So chapter 25, only 5 more to finish, it's so close, I'm gonna cry, I'm sure of it. In any case, guys?, why are you suddenly falling in love with Blackbeard?, he might have some little regrets, but he is still a murdered in love with blood and destruction, he will continue to kill beast and monster whether they are inocent or not. Don't get fooled!
In any case, there's an small surprise for some people in the chap (something happy), hope you like it. Also thanks to my awesome beta, have fun catching Pokemons in the states,
For the anon review.
Guest:I have to say, I like how you portrayed the characters, Blackbeard and Doflamingo. I love it. (That doesn't change the fact that I hate their canon versions) As for Akainu... Onee-sama, (You're a girl, right?) Please let him dig his huge grave and a slow and torturous death...And I will create an altar in your name. (An altar of sugar , spice and everything nice...);-) No matter how many times I see him die in fanfics, it still not enough...Derailing again...On a serious note, this is an excellent story, (aside the angst, I suffer from second-hand embarrassment) I really hope Law returns to normal. Please keep updating!
Hahaha, yeah, I'm a girl, glad you like their personalities, I wasn't sure to write them out of canon, but I just needed a good Doffy in my life after his sad tragic backstory. Akainu on the other hand, gosh we all hate him, I have never seen a fic with someone giving him a second oportunity XD He should really suffer in the manga for killing my baby Ace. How dare you?. In any case I'm glad you are liking it, hope you also like this chapter.
Dawn was breaking in the old city when Killer entered in Kidd's small room. The attack had stopped immediately with the first rays of sun as many creatures on their side couldn't bear the light, and it would be better to wait for the next night to attack again. It was better to let the enemy realize the casualties they have had and understand how smart it would be to surrender.
That's why orders had been clear and every creature had to come back again to their bases in the catacombs of Rome or to the old and abandoned buildings like the one where they were now. The intention was to regroup, heal the wounded, and prepare a new strategy. In a few minutes Kidd would face more meetings with the rest of the kings and Killer was slightly worried about his friend.
Killer came to the dusty bed where Kidd was sitting and holding his head between his hands. The old and vandalized room was on the top of a palace, abandoned to its fate for years. From the huge open balcony one could see all of Rome, the bright buildings now were smoking and dyeing red with the light of the sunrise and so did even the huge river that was crossing the city. The view was breathtaking now. Rome seemed almost like a haunted town with deserted streets and the deep silence after the roar of dragons who had crisscrossed the sky, destroying everything in their path. Even the bells of the thousands of churches and cathedrals didn't dare to break the sinister peace that had befallen the city.
Killer sighed restlessly and sat next to his friend on the bed. They needed new plans and new strategies. The first attack had been a success, but it had mainly been a show to terrorize exorcists and the crowd, demonstrating their power, doing amazing magic tricks that hadn't really been useful in battle.
The stark reality was that they would not be able to maintain that pace much longer, their troops could be terrible, but they also had plenty of weaknesses. The magic had its cost, spells, the songs of sirens or even the fire of demons needed an energy that was slowly being ebbed, vampires could not fight in the sun, the trolls were succumbing to their own stupidity, and even witches and banshees had their limits.
They couldn't prolong the attack, Killer knew that this conflict had to be finished in one or two days, and for that they needed a leader. However, what Killer saw next to him, on the dusty, shattered room was someone far away from resembling a leader.
Kidd was a mess, the blond knew the redhead had not even slept in the few hours that he had had between the attack and the upcoming meeting. Kidd had not even changed the clothes he had worn during the attack, and now he reeked of smoke and burned flesh. His black leather pants were sliced in various places and also the redhead's chest was exposed, dried blood and dirt covered his muscles, giving him a macabre aspect.
Killer understood the reason behind his friend's mood. He had been present when his friend had met his partner, he had seen the boy, had seen his eyes, heard the conversation, the old man bragging, and Law ignoring Kidd. Killer had seen the horror in the eyes of his friend.
Worried, Killer put an arm around Kidd's shoulders in an overprotective gesture, making the redhead's head fall on his shoulder. Kidd didn't say anything or tried to reject the contact, the family was too important at a time like this to miss that little moment of peace.
"What happened?" the blond asked, handing a small cloth wrapping a piece of wheat bread and some cheese he had found down in the kitchens to the redhead. Kidd needed to eat, and if Killer had to become his new mother, so be it.
