HWM: Chapter 29
Summary: Wings!AU. In a world where people born with wings are considered inferior to humans, Sabo does his best to fight for equality. His whole world changes when he meets Ace and Luffy, two Fae living on the wrong side of the law. ASL Centric.
Warnings: canon-typical violence, mentioned or referenced explicit themes, cursing.
mERRY CHRISTMAS YALL
AND A HAPPY FUCKING NEW YEAR I HOPE WE ALL SURVIVE THIS ONE
Chapter 29 - The Traitor
The week passes painfully slowly.
Sabo hates it here. There's no way around it. He hates it with everything he has, with every fibre inside of him. The people aren't necessarily bad. They're far from it. They obviously care about Ace a hell of a lot, and Sabo appreciates that about them. But they're...nothing if not tactless. Careless. Willing to sit by and joke about the city, and bathe in their endless fortune without care for anybody less fortunate than them.
The person Sabo ends up spending a lot of time with, surprisingly, is Marco. He's been speaking to the guy for a long time, so they know one another anyway, and while Luffy spends time with Shanks and Ace gets to know his family again, Sabo and Marco often find themselves talking. Sabo learns quickly that Marco's the only one (aside from Ace, obviously) who ever really leaves Wakeshead. He's the only one here who seems to get just how bad things really are in the city. Suddenly, all the times he gave Sabo macs or showed him kindness - it all makes sense. Marco's the only person here who's even close to getting it… and even he doesn't get it completely.
Subconsciously, without really realising it, Sabo finds himself stealing.
It's just little things at first. A fork at the dining table. A cracker. A few coins, left on the floor somewhere. He notices Luffy doing it, too - and even, on occasion, Ace. Sabo figures that it must be instinct. Habit. It's always accompanied by that familiar feeling of being surrounded by wealth, fortune, that isn't yours. A survival instinct that Sabo doesn't even want to start analysing. Marco notices too - Sabo knows he does - but he doesn't really mention it. Sabo does catch him staring sadly at Ace when he steals a hunk of bread at dinner one night, though.
It's hard. Hard to adjust. Hard to get used to living like this. After living on the edge of poverty for so long… it's so goddamn strange to have access to all the food in the world, all the warmth, all the luxury. Blue skies for days. But Sabo… doesn't like it. Or want it. Right now, he wants anything but this. He can't wait to get away from this damned place and back to something real. He knows that if he was to try to live here for good… he wouldn't survive. This place is suffocating. He hates it. Hates it with every fibre of his being.
Sabo wanders through the days in something like a fever dream, head fuzzy, with the only brief moments of clarity being when he's alone with his brothers. But though both of them seem unhappy too, they both busy themselves (Ace spends them with Marco and Thatch and the rest of his family, and Luffy spends hours talking to Shanks) and Sabo is left mostly alone. He stays in their room and tries not to think very hard. Changes his bandages on a strict routine. Tries not to let the itch telling him that he has to leave get out of control.
It feels like it hasn't… sunk in yet. Some part of Sabo is sure that it's never going to. Luffy has found his family, and Ace has reunited with his, and some deep-rooted part of Sabo is scared that he's going to end up going back to the city alone. That both of them will be happy to stay here, while Sabo simply doesn't have a place in the equation. He knows that it's nonsense (and Ace and Luffy tell him so) but some doubt still remains, lurking in the back of his mind.
But at the very least, Sabo ends up managing to avoid the residents of Wakeshead for the majority of the time. He's glad for that. He feels uncomfortable around them, as though he's an outsider. So he stays mostly holed up upstairs, alone with his thoughts, enjoying the times when Ace and Luffy come up and they spend time together. He stays well out of the way of Ace's father, especially. Whitebeard. The dismissed regulator of their region. The creator of the Stacks.
That is, he stays out of the way until now.
