A/N~ Your continued support and pleas for mercy on your emotions feeds the evil creature in my evil soul :) XD

This chapter was great to write, but also a wee bit heartbreaking because...well...people are going to die soon, and I don't wike it :(

And yeah, I kinda wanted to punch Outlook too, but I felt at the time, spitting would not only link back to what the bros did, not only would it STILL be satisfying, but remember that Sabo, whilst he hates his dad, can't quite bring himself to strike him. Not yet.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! I OWN NOTHING BUT THE JAR OF SOULS I'LL COLLECT ONCE YOUR FEELS ARE DESTROYED :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Against the Clock

There were pros and cons, Ivankov mused, when you had someone like Inazuma as a partner.

On the one hand, Inazuma was cool under pressure, confident and sure in everything he did and said – except for accidentally letting it slip to Koala that Dragon had a son, (that idiot). He was serious and could be absolutely boring some days, but he did have a playful side, one only Iva was blessed to see. He was stern but loving, twinkling eyes underneath those blasted sunglasses he insisted upon wearing. And not only was he accepting of Iva's lifestyle, but he often partook in it.

Iva couldn't have asked for partner, a better lover.

On the other hand, being all but shoved onto a lifeboat by said partner – because love made reckless fools of everyone, he confessed – and being forced to sit idly by whilst they waited to either board one themselves or die…well, that was simply unfair, wasn't it?

From where Ivankov and Koala – another reluctant boarder and a victim of Inazuma's powers of 'persuasion' – sat on the second row of the little lifeboat they'd been hustled into, the hull of Titanic loomed over Boat 6 like a cliff, its enormous mass suddenly threatening to those in the tiny boat.

Iva had known something was wrong the moment the shuddering had begun, known in some way or another that the beautiful ship was doomed. But to see it with his own two eyes…it was more than frightening.

"Well, that's not something you see every day," the queen muttered.

Beside him, Koala nodded silently in agreement, still brooding dejectedly as she glared down at her twisting fingers on her lap. The poor dear had done everything she could have done with the time she'd had on the ship before Inazuma had finally stepped in, but to her, it still wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.

They all knew it pained her to sit and do nothing, but it was better than losing her along with half of the other passengers that wouldn't make it. The Revolutionaries needed her, for one, and she was…well, to be blunt, like a daughter to Iva.

To lose her – wonderful, mischievous, snarky, brave Koala who had been through so much as a child, a slave of all things – would be to lose a part of himself.

Iva would never be able to live without the young woman he'd partially raised. Nor did he truly believe he would be able to go on should he find that Inazuma didn't make it, either. They'd known each other for years, seen the best and the worst of the other, worked together, loved…

His only consolation was that he'd promised to get a message to Dragon, or at least any of their allies nearby, to send help immediately should the only other ship never arrive in time, or at all.

I doubt they'll make it in time, either. We're the only thing in sight for miles as it is.

Heaving a sigh, heavy from his shivering soul, Iva glanced around him; the Quartermaster at the tiller clearly wanted nothing but to get away from the ship, thinking more about himself than the women, children – and cross-dresser, hello – he had on board. Unfortunately, his two seamen couldn't row worth a damn, instead flailing like a duck with a broken wing.

Iva watched them and frowned, sharing a look with Koala, who finally lifted her head from her lap, eyes a little brighter though still tinged with incredible sadness. They'd been of little help back on the ship aside from ushering a few reluctant young ladies onto the boats until Inazuma had all but thrown them onto one, but damn them both to hell if they didn't try to help now.

Disguise or no, they were still Revolutionaries, dammit.

Iva leaned forward, addressing the young, green haired man rowing beside him. "Pardon me, young man, but have you ever rowed before?" he asked.

The boy looked up at him through his bangs. "N-No ma'am," he replied, grunting as he struggled with his oar.

Iva huffed. He'd thought as much, the poor dear. None of the crewmen had been briefed – or dare he say even properly trained – on what to do should something like this occur. Worse still, the boy looked shaken, completely unnerved by the whole situation and would rather keel over and faint than row a lifeboat.

Taking pity on the poor darling, Iva held out his gloved hand. "Hand me that oar if you please, dear. I'll show you how it's done."

The boy blinked at Iva, perplexed, as the cross-dresser shuffled over to take the oar and swap places, Koala doing the same with the older man with the white fuzzy hat who looked just as puzzled and slightly awed. Together, they hauled the oars in time with each other, Iva grunting with effort whilst Koala powered through without so much as breaking a sweat.