Kidd took the food in his hands with resignation but made no move to eat it, nor did he try to answer Killer's question.
"It's Law?" Killer finally asked feeling his friend instantly stiffen and groan in pain after hearing the name.
Turning away from him, the redhead got up from bed and dragged his feet clad in the heavy military boots to the window with a mixture of suffering and exhaustion furrowing his face. Killer hated to see him like that, his companion had always been someone strong, stronger than anyone Killer had ever met. To see him so shredded was simply stirring something inside the blond. Kidd could not lose Law, but Killer could not lose Kidd a second time after finding him again, Kidd was his last family. He couldn't lose him again.
So he repeated the question, trying to help his friend, needing to help his brother.
"Kidd, what happened?" he insisted again, looking at the younger's profile silhouetted against the rays of dawn.
And Kidd finally collapsed with a resigned whimper.
"What if I fail to rescue him?" the redhead began, turning to look at his friend, riddled with suffering eyes and a shattered voice, with a defeated air around him that Killer could not bear "What if this all is useless? What if, when we rescue Law, he refuses to accept me? What if I can not bring him back?"
Killer watched the redhead lay against the wall and slide down into a sitting position on the floor with his hands pressed again over his soot covered face in a gesture of desperation. That was the image of a man completely finished, someone who didn't know what to fight for.
Killer then got up from the bed and went to his friend, kneeling in front of him on the dirty floor.
"Is that what you think?" he asked worried about the mental state of his friend. Losing a mate could be terrible, but to see the partner battered and lifeless in the hands of the enemy could be even worse. Kidd had survived the death of his family, but that didn't mean that the redhead could stand this too.
"I don't know what to believe anymore" Kidd continued without looking up from his knees "but maybe I'm killing thousands of our people, killing thousands of innocents souls in a selfish impulse that at the end would be just useless. The real Law wouldn't want me to annihilate a whole city in his name"
"So what? Are you going to surrender? Are you going to leave your partner without even trying?" He asked, trying to push Kidd.
Kidd roared menacingly and finally raised his head from his knees to look at him with hatred, Killer could not help smiling inwardly to see him finally react. They had done this thousands of times. One fell and the other helped him up, for outsiders, Killer might seem to be scolding, saying words too hard for a depressed man. But for them it was different, because for them, those words were the necessary push they needed to get up.
"And what am I supposed to do?!" Kidd nearly shouted at his friend still resisting to stand up "Should I kidnap him again!? Force him to stay with me even though he might hate me!?" He continued sinking more and more into his own hole, refusing to move forward.
Killer could not help it and slapped Kidd across the face, rolling his eyes. He would not let him surrender, he would not lose his people again for something so stupid. Kidd wanted to be dramatic and stubborn, well, so would Killer.
"You know exactly what you have to do" he hissed at Kidd coldly while the other's cheek reddened "you convinced him once, you can do so again"
'It's not the same, now he is no longer Law, now there is nothing inside him, now he just hates me" Kidd whimpered as his eyes flooded with contained tears when remembering his mate.
"From what you've told me, Law was also guarded with the code and you had to make him break his vows to truly met him" Killer continued, this time with a kind voice, not wanting to do more harm than necessary "for what you have told me, at first he hated you and you even tried to kill each other"
And then Killer finally saw it, a slight hope in the eyes of his friend, a small spark of joy when remembering what he had been through. All he had had to do at first to conquer the dark haired boy. Those words were the only light in this seemingly endless darkness. He could return to conquer Law, he could have him back. That was a reason to fight, a reason to lead his army.
Standing up from the floor, Killer held out a hand to help the redhead up too.
"Come on, we have things to do"
When Kidd took it and the blond helped him up, they hugged each other for a short time in a small sample of support and appreciation. Killer would do this sort of thing for his brother as many times as necessary, he would help him up, and give him the kick in the ass because, deep down, he knew that Kidd would do the same for him. Because that was what family was for.
Kidd had been alone for many years, Killer had given him space, but now he knew that maybe he had been wrong. He had missed Kidd, that's why he was not going to let him down again.
It was then, when both had an emotional moment, that a cough sounded behind them, causing both to separate instantly as if burned by the other. It would be difficult to maintain the image of a mighty king when they were caught hugging and almost crying.