A few days after their arrival, Sabo finally decides to venture downstairs, Ace and Luffy on either side of him. It's dinnertime and Ace's family are clustered in the dining room. The smell is somehow both intoxicating and sickening. Sabo hates it. He's already regretting leaving his room. And just to top all off, the only place where three seats are available next to one another is right beside…
"Ace! Son! Come, sit down."
Whitebeard's grating voice is loud. Luffy visibly tenses. Sabo is abruptly, for some reason, reminded of Blackbeard. All the same, they follow Ace across the room, taking their seats across from Edward Newgate. The man is large in a tall, bulky way (it's pretty obvious that he could snap Sabo in half if he wanted to) and he takes up two spaces at the table with one large chair. Even Ace, this man's son, seems a little uncomfortable sitting in his shadow.
"How are you?"
Ace grins. "I'm okay. How about you, Oyaji?"
"Just as good as always." The man sounds jovial. "And your…'brothers'?"
Sabo keeps his head down, trying not to bristle. The man doesn't mean it like that. He just doesn't understand. "We're fine, sir."
"Your name was…?"
"Sabo, sir."
"Sabo… how did you meet Ace?"
Ace shifts uncomfortably. "Oyaji, maybe this isn't the best idea-"
"We met through Ace's work." The lie comes out almost effortlessly. "And I managed to get Luffy out of a minor scrape, so all three of us became good friends. I lost my home last summer, so Ace and Luffy took me in."
"You three lived together?"
"We live together, yes, sir."
Whitebeard blinks. "You two are close to Ace, then."
"Yes, sir. Very."
"I…" A grin breaks out across Whitebeard's fatherly face. "So you two will be staying, too, then?"
"We actually needed to… have a word about that, Oyaji," Ace says, tentative. "About the future."
Newgate looks concerned. "What's bothering you, son?"
Ace takes a deep breath. "Sabo, Luffy and I… we might not stay here."
Whitebeard goes very still.
"And it's not because we don't appreciate everything you've done to help us," Ace rushes on, visibly nervous. "It's just, we've got lives back in the city. People we care about. Things to settle. And… I guess, my brothers are… uncomfortable here. And maybe I am, too. It's strange. It's just hard to adjust-"
"If your brothers don't like it, they can leave."
Sabo stiffens. There it is. There's a mounting panic beneath his skin. He should have known it would come to this.
Ace bristles. "We're not separating. No way in hell. Look, Oyaji, I'm glad to be back. I am. And all of you are my family and I care about you, I just… I've found new people. New people I care about."
"People you care about more than us?" Thatch asks, from across the table. He looks hurt. By now, people are staring, listening in. Sabo wants, desperately, to leave.
"No- I didn't mean it like that, I just-" Ace makes a noise of frustration. "I don't know what to do, okay, I-"
"Just tell us what you want, son." Whitebeard still sounds concerned, but his voice is harder.
"I don't know what I want. Okay? I don't know. I just… you know what, forget I said anything."
Thatch pesists. "Why would they be uncomfortable here?"
"It's just weird, okay?" Luffy says. "It's strange. It's hard to get used to it all-"
"But things are better here than in the city-" Thatch cuts himself off. "We just want Ace to be safe and happy, and if that means you two being safe and happy too, then we can do that. Just tell us what you need."
Sabo snaps.
His chair screeches as he stands up, abruptly. Whitebeard and Thatch both look at him, startled. He can feel that same infectious anger burning in his stomach, tearing at his insides, making his skin tingle. Sabo drops his cutlery onto his plate with a clatter and snaps, clearly, "You people don't know anything, do you?"
Ace puts a hand on his arm. "Sabo, wait-"
"No, let me speak." Sabo's voice comes out cold and angry, not sounding at all like his own. "You people are so out of touch that you'd rather stay cooped up here than even think about helping in the city? You're so self-absorbed that you don't even care about the hell right outside your fucking doors?!"
Newgate stands up. "If you don't like the way we run things, you can leave."