Those arms of hers weren't just for show. Iva was so proud.

As they rowed further and further away, Iva looked up at the tilting ship slowly sinking into the black mirror of the Atlantic. His frown deepened. He fought tears.

You'd better get on a damn lifeboat soon, Inazuma. That goes for you brothers, too. There's not much time left.

"Hack! Hack, are you here?!"

Sabo raced through the emptying first-class corridor, head snapping this way and that in search of the larger man. If he knew Hack, though only for a short while, he knew the man wouldn't sit idly by whilst passengers were still in their rooms or wandering about listlessly; the man would more than likely be searching for those people and urging them to get to the lifeboats as quick as possible.

Sabo briefly wondered if Koala was doing the same thing, banging on doors and getting people outside…he wondered if she was okay, if she was with someone rather than on her own…

Just as he crossed the next corridor, he finally spotted Hack doing that – banging on doors and sending people to the boat deck. He was wearing a lifebelt, too, which relieved the blond; it meant that he still had every intention of trying to survive this ordeal.

"Hack!" he called hurrying over once the man raised his eyes in surprise and grabbing him by the arms. "Thank God! Where would the Master at Arms take someone under arrest, a-and what would they do if they had to separate two of them? Also, you wouldn't happen to have any paperclips on you by any chance would you –?"

"What, paperclips – Sabo, you shouldn't be here!" Hack spluttered, nudging Sabo back down the hall. "You need to get to a boat right away –!"

"No, I'm not leaving without Ace and Luffy!" Sabo asserted, dismissing the shock in Hacks eyes for the moment. "They're my brothers, Hack! I'm not going to let them die, and I'm doing this with or without your help. But without will take longer."

He stared deep into his older friend's eyes, watching him battle with himself as he pursed his lips together. There was another beat in which Sabo fought the urge to fidget under the stern stare, before Hack finally sighed. "You're a little stubborn bastard, Sabo, I'll give you that," he muttered, almost to himself, as he searched his pockets and handed over a single paperclip.

Sabo grinned in thanks – and yes, yes he was a stubborn little bastard, and proud of it thank you very much – and stuffed it into his coat as Hack braced his shoulders, locking gazes.

"Take the elevator to the very bottom and go left, down the crewman's passage, then make a right and another left at the stairs, you'll come to a long corridor," he said, and Sabo nodded along, jotting down every detail and searing it into his brain. "Near the end of that corridor lies the Master at Arms' office. They're bound to keep someone there since there's no brig. I don't know where they would put the other if they intended to separate two troublemakers, but they would most likely be on the same floor."

Sabo nodded again. "Okay…okay, bottom, left, right, left again, corridor. Got it, thank you Hack." With a final grateful smile, Sabo turned and ran back the way he'd come, making a break for the elevator.

"Hurry, Sabo!" he heard Hack shout after him. "There's not much time!"

I figured as much. And I'd better see you on one of those lifeboats, too, my friend.

Offering absent apologies as he pushed his way through mingling people in the foyer – seriously, why the ever-loving hell were they still inside? – Sabo made it to the elevator just as the operator moved to close the gates, much to the ire of a first-class woman and her husband who were trying to get in to do something Sabo didn't give a damn about – probably something stupid like getting something from their rooms.

"Sir, please," he breathed, skidding to a stop in front of the operator, "please wait, I need to get down to –"

"Sorry sir, but the lifts are closed," the operator pressed, sounding like he'd said the same thing over a hundred times and was getting rather tired of it. "Please, for your safety, I kindly ask that you – uhm…s-s-sir?"

Sabo didn't know what kind of face he was wearing as he glared at the operator, but it had to be the scariest damn thing the shivering man had seen in his entire life.

So the lifts were closed, were they?

Well, that was too.

Freaking.

Bad.

"I. Am. Through being polite, goddammit!" Sabo reached out and grabbed the man by the shoulders, shoving him back into the lift, ignoring the startled gasps from the nobles surrounding them. "Take me down! E Deck, go, now!"

Blinking rapidly and gulping fearfully, the operator fumbled to close the gate with shaking hands and start the lift. Sabo pulled the gates shut just as they descended, and he briefly wondered if it was really a good thing that he felt some satisfaction in being a scary, cranky asshole to whimpering idiots like this man.

He decided 'yes, it was,' and folded his arms, opting to wait in silence for the other guy's sake as they delved deeper into the ship.

Wait for me, Ace, Luffy. I'm coming.

"HELP! IS THERE ANYONE THERE?! HELP ME!"