Marco, at the door, with his arms crossed, watched them with an evil grin and a funny expression that promised them that he would remind them of this moment for a lifetime.
"Sorry to interrupt the emotional moment" he said mockingly "but we have a group of exorcists in our door, waving white flags and saying that they want to join us"
Both looked at him confused.
"A man named Donquixote Doflamingo leads them" the blonde continued, shrugging at their incredulous looks and also clearly stunned himself with the weird message.
Kidd however couldn't help but smile at the name. Of course, he had almost forgotten Law's uncle, the man who had helped him. With the man at his side, knowing every secret of the order, perhaps finally they would get away without so much slaughter.
.
.
.
Ace was uncomfortable. For many and different reasons. The first one being the two dragons, standing in the middle of the huge stone room where all the kings had met to decide the strategy plan, and who had not stopped to roar at each other like lions fighting over a piece of meat.
Interestingly, the exorcists had managed to ally themselves with those creatures without the slightest problem. The redheaded man, Kidd, who was looking tired and with his body covered in bloodstains and who was now discussing with the other redhead, Shanks, had left a hours ago one of the buildings to meet the exorcist waving white flags on the street waiting for an answer from the beast to their alliance. Quickly, Kidd had embraced Donquixote, inviting everyone to join their cause as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
It was then that the most surreal moment in Ace's life had begun.
After entering in the ancient catacombs of the city that many considered cursed and haunted, the redhead, Kidd, had begun to introduce the exorcists to the rest of the clans of monsters gathered there. Ace had met the witches, women who your breath away just by looking at them, they had long black hair and wore provocative transparent clothes. Ace had met demons, creatures the church detested and that, at the end, had practically been the most normal creatures that Ace had met that night. When a man with blue skin covered with scales and a sticky mucus had shaken hands with him, Ace's mind had simply stopped working.
He was in a dream, that was the only explanation. A dream where, despite all that had happened, he was still alive, where Akainu had not killed him, and where creatures drawn from the purest imagination greeted him with a distrust face.
Ace knew that their presence in that place was not well received by everyone, one of the seven dragons, a man with black hair and a strange tattoo on his face had discussed long and passionate with Kidd when they had arrived, but for now, they seemed to be accepted. The aid was clearly welcome and after briefly explaining their motives, the monsters had accepted that they would now fight together.
After the tense presentations, all kings, along with Doflamingo who was too quiet and almost too much entertained for everyone's taste, had gathered around the huge wooden table in the huge room of stone with statues of ancient kings watching over them. And then the fight had started.
Ben, Shanks's second in command, had been wounded in the first battle. Hancock, the long-haired woman, had seen her mermaids and witches being practically raped, and even Jimbe, a strange man with blue skin that Ace was still trying to understand how he could be a dragon, had his problems. The three of them wanted to destroy Rome. Completely. They wanted to evacuate the city with their respective followers and eradicate a city they considered too corrupted. Destroy the problem's center. The problem was that they could really do it, as if they were gods, their combined magic would allow it smoothly.
Doflamingo, Kidd, and Marco, the only remaining golden dragon in the world, refused to do such atrocity. There were still things to do, to annihilate the city would not guarantee anything, the Vatican was protected by a thousand spells, they could survive while innocent people could die.
The shouting had begun some time later and now Kidd and Shanks seemed to be able to slice each others with claws and teeth in one of the most barbaric discussions that Ace had ever witnessed.
But that was not Ace's most immediate problem. The problem at hand that was driving Ace nuts, and that was making him lose focus on the dragon's meeting, was just one of those amazing dragons.
Marco, the ruler of the exotic Australian continent, was not taking his eyes off him.
Ace had thought to leave the place some time ago, but both, Zoro and Penguin beside him in the huge meeting place, had prevented him from doing so, claiming that this was important and he had to stay, but secretly enjoying his suffering. Ace hated his friends at that time, the meeting could be important, but so was his life, and for how the blond man was looking at him, it seemed that it wasn't going to last much longer.
