too tired to push him away. He hugged him lightly as the kid settled to take a nap. There was a different feeling there between them, something individual and full of substance. He wondered if Sanji were actually healing him in some sense with his physical affection. Considering how their bond allowed shared states, this was a new one to explore. He did recall how the tension seemed to shift when they were actually getting along.
He felt a little more clear headed and stronger in the limbs. He just hated the concept of needing affection from his pair to actually feel healed. Wasn't he the healer? Suddenly self-conscious, he made to push Sanji away before his new friends could see this when Luffy slammed the cab door shut between them. He pressed his face against the window with a cheery smile, peace sign against the glass. Clearly thinking ahead of Law. Luffy then pressed his mouth against the glass and blew into it, heaving noises until Ace knocked him in the head, yelling at him to settle down. The resulting confrontation was noisy.
Law settled back in his seat, holding lightly onto Sanji so he wouldn't fall. Then fell asleep despite his earlier vow not to.
Naghi-Tan: This chapter was intense, too! So much going on – I feel exhausted lol They are definitely Kid and Killer! One day, Kid will get his revenge on the older kid – it's just not today XD
Harmonica Smile: It sure is! Shachi isn't, but he knows where his loyalty will stand from now on. Law's adopted them all despite his protests. How he's grown since he started out in this fic! XD
Greeny: the world is a savage place – the kids make it a little brighter. They've seen some terrible things and experienced some bad things but together, they'll make it a better place. Brook wasn't lying when they were living in the land of the dead – the ghosts sure made their presence known back then. Hopefully we'll find out what had happened to those three. The pair are growing closer together as they progress together – it's a good thing! But never to be smooth flowing with what I have planned…