Luffy's throat was raw and aching as he continued to scream, tugging with all his might against the wooden frame of the berth he'd been ruthlessly cuffed to.

Upon finding one of the second-class cabins on E Deck empty after dragging the struggling boy down the stairs, away from his brothers, the stewards had left him tied to the berth of the bunk bed on the right-hand side of the small room and had locked the door upon their hasty departure.

That was a while ago. They hadn't come back since, not to check on him or let him out or anything. He'd heard a bunch of people rushing past at one point, but none of them had responded to his desperate calls for help, and then another heavy silence befell the hallways.

The silence drove Luffy mad.

It reminded him too much of back then, alone in a cold, locked room with only a small window on the wall to let some moonlight in. Miss Charlotte and her horde of cronies and 'perfect children' hadn't cared that he'd cried himself to sleep every night, no one had cared that he'd been scared and so lonely that it hurt, worse than a knife through the chest…

Tears pricked his eyes again – he'd started crying after the stewards had left him, and he cursed himself for being such a baby when Ace would tell him to knock it off and be strong, when Garp would threaten him with a Fist of Love if he didn't 'suck it up and tough it out like a true Marine' – and he grunted with pain and effort to break free from the cuffs binding him to the bed, not caring if he broke the bed or his wrists or both.

He had to get out, had to get free, had to find Ace and Sabo and everyone because he couldn't stand it anymore couldn't stand being alone in this room and it was too small too small he was going to suffocate he couldn't breathe couldn't breathe holygodhecan'tbreathe –

Luffy froze.

'Stop it! Stop it, calm down! Remember what Ace and Makino told you. Take a deep breath. Breathe. You'll be okay. Breathe…'

And Luffy did his best to breathe, to clear the erratic thoughts from his buzzing head, concentrate on getting his heartbeat back to normal, telling himself over and over that he was okay.

Breathe, he was okay, just breathe…

A minute or two passed, the teens attempt to breathe slow and measured the only sound filling the otherwise empty bedroom. Eventually, Luffy let out a heavy sigh and collapsed against the berth, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor beside the lower bed, his body and mind and rampaging emotions all but exhausted even as stray tears slipped unnoticed down his flushed cheeks.

He closed his eyes. Dammit.

A few years back, every time Luffy was left alone for long periods of time without knowing when Ace or even Dadan were going to come back, he suffered panic attacks. He would have trouble thinking rationally, trouble breathing when his chest ached or when his heart beat too fast like a galloping horse without reins to pull it back, and sometimes he would even pass out, feel like the ground had opened beneath him and swallowed him whole, plunging him into a pit of eternal darkness…

It was scary. There were times Luffy had been certain he was going to die.

When they'd finally gone to a doctor about it, they'd called it 'separation anxiety', a result of what he'd gone through during his early childhood. From back then.

After knowing what the issue was and finding ways of dealing with it and occupying his thoughts and biding his time with other activities before the panic attacks could take hold, he'd gotten better at controlling it. It meant that Ace was okay to leave him at home and go to work without coming back to a sobbing baby brother. Luffy could still live a relatively normal life.

(One wouldn't think stealing from carts and beating up thugs on a regular basis could be considered normal by any stretch of the imagination, but Luffy loved his life with Ace, couldn't imagine doing anything else.)

But there were moments when the thought of loneliness, the idea of abandonment and just not knowing was too much, like a gaping wound that bled and bled until he was limp and dry, and then the panic attacks came. So Makino had taught Luffy ways of getting out of the attacks, ways of calming down and grounding himself to the real world. She'd passed them onto Ace too, so that he could be there to remind Luffy when Makino wasn't.

And they worked. Luffy found that holding onto his hat, his treasure, was a pretty good way to ground himself.

But just like Ace's narcolepsy, they wouldn't truly go away no matter what they did.

Luffy never stopped being frustrated with the fact that he couldn't fully get over it, hated that he could barely go a day without some form of closeness. But Ace had always assured him that it was okay, because they were working around it, because it was normal for people with a fear like the one Luffy had, who'd gone through what Luffy had at the hands of Big Mom.

But Ace wasn't here now. Ace was gone, somewhere else, somewhere Luffy couldn't reach, and Sabo was gone, too, and he probably wouldn't bother looking for them because maybe a part of him deep down still believed Outlook's stupid lie, and Luffy was left alone and he didn't know what to do and he was crying again –

He froze when a sort of gurgling sound reached his ears. He opened his eyes.

What…what was that?

It kinda sounded like his belly rumbling – which reminded him bitterly that he hadn't eaten since lunch and he was starviiiiiing – but not really, because when his belly growled it didn't make a noise like water going down a drain…

Wait…water?