Just after seeing him, the blond dragon who had been sitting in one of the chairs around the table with his feet flat on the dark wood, had risen from it as if struck by lightning, had crossed the room with a way too intense and intimidating stare, and had stopped in front of him, demanding his name. Ace, still stunned by everything that was happening, had giving it to him without consideration, had answered another thousand questions about himself the blonde creature had asked, and finally he had shaken hands with the man who had practically broken his hand with a strong and almost possessive grip. Then Marco, with a satisfied face, had returned to the table to sit with the rest of kings, without speaking to anyone else in the place, and since then he had continued to stare at him with intense blue eyes.
Zoro and Penguin had laughed at him then, had alluded to hundred stories of dragons eating human virgins and some other sexual comments that would have made many redden. Ace however, was starting to get slightly panicked.
"I will not destroy the city!" Kidd was still screaming in the room "My partner is still there" he screamed pounding on the table with his fist and nearly breaking it with rage.
"If you had enough balls you would have taken him from out of there already!" said the other redhead, rising from the table and glaring at the younger "Why didn't you attack the capitol yesterday? Why do you keep hiding? My men are dying for your vindictiveness, the least you could do is solve this quickly" roared back Shanks.
"What I do, or not do is not of your concern"
"You are our king, you should lead us, not let your people die"
"That's what I'm trying to do, asshole" Kidd roared again as the air practically burned around him "but if you have not noticed, you don't obey any of my orders and just do whatever you want"
"If your orders were coherent…"
When Marco got up from his chair, placing his hands on the table with a heavy blow, Ace could not help but jump scared and moved his hand instinctively to the gun on his hip, fully prepared to attack that disturbing man. When Marco roared in the room, loud and strong, making the roofs shake and the rest of the attendees shut up, Ace paled.
Of course, Penguin, as the good friend he was, quickly gave him a light punch in the ribs, forcing him to relax and added a "Just imagine how it could be in bed"
Zoro broke into silent laughter beside him as Ace unavoidably reddened again to the ears. Sometimes he hated his friends. Still, Penguin was not half as subtle as Law had been, Ace remembered how the tanned tattooed man could made him blush for weeks with only a comment. It was the worst being the youngest of the four, since he had entered the order and had made friends with the other three, they always had been picking on him.
Pissed to no end, Ace quickly gave a strong nudge at Penguin's ribs, causing him to crumple in half and also making Zoro laugh harder. Marco then looked back at him with that curious look that seemed to be torturing him in his mind in the most painful way.
"Shanks" Said then the blonde man with a low and hoarse voice that cut Ace's breath "We are not going to destroy the city, at least not yet"
"But ... " the redhead instantly complained.
"Shanks!" roared again Marco low and pissed "from the beginning we knew there would be casualties, you can't blame Kidd for something unavoidable, and now, if you are so kind to shallow your gigantic ego, I would like to discuss the next battle plan" finally said the blond man, crossing his arms and glaring at everyone present "I have more important things to do"
And again his sky blue eyes fell on Ace. Intensely, making him almost feel like a piece of meat about to be devoured by the older. How could anyone stare like that? How could anyone be so...attractive? Yes, definitely the golden dragon was attractive Ace had to recognize, with his sandy blond hair contrasting with the sun tanned skin, with that air of nobility and pure power surrounding him.
If Ace had not learned to control his emotions so well in recent years, surely now he would be redder than Kidd's hair, unable to hold that blue gaze that looked like the sky itself where the golden dragon had been flying the night before.
Then, as if the blond had read his thoughts, he smirked with a predatory look, with a killing grin that made Ace really blush.
Ace realized then that both had become the center of attention. The whole room was watching them, some with confusion on their face, others with the faces of someone who knew what was happening. Like Kidd and Shanks. When the two red dragons understood what Marco was referring to, they both smiled conspiratorially, and clapped the blonde on the back, congratulating him with a laugh.
Ace, without understanding very well what was happening but knowing it had to do with him, looked away from the scene, feeling terribly mortified.
Thank God, the gates of the huge stone room were then opened, and a small elf, almost a child of that ancient race of the forests of northern Europe, runned to the dragon's table, puffing and carrying a small white envelope in his hand.
"A message," he said breathlessly in a suddenly silent and tense room "a message has arrived from the Vatican"
Instantly, Kidd approached the boy with long strides, took the envelope from his hands, broke the red stamp with the symbol of the old church, and read its contents with a desperate look. Ace liked the man, Ace had always worried about Law despite how cold and distant the other man used to be, and secretly thanked Kidd for having given Law a minimum of happiness after the horrible life he had lived in the Vatican. Ace thanked him even more for what he was doing now, for having opened their eyes and for fighting for them in a war that they should have begun themselves.