By now, the hall is silent. Sabo feels as though some part of him has been set on fire. Ace and Luffy are staring at him, the former with worry, the latter with an unreadable expression.
"It doesn't make any sense to me!" Sabo throws his arms up in frustration. "How can you just stay here, with so much food and so much wealth, while people starve to death out in the slums? While kids die every day because nobody gives a damn about them, including you?!"
"We have to care for our own. It seems cruel," Whitebeard says, slowly, "But it's the only way we've survived."
"You don't get it, do you, Newgate?!" Sabo stands as straight as he can, eyes narrowed, meeting the man's gaze. He can feel his fear melting away in the face of uncontrollable anger and frustration. "Your son has been out there for years, suffering. Constantly having to worry about starving to death. Living in poverty that you can't even fucking imagine. Do you seriously think anybody bothered to help him? Or his little brother? Even when you people obviously can, you can't be bothered to give a damn!"
"Ace is back with us now. And we're going to keep him safe." Whitebeard's voice is unyielding. "He doesn't have to worry about any of that anymore. We protect our own."
"You don't understand what I'm telling you, do you?" Sabo gestures to Ace. "He's not the only one. There are thousands of kids like Ace out there. Thousand of people starving every day. And you don't care? You can't even be bothered to try to make things better? You have the resources to help so, so many people, and you… just can't be bothered?"
"It's not as bad as you say it is. Trust me."
Sabo feels like he's reuniting Law for the first time all over again. He can feel his whole body tense up. There are stares on him everywhere. Sabo slams his fist down onto the table, rattling the plates and glasses on it. His knuckles sting.
"You want to know how bad it is? A week ago, the three of us had to hide in the same room for a week with no food, no water, no hope of sleeping. We were afraid for our lives for every goddamn second. We had to sit there and listen in silence as the woman living next door was tortured for hours - we listened to her screams. The family living above us were murdered and their blood dripped down the walls, and we just had to lie there, terrified, sure that we were about to fucking die."
Sabo is in his element now, every eye on him. He feels almost unable to stop. "It's not okay! Can't you see that?! It's never going to be okay! Not until somebody steps in and fights for the people! You talk about how much you care about Ace, but he went through that. He suffered. And people like him, people like us, are suffering everyday because nobody cares." Sabo hears a pleading tone seep into his voice. "Can't you make yourselves care?!"
There's silence for a moment. Whitebeard looks grave. Whispers sweep up the long table, and Sabo stands, breathing heavily, jaw tight. He feels almost lightheaded, as though he's been punched in the mouth.
Whitebeard sighs. "Son… it's not that we don't care. We just can't start helping people outside of these walls. We can't risk putting our own people in danger-"
"Then you're not even half the man Ace is."
Whitebeard narrows his eyes. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Ace has spent years fighting and fighting to build a life for his younger brother. He cares about others before himself without question - he always has. He's selfless and he's been through so much shit for us and it's hard to believe that he came from a family inconsiderate, arrogant bastards like you."
Murmurs ripple up the long table. Somebody to Sabo's left stands up, protesting angrily. He ignores them. He and Whitebeard don't break eye contact.
After a moment, Whitebeard says, "I was regulator, a long time ago. And I know a hell of a lot more than you know about the state of the city. It's hard, but people aren't dying. It isn't hell."
"Didn't you hear him?! People die every day!" Luffy stands up too, at Sabo's side. It abruptly feels like it's the entire room against them two, the outsiders. Neither of them backs down. "Maybe they weren't bad years ago, I don't know, but they're bad now! One of my gang could be dyin' right now!"
For the first time, Whitebeard looks slightly conflicted. "Things can't be that bad…"
"All three of us have feared for our lives for years." Sabo looks around, imploringly, trying to find somebody at the table who understands. "Ace was part of the fucking Blackbeards, he's had to fight and kill and steal just to stay off the streets. I've been working until I can't work anymore for years just to stay off the streets. Luffy's fifteen and he's in a gang, for fuck's sake, can't you understand it?!"