Lifting his head from the berth pole, Luffy turned his head to the locked door behind him. Water poured under the door and into the room, spreading rapidly across the floor. It reached Luffy's feet in seconds, and though he was wearing actual shoes this time, it was cold.

Luffy's eyes flew wide.

"Oh crap."

This is bad.

This is bad, this is so so bad –

The room was flooding. And if the room was flooding all the way up to E Deck from where it had been down in the Boiler Rooms only a few minutes ago, it could only mean –

"Oh hell no hell no the ship is sinking?!" Luffy screeched. "Are you kidding me?!"

He leapt back to his feet and renewed his struggles to break free, tugging and tugging against the wooden pole with everything he had, sweat dripping down his face and blood dripping from his reddened wrists.

He couldn't die here. He had to find Ace and Sabo and his friends. He had to make sure they were alright, that they made it out alive, that they could fulfil their dreams.

He had to get out!

Tears of pain pricked his eyes again as he pulled harder, his resolve strengthened when he heard cracking wood over the sound of rushing water.

"Come on, come on come on – break you stupid pole!" he screamed, but the damn thing still wouldn't budge despite his efforts. The cuffs sunk in all the deeper.

He was trapped. He was chained to a freakin' bed, in a locked room, alone, and the ship was bloody sinking and he couldn't get out!

"Help! Somebody!" he cried, new desperate tears following the tracks of the dried ones as he tugged and screamed for all he was worth, refusing to give up even in knowing, deep down, that it was futile.

"Can anybody hear me?! I'm – I'm down here! I'm down here I'm stuck, help me please, somebody!"

His heart pumped faster, far too fast for comfort, his shoulders heaving with every ragged breath as he began to sob, cursing himself for being so weak and helpless when he was supposed to be strong, for barking up a storm only to come up short with his tail between his legs.

Ace would be so disappointed. What would Shanks say? Would Sabo even care?

"ACE, SABO!" Luffy screamed through his sobs, tears cascading down his face. "ZORO, NAMI, USOPP, SANJI! CHOPPER, ROBIN, FRANKY, BROOK, ANYBODY HELP ME!"

Through the wrought iron door of the elevator car, Sabo could see the decks going past, and he tapped his finger impatiently against his arm. The lift was going far too slow for his liking, and a cold fear gripped him at the thought that he was already too late, that Ace and Luffy had already –

No, no, of course not. The water couldn't have been that high already, because that would mean the whole bow had gone under, and if that was the case this situation would've been a hell of a lot more difficult.

Then again, Hack did say that they had barely an hour left until the whole ship sank to the bottom of the ocean…

Shut up, Sabo. You'll make it. Ace and Luffy are alive, they're waiting for you. You'll make it.

The elevator slowed before coming to a stop, and suddenly ice water was swirling around Sabo's legs.

A surprised shout ripped from his throat (and the operator's) as he backed up against the wall of the elevator.

The car had landed in a solid foot of freezing water.

Holy hell it's cold! And it's already so high...but not nearly high enough to drown somebody. I still have time.

"I'm going back up!" the operator cried, fumbling again with the lever. Sabo cursed as he roughly shoved the man aside and clawed the gates open, splashing out into the flooded hallway, ignoring the operator as he called out to him, begging him to come back. Fear eventually overruled the other man, and he declared he was going back up without his former passenger.

The elevator slowly ascended. Sabo watched it go for a moment before pushing on ahead, wading through the water. It wouldn't be coming back any time soon. Sabo was on his own from now on.

When he found Ace and Luffy, they would have to find another way up before E Deck was completely submerged.

"Okay, okay…so he said – the hell did Hack say? Go…left to the crew passage..." he muttered to himself, eyes lighting up when he looked up and noticed the sign above the doorway entitled 'crew passage'. That was easy. Smiling briefly, he moved to go down the vacant hallway –

And then he froze.

…what is that?

His head snapped to the right, where the second-class dorms lay in the cross-corridor. Like the crew passage, the hall was empty and flooded, anyone who had occupied those rooms having evacuated them long ago.

And yet there was a voice.

A voice, broken and desperate, though faint and muffled, echoed from one of the rooms further ahead.

Sabo choked on a gasp, his heart growing cold.

He recognized that voice.

Turning away from the crew passage and splashing down the other hall, he followed the voice. It grew louder the further he trudged, and now Sabo could tell the boy was crying, and it tore at his heart to hear it.