Ace knew that many of the other exorcist also thought the same. Maybe the dragon had been his enemy a few days before, but after seeing what he was doing for only one of their own, Ace knew that the dragon had won the unquestioning loyalty of all exorcists of the room without exception. Because, although the code banned it, they were all one big family, they helped each other and tried to survive in the cruel organization they had been forced to serve.
So when Kidd broke the note in his hands, and ran out of the room roaring, everyone gasped.
Cursing, all rushed to the exit, chasing their leader without the slightest doubt. Even Marco ignored him for a moment to chase his red-haired friend through the catacombs. Ace started breathing again when the blond left the room and could almost feel Penguin's smile spreading back on his face and his mouth open with another sarcastic comment.
Ace returned to stab the bastard with his elbow in the ribs, causing the other to let go a whimper of pain.
"Shut up" he hissed while Doflamingo rose from his own seat at the table and picked up the torn letter from the floor to read it.
Immediately the blonde old man began handing out orders.
No Exorcist had moved from his place in the room. They may had broken the code, but the old ways were hard to forget. Though perhaps at this time it was for the best. They were one of the best trained soldiers in history, they had been prepared for war and to obey any orders.
They would need to use that discipline one last time in the last battle.
.
.
.
The Pantheon had always been one of the most emblematic buildings of Rome, located right in the city center, the small temple built by the ancient Roman Empire, recalled with precision to the inhabitants of the metropolis, the power that it had once flaunted. That small temple, abandoned his fate for years to be later used as a Catholic church and as the tomb of the great figures of the city, was one of the best preserved works of that time of emperors and conquests.
And it was the most appropriate place to meet with their enemies.
The temple was a mixture of old and new, the old Roman structure decorated with frescoes and modern statues from the renaissance created by Bernini. The large dome rose to the sky overhead, leaving a large hole in its center through which a small ray of light entered that illuminated the place, a perfect circle covered with stone.
Akainu had chosen this place for several reasons, the main one because he knew that this place was a sacred place for both sides, the ancient Romans had a different religion where they prayed to supernatural and divine creatures, the ancestors of the monsters who they now wanted to eradicate. For the exorcists this was one of the shrines of Christianity, where pagan customs had been destroyed to create the actual pure religion. Secondly, the site was small, a place where the dragon would be unable to transform and attack them. The temple was also isolated in the middle of a square where it would be easy to defend.
His plan was perfect, after hours of discussion with Blackbeard and Vegapunk, they had failed to improve it more. With the letter he would allure the dragon into the place, there, the temple would prevent him to use his powers to the full, and then Law would deliver the final blow.
The leader of the creatures would fall then, the moral of the troops would disappear, and although another leader could rise, he would not be able to fight with the same force as they were doing now.
Cutting off the monster's head, the rest would perish.
Standing in front of the altar, with Blackbeard armed on his right and Law in a firm position to his left, Akainu observe the other three figures enter the deserted place between the high colonnaded entrance with firm and decisive steps.
Entering into their grave without even realizing it.
The dragon had taken the bait, of course he had, the message had been clear and concise in this regard, and although the man had brought companions to fight, the redhead was not going to get out alive from this place.
Stopping and facing each other, the six men stared at their enemy with hatred. Akainu reveled in the redhead's tired face, in his bare chest riddled with blood, and the obvious tension in his shoulders. Beside him, another man with blond long hair, held two strange swords at his sides and,on his left, Doflamingo the traitor crossed his arms in that arrogant pose Akainu already knew.
Akainu would personally see that Doflamingo would also die here.
The roars of hell and the shouts of his men could already be heard in the plaza outside. The fight was started again, but the old commander knew that it's course would be really decided within those walls. This was the last battle, and the gods were on their side this time.
Smiling, Akainu stepped forward and started the game.
Ok, sorry for the sudden MarAce ok? but after so much angst I needed something happy, so I'm introducing new happy pairs (little things like this one I promise, the main one it's still KiddLaw and they will have my whole attention).
In any case hope you liked it, the fun starts now.