"Ace, you were…?"
For the first time, Ace stands up too, alongside his brothers. "Yes, pops. I was. And they're right. It's hell in the city. It's awful. And it's...not right to just do nothing while people suffer… I mean, Sabo nearly starved to death just a week ago. We're all in danger, constantly. Everybody is. Please, just… try to help."
For a moment, Sabo is sure that Whitebeard's going to shine that fatherly smile and agree. He's sure that everything is going to go to plan and Ace's family are going to be fine with them leaving and they're going to agree to help change things. His heart leaps-
And then falls.
"We… can't afford to do anything." Whitebeard sits back down. "We can't risk revealing that this place exists. It would be too risky, too much is on the line-"
Sabo shoves his chair and it topples over, crashing to the ground. "So that's it. You're just going to carry on the way you are."
"There's not much else we can do. We're not gathered here to be heroes, boy."
"You know what?! I'm done. I'm leaving."
Sabo turns on his heel and storms out of the room, ignoring the pain in his body as he makes sure not to stumble or limp. He doesn't look back, and when he slams the doors behind him, they make a satisfyingly loud noise. His mind is sharp with anger, thoughts erratic, and he doesn't stop until he reaches their room and throws the door shut behind him. Something in the door frame cracks with the impact.
Sabo sits down on the bed and puts his head into his hand. He breathes heavily for a while, just sitting still and letting the anger seep through him. He can feel his hand shaking, his arms - his whole body, eventually.
What the fuck did I just do.
An immeasurable amount of time passes. Sabo tries to calm his breathing, internally trying to figure out how the hell he can get himself out of this mess. There's no doubt in his mind - they won't welcome him. He's sure of that. He'll have to leave. Abruptly, he feels like the most selfish person on earth - Ace and Luffy just found their family and they probably won't let Sabo go back alone. He's tearing them away from the people they love.
The door opens. Talk of the devil. Sabo braces himself.
"That was amazing!"
He looks up, surprised. Luffy is beaming, standing in the doorway, and Ace is right behind him. "It was... Amazing?"
"Yeah, totally! You yelled and he looked really angry and you didn't stop and then- and then you looked so cool, that was badass!"
"He's right," Ace says. "You said all the right stuff. They just… don't take well to change."
"I'd noticed."
Ace steps in, closing the door behind him. "Alright. Plan. When are we leaving?"
"Wait, what?!"
"Did you really think we were gonna let you go without us?" Luffy laughs. "Nah. We're sticking together."
"But- but you two have family here, you don't need to leave because of me-"
"You're family, too," Ace says, already rummaging through drawers, presumably to find things to pack. "And I love the people here, but… they're not my brothers. They're not you two."
"Yeah, same."
Slowly, Sabo nods. For once, a small part of him believes that they really aren't going to give up on him, like Law and the Outlooks and everybody in his life so far.
It's an amazing feeling.
They decide to leave tonight. Under the cover of darkness. It would be best not to tell anybody, because Ace has a sneaking suspicion that his family are going to attempt to keep him here. They don't want to create a fuss. Luffy sneaks off to tell Shanks, while Sabo and Ace stay behind, taking it in turns to grab food from the kitchens and stash it in a single backpack. They debate for a while how they're going to pull this off.
"We could just steal the jeep," Ace suggests.
"None of us can drive."
"We could...get Shanks to drive us?"
"Luffy says he can't drive either. Plus, we don't even know if he's coming with us yet."
"We could walk?"
"If you want to die, then sure. But I'd prefer to stay alive, thanks," Sabo says drily.
"Well, what do you suggest?"
At that moment, Luffy comes in, grinning. "I've got a plan!"
"Good timing - we need one." Sabo crosses his legs and gestures at Luffy to go on. "Explain?"