He drew a deep breath –

"LUFFY!"

The muffled shouting suddenly stopped. A beat later, it resumed with a vengeance, doubling in volume and desperation, clear as daylight.

"SABO?! SABO, IS THAT YOU?! SABO!"

A watery laugh, relieved and edging on hysterical escaped Sabo unbidden as he moved, following the sound of his baby brother's voice and the clanging of metal against wood. He was so incredibly happy he could've cried, but he held the tears back. Luffy needed him, and he had to be strong for his little brother.

(It was part of the job description, after all, for the big brothers to protect the younger ones even if said younger ones were more than capable of kicking ass.)

"WHERE ARE YOU LUFFY?!"

"I'M IN HERE!"

Clang, clang-clang, clangclangclang!

He was close, so close – just in the room on Sabo's right! He twisted the handle…but the door was bolted shut.

Goddamn it, they'd locked him in a room by himself?

Sabo growled.

Those bastards.

"Sabo?! Are you there, Bo, a-are you really there?!" The hope and desperation in the teens' voice broke Sabo's heart.

He had to get in there, now.

He braced both palms against the door, shouting through the wood. "Hold on, Luffy! I'm gonna try and break the door down, just stay where you are, okay?!" He didn't wait for an answer as he took a few steps back, readying himself and absently wishing he could've stretched beforehand because it was gonna suck for him later, and with a yell he charged the door and rammed his shoulder against it with all his might.

It shuddered, but it didn't quite give, and so he raised his leg and he kicked it, again and again and again –

"Come on you bloody door, break already!"

The angels must've decided to open their ears when with a final kick, the door gave way, wood splitting and ripping off its hinges in a spray of splinters, splashing to the floor.

And there, shivering in seawater and staring at Sabo from across the room with wide brown eyes filled with tears, handcuffed to a berth, wrists covered in blood, was Luffy.

"Luffy!" Sabo gasped.

Luffy stared at him a moment longer, like he couldn't believe his own eyes. A heart-breaking whimper escaped his quivering lips as his face crumpled.

Sabo shot across the room in an instant, wrapping his arms around the younger raven, crushing him against his chest. Luffy all but melted in his arms, sobbing loudly. Sabo's shirt was quickly dampened by tears and snot from where Luffy had burrowed his face into the fabric, but Sabo didn't care, nuzzling his cheek atop the boys' black mane of wayward hair.

He's okay. God, Luffy's okay, I made it in time, Luffy oh God Luffy you're okay my little brothers' okay he's –

"Sabo," Luffy wailed. "Sabo, Sabo, Sabooo~"

"Shhh, Luffy, it's okay. You're okay, you're okay, now. I'm here little brother, I'm here," Sabo hushed him gently, squeezing his eyes shut to fight back his own tears and dropping a firm kiss into Luffy's curls, rubbing his back in soothing motions with one hand.

"I-I didn't do it, B-Bo I didn't do it," Luffy whimpered, shaking his head vigorously and burying deeper into Sabo's chest as best he could with his hands tied around the berth, "I-I didn't s-steal it I – i-it w-w-wasn't me I swear it, Sabo –"

"I know, Lu," Sabo held him tighter, swaying softly, tucking the teen's head under his chin. "I know, I know, I know. I'm sorry I ever doubted you even for a second. I should've known better. I'm so sorry, Luffy…"

Luffy was okay. He was trapped and scared and shaking like a leaf and his wrists were surely going to scar over and he was still crying, but he was in Sabo's arms and he was okay. Sabo had made it in time.

Thank God.

After a moment, when Luffy's sobs had ebbed into sniffles and hiccups, he gave him one last squeeze before reluctantly pulling away to cup Luffy's face between his gloved hands, wiping a few tears away with his thumbs. "Alright, listen to me Luffy. I'm gonna get you outta these cuffs, and then we're gonna find Ace together, okay? You're gonna be alright, Lu, I promise."

Sniffling loudly, Luffy nodded between his hands. "O-okay," he said, letting out a shaking breath.

Sabo smiled tenderly before letting Luffy go and quickly rummaging through his pockets until he found the paperclip. As he bent and twisted it, he thanked every single deity known to man that he'd taken the time to learn and then remembered how to pick locks; it was an essential skill when one lived on the streets, after all.

The only downside was that this was the only one he had, and once he freed Luffy they would have to find something else to unlock Ace's cuffs. Especially if they'd done to him what they had to Luffy.

If they did, I'm going to find them and kill them myself unless the ship beats me to it.

"S-Sabo," Luffy sniffed again, watching as Sabo attacked the cuffs with his makeshift pick, which took a little longer than usual since he was a little out of practice, "h-how did you know I was down h-here?"

"I asked Hack. The Master at Arms' office is on the same floor just ahead, and if you're in here then that's where they must've taken Ace," Sabo answered without averting his attention from his task. "By the way…did you try to snap the wood in half to get free?"

Luffy briefly looked at where the wood seemed to nearly split halfway, like someone had been tugging against it with all their strength but had ultimately failed, and he nodded.

Sabo grinned. "You're a crazy little bastard, Lu. You could've slit your wrists. Look at them, they're a bloody mess."

Luffy snickered wetly, and despite the blatant disregard for the bodily harm he'd inflicted upon himself, it still felt like a victory to hear Luffy laugh at all.

Sabo had feared he would never hear it again.

He cheered to himself as the cuffs finally fell off, splashing into the water, forgotten. Luffy didn't waste any time as he leapt at Sabo and threw his arms around his shoulders, wrapping his legs around his waist and holding on like a koala to a tree. Sabo immediately wrapped his arms around Luffy and held him closer as the boy nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck.

"…you came back for us, Bo," Luffy whispered against his ear.

Sabo chuckled wetly. "Of course I did, you idiot," he whispered back. "You're my little brother. Brothers stick together no matter what, right?"

Luffy sniffed. "R-Right. N-No matter what."

Had time been on their side, Sabo would've succumbed to tears and crumbled under the weight of the love he held for the boy cradled in his arms. However, everything was against them, and they still had to save Ace. So it was without further delay that Sabo trudged out of the room and back through the hallway to the crew passage. He didn't put Luffy down just yet, because he wasn't quite ready to let him go despite how much harder it made walking through the water.

That, and Luffy refused to let go, clinging with all his strength like the clingy thing he was. At least he didn't weigh an absolute tonne.

Recalling Hack's directions, Sabo turned into a cross-corridor, splashing down the hall. The lights overhead flickered on and off, casting the hall into an eerie darkness for several seconds at a time. Nevertheless Sabo plunged on, tightening his one-armed grip around Luffy, who had since stopped crying –

And how it made Sabo's blood boil to know that Luffy had been in that room crying for help and no one had listened, they'd locked him in there alone after cuffing him to the furniture and that was unforgivable –

"…'m sorry."

Sabo blinked out of his murderous thoughts in confusion at Luffy's mumbled apology, but he kept walking even as he looked over at Luffy, quirking a brow. "Huh?"

Luffy sniffed again, and he looked so ashamed of himself, and for the life of him Sabo couldn't fathom why. "I'm sorry I couldn't – couldn't be strong like you 'n Ace," the boy said. "I-I'm – I'm still such a weak cry-baby, and I wasn't strong enough to get out on my own –"

"Stop that, Luffy, stop it," Sabo said, nudging the teen a little so that he would lift his face from his shoulder and look him in the eye. Sabo smiled. "It's okay if you were scared, alright? I don't know who the hell told you that you had to be strong all the time, but I'm telling you it's okay. You were alone, handcuffed to a bed and locked in a room. It's okay to be afraid sometimes and it's okay to ask for help. Doesn't make you weak. It's like you told me back in the stateroom, remember? That being afraid of my father doesn't make me weak."

Luffy looked thoughtful hen, eyes tracking downward, and Sabo knew he was thinking back all those hours ago, when he and Ace had denied Sabo's self-proclaimed weakness due to the fear of his Outlook.

This was no different, and Luffy had to understand that.

"Besides," Sabo added, "if you can crack wood that thick without slicing your wrists off like linked sausages, I'd say you're pretty strong."

Luffy let out a wet snicker at that, finally cracking a real smile as he wiped his face with his bloodied sleeve. "A-Alright. Okay, I believe you," he said. "But I'm still done with the crying thing from here on out."

Sabo grinned back. Call him a softie or a sap if you will, but he adored the kid in his arms, and there was no denying that he had this whole 'big brother' thing down perfectly. "That's fine, too. We'll have to keep our heads anyways if we're gonna find Ace," he said.

Luffy nodded, his smile widening with a newfound determination. He unwound one arm from Sabo's shoulders to slam a hand down on his hat. "Okay! Let's find and save Ace! Any idea where the office is?" he asked.