"Alright, basically, I was talking to Shanks. And Marco heard us and came in. And I thought he was gonna rat us out, but he gave this big talk and said he cares a lot about you and Sabo and he wants to do the 'right thing' and he agreed to take us! Shanks, too!"
Sabo and Ace exchange glances, and then Sabo grins and says, "We're really getting out of here."
"Are you sure Shanks'll be able to handle it, though?" Ace asks. "I mean, we're probably going to be looking for a place to stay for a while. Hiding from Blackbeard. Workin' with the hearts, the Strawhats. Will he be okay with it?"
Luffy wrinkles his nose. "That's kind of what I was worried about… I mean, he's gonna be totally not used to it. And he might do somethin' stupid and get hurt, because he doesn't know what it's like there."
"What're you saying? That you want to leave him behind?"
"I guess… I don't know. Maybe he can come with us after the war with the Blackbeards is over, or after everything's calmed down an' we've got someplace to stay and Blackbeard isn't looking for us anymore. I just don't want to take him there now, he won't be able to handle it."
For some reason, some tiny part of Sabo warms at the realisation that Luffy considers him tough enough to handle it.
"So, what're we gonna do? Have you tried telling Shanks?"
"He thinks he's gonna be fine. But, I dunno… I just got him back, I don't wanna lose him again 'cause of some gang war."
"I get what you mean," Sabo agrees. "Though, you're acting… smart, for once. Should I be worried?"
Luffy pouts. "Okay, so maybe Marco mentioned it to me. So I had help. Sue me!"
Sabo laughs, but Ace still looks like he's thinking hard. After a moment, he says, "There might be… one way to do it."
The sky is getting darker, gradually, when Luffy messages the crew at large, copying and pasting the same message to all of them. Zoro raises an eyebrow when he first gets it, feeling slightly relieved, and he and Nami meet up together only minutes later, in an alleyway only a few minutes away from the wreckage of the den.
"You got the message too?" Nami asks, without even saying hello.
"Yeah. Cap' and his brothers are going to be at Law's place by 2300. I got the memo." Zoro leans back against the wall. "It's about time. The situation with Blackbeard can't stay at a standstill for much longer than this."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Nami runs a hand through her hair, visibly stressed. The grey district is mostly empty at this time. Tense and quiet. The sky above is a dark, churning sea of grey. "We need Luffy around, and Ace could be useful information-wise. Sabo… well, something tells me he'll be on the same side as his brothers."
"Yeah, I think so. Have you spoken to Law?"
"Called him, just now. He seems kind relieved that they're alright, at least. I'm not even gonna ask when it comes to what the hell's going on between him and Ace."
Zoro hums. "And we know he and Sabo have history."
"It's too confusing to think about right now. Plus, we've got bigger problems." Nami sighs, glancing up and down the alleyway. "How's Chopper?"
"Not great. I mean, the meds are helping, but… I can't deny it. He's getting worse," Zoro says grimly. "I don't know, realistically, how long he's got."
Nami obviously doesn't know what to say. They stay quiet for a while, standing opposite one another in the damp, dark alleyway. The last few days have been rough. Scratch that - the last month. The last year. It's been… exhausting. And it's nowhere near over.
"How's Vivi?" Zoro asks Nami, just to change the subject.
"She's alright. Worried about Luffy. And I don't think she's completely over the fire-" Nami swallows. "She'll be okay."
"I hope so." Zoro pushes off the wall. "We should get to Law's. Regroup."
Before he's gotten more than a few footsteps, however, Nami says, "Wait."
Zoro turns around. "What?"
For a moment, Nami stares at him. Tension rattles through the air between them. The alleyway is silent, and both of them are tense. When Nami speaks, her words are clear on the thin, cold air.
"I know what you did."
"I don't know what you mean."
"Cut the bullshit."
Zoro stares at Nami for a moment. "You saw…?"
Nami crosses her arms across her chest. Her stance is like that of a person facing an enemy. "I saw," she agrees. "And it all makes sense. I understand now."