Sabo paused, frowning in thought. "Uhh…now that you mention it, I don't actually know which door the Master at Arms' office is," he confessed, much to Luffy's obvious disappointment as the boy looked at him and pouted, brow raised, unimpressed. "Oh don't look at me like that!" Sabo snapped, cheeks heating up. He didn't need his baby brother looking down on him of all things! "Hack only told me how to get down here, not which door it was, so –"

"AAAAAAAAAACCCCEEEE!" Luffy shouted, right into Sabo's ear.

"Owwwww! Luffy!"

Ignoring the blonde's (perfectly justifiable) whining, Luffy wriggled out of his brothers' grip, splashing into the water and letting out a high-pitched squeak at the cold before he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted some more. "AAAAACCE, WHERE ARE YOOOOOUUUUU?!"

Deciding 'to hell with it, it'll make things easier and we're running out of time as it is', Sabo followed Luffy's example and screamed, "AAAAACE! WE'RE HERE! WHERE ARE YOU?! ANSWER US! AAAAACCCEEE!"

When they received no answer, Sabo's heart quickly sank with dread. He was certain they'd gone the right way. Unless Sabo had gone right when he should've gone left, or had Hack told him to go up the stairs, or had they perhaps done something to Ace, what if they'd gagged him or –?

And then they heard it. It was faint, coming from the opposite direction.

"Luffy?! Sabo?!"

The boys whirled around, hearts leaping to their throats.

"ACE!"

Grabbing Luffy's hand, Sabo bolted back down the hall, calling Ace's name over and over, following his voice and the repetitive clanging of chains on metal when he did the same.

Sabo threw open the door on the right, creating a small wave as it pushed through the rising water.

The moment their eyes met the wide, unbelieving silver pair of their freckled brother, standing frozen in the knee-high waters and chained to a pipe, the blond and the younger raven all but tore through the water and flung their arms around his waist and shoulders.

"ACE!" Luffy wept, forgetting his earlier promise as new tears dribbled down his face. "AceAceAceAceAaaaaaaceee~! You're here you're here oh my God I can't believe it –!"

"God, Ace I'm sorry," Sabo buried his face into Ace's dark hair, holding on for dear life as Ace nestled into the crook of Sabo's neck, Luffy squished between them as the boy squeezed Ace's middle and sobbed anew against his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry –!"

"Sabo…Luffy…" Ace's voice was choked, full of love and a relief so great Sabo felt it resonate in his soul as he melted in their embrace. It took Sabo everything not to crumble right then and there because I've found them, I've found my brothers they're here they're safe my brothers oh God –

Ace's shoulders were trembling as he fought against the tears, blinking rapidly. "W-What – what're you doing here?" he croaked. "I thought…you s-shouldn't have come back, Sabo, you should've just –"

Sabo's eyes snapped open, though he didn't remember closing them, and the anger that flared up within him burned like fire as he drew back enough to glare at Ace.

"Seriously? What the hell?!" he yelled, grabbing Ace's shoulders and giving him a firm shake. "You two are my brothers for God's sake! Did you honestly believe I bought Outlook's cheap lie after all that?! You really think I'd just leave you down here to die?!"

You don't believe that, Ace. You can't believe I would care so little about you and Luffy after all this, after everything we've done, everything you've done for me. You can't think you're not worth saving, that I don't love you.

You don't.

…Do you?

Ace stared at him, barely breathing. He looked down at the top of Luffy's head nestled against his heart. When he met Sabo's gaze again he was smiling softly, and he shook his head with a strained but real chuckle.

"No…no, of course not," he said, and then his smile brightened. "Sorry. I should've known better."

Relief swelled in Sabo's heart, shoulders dropping with the huff that escaped him as he bumped his forehead against Ace's. "Dumb-ass," he whispered.

"Dumb-ass," Luffy repeated in a muffled voice from Ace's shirt. The older two shook their heads with fond grins.

But as much as they wanted the moment to last, as much as Sabo wanted to drag them both into another embrace and never let go, they all knew there was no time.

The water was rising higher and higher by the second, and Ace was still trapped.

It was in grasping this that the man in question drew back from Sabo first, his smile fading. "Okay, listen guys, Bluejam took the key to these cuffs with him when he left, so you're gonna have to find a spare one," he said.

Luffy reluctantly let him go to take a deep breath, scrubbing the tears from his face and nodding, beginning the search with Sabo as they waded across the room.

"Look in the cabinet, over there!" Ace called over their splashing. "It's a little silver one, I think."

Sabo threw the cabinet doors open, scouring for a silver key. Luffy ransacked the drawers and cupboards floating around in the water.

"Silver, silver, silver…" Sabo muttered under his breath like a mantra, and then cursed in frustration when he came up empty. "These are all brass ones!"

"Can't find anything in here, either!" cried Luffy, tipping over drawer after drawer before throwing each one aside with a growl, breathing hard. "There's no key. Dammit, there's no key!"

"Calm down, both of you! Panicking solves nothing," Ace snapped, and that was rich coming from the guy freakin' chained to a pipe. Then again, having said that, Sabo had to admire Ace for his ability to keep it together despite his situation. Nice one.

"You can both pick locks, right?" Ace asked. Luffy and Sabo nodded, but then just as quickly winced in unison.

"I used my only paperclip for Luffy's cuffs," Sabo admitted.

"And I don't have anything small enough to pick with," Luffy frowned and made to look down at his feet in disappointment –

– only to jump in surprise when he noticed how high the water had gotten already; it was creeping up their hips and getting higher.

He and Sabo looked at each other, wide eyed and dry-mouthed in their mounting horror before Luffy whirled back on Ace, panic seizing him anew. "What're we gonna do?" he quivered.

Ace took a steady breath and bit his lip, looking down in thought for a moment. Then he met Sabo's expectant gaze with resolve. "Alright, listen up. You're gonna have to find some help," he said, "someone who might know how to unlock the cuffs or even cut 'em off completely –"

"We are not leaving you here again, Ace D. Portgas," Sabo practically snarled, Luffy nodding adamantly with his arms folded. "Dammit, we just found you –!"

"If we don't get these off soon it won't matter!" Ace snapped right back, cutting Sabo off. "Just go, it'll be alright, I promise." He offered them both a smile that belied the fear in his eyes, and he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "And hey, if you don't find anyone, I'll just chew my hands off or something. No biggie."

Huffing a laugh despite himself, Sabo shook his head at Ace's piss poor attempt at what they'd come to call 'Robin humor'. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

He quickly sobered, however, and he shared a hesitant glance with an anxious Luffy. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but Ace was right. As much as it pained them, they had to leave – there was no way Sabo was leaving Luffy to stand and freeze, and with two they could cover more ground – and the more time they wasted standing around twiddling their thumbs, the less likely they were to survive, with or without Ace.

With a reluctant sigh, Sabo waded over to the selfless idiot and pulled him into another embrace, Luffy soon following as they enveloped Ace in their arms, praying that it wouldn't be the last time they held him. Ace dropped his head onto Sabo's shoulder, returning the embrace the only way he could without his hands, offering assurance and seeking it all at once.

In the spur of the moment, Sabo drew back just enough, took Ace's face between his hands and kissed his cheek firmly, ignoring the other's sudden flinch and the red blooming across his face like a rose.

Screw social standards, they were family now. Sabo couldn't call himself an expert on what being a real family was like, but he knew it involved a hell of a lot more physical contact of the loving variety than he'd ever received growing up. Besides, if Luffy could cuddle next to him in the same bed or hold hands with Ace in public without shame, then Sabo could bloody well do the same.

(Plus, it was fun to tease Ace any way he could. Like, so much fun.)

"We'll be back," he swore before drawing away, pulling at Luffy's shoulder until the boy reluctantly did the same as they waded towards the door.

"Ace!" Luffy called over his shoulder, big brown eyes pleading as he stared at Ace, who helplessly watched them go. He bit his lip. "Don't…don't die."

Ace barely held back another flinch, but his eyes did widen. The look vanished as quickly as it came, and Ace smiled crookedly at Luffy, all confidence and adoration that could melt even the coldest of hearts.

"I'm not gonna die, you idiot," he said softly, the insult lacking any heat whatsoever. It was a talent, really, to make something universally deemed mean sound so fond. "Now get going! Don't worry about me. I'll just wait here!"

"Prick," Sabo and Luffy chorused with wobbly grins, and with a final glance at him over their shoulders they left the room in a rush, splashing away.

They had to get help or find something to pick or break the cuffs off completely, preferably without shattering or slicing Ace's wrists and preferably before the ship sank into the Atlantic oblivion.

That would be easy, right?

They had plenty of time, right?

Right?

Ace watched his brothers go, listening to their splashing steps fading into silence.

Only when he was sure they were gone did he lose his smile, and he looked down into the rising water swirling around his legs.

He swallowed, shivering a little, teeth starting to chatter.

Hurry, guys. I can't feel my toes anymore.

A/N~ Brotherly love at its finest :') I headcanon the boys have no concept of personal boundaries or give a damn about social norm; who the hell cares? Theses boys sure don't XD I hope you enjoyed it :)

Reviews are writer chow :3