"Then you know why I did it. Why I sent those texts, as an alibi. Why I kept it from you guys for all this time."
Reluctantly, Nami nods. "I do. And I know it was necessary. And I know that it's over now, and you're on our side, and you've stopped. But… I can't trust you."
Zoro's expression is neutral. "Understandable."
"I just hope to god it doesn't get in the way." Nami steps forwards, jabs a finger into the centre of his chest. "Because this is war, Zoro. And whatever shit you used to do for him can't get in the way. All of our lives are on the line."
"I don't need you to tell me that."
"Then for fuck's sake, remember it." Nami turns away, strides towards the other end of the alleyway. "I'll meet you there."
Some small part of Zoro hurts. Nami refuses to even walk beside him. Before she rounds the corner out of sight, he calls after her, "You're still my people. All of you. And I'll do anything to keep my people safe. What I used to do… won't change that."
"I know." Nami shoots him a hard look over her shoulder. "But I still can't forget it. So stay away from me, stay away from my girlfriend, and stay away from Luffy. You've done enough when it comes to hurting him."
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't regret that?!"
"Oh, I think you regret it." Nami turns away. "But I know, to protect Chopper, you would do it all over again."
Zoro opens his mouth to reply but just like that, she's gone. He's left alone in the alley, with an empty, hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Nami's unspoken words ring on the air.
You're the traitor.
Sesshomarusama3, Chapter 28, Dec 23:
Waaaaah poor babies being torn and hurt DX and is bitch an actusl game or did they make it up? XD great chapter, dear!
Hey!
Yeah, bitch is an actual game! Its technically called black bitch but people mostly just call it bitch. It's a fun game!
Thank you so so much for the lovely review bby!
luluMAIN, Chapter 28, Dec 23:
I really liked this chapter, (thank you so so much!) the more bonding the better ya' know (yeah, totally). It feels like a nice starting point for more good chapters. (thank you so so so much!) Yay~~! The Whitebeards are so naive, geez. (yeah…) Ah well. 3* (lol I put a 3 last time) (i think ff.n doesnt allow the less-than sign?). Law seems like he is a bit better, which is good. (yeah, totally!) I wonder if the Strawhat P. will try to look outside the city for Luffy since smart ol' Ace and Sabo had a little slip-up. But I don't think they really will since they know that their captain is safe. (yeah, you're right) I also really agree with Sabo on how they are kind of being selfish. (yeah, same here!) They have a lot of extra stuff, so I don't understand why they aren't donating at least a little bit. (its… yeah, i agree) I'm sure they can find a way to do it anonymously. Marco seems to be the only one sorta understanding their situation. (youre right!) Sabo is just getting the worst luck these past chapters.(totally…)
Thank you so so so much for the review! Ily!
Wordlet, Chapter 28, Dec 23:
I had been dreaming of an end chapter where Law gets his hands on those atmosphere domes plates or whatever that they use for Wakeshead and then everybody got to live with him- Ace Sabo and Luffy could be happy together, Chopper wouldn't be dying because of all the poisons that are around, life would be great. (aww! That's a lovely ending! I mean, its not the one i have planned, but it's still lovely!)And, I mean, surely they'd go out and visit or work in the city and, just, lots of stuff would still be going on.
But clearly Sabo won't be happy until he's solved the problems of the whole world(you understand him perfectly honestly), Luffy will only be with his crew and obviously if all these three are unhappy at Wakeshead then the whole of the straw hats will be too, and Ace is also unhappy there so. (yeah. I dont think any of them can handle staying there…)
Yeah, no dream world for my favorite boys. :/(definitely…)
I hope Dragon shows up again soon so Sabo can find some solace because he needs it.(it's funny that you mention that! Wink wink)
And a straw hat reunion, that'd be, just, great.(never fear! Its coming its coming)
Thanks for the update, bye! Happy Holidays!(HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU TOO BBY! ILY! I HOPE IT WENT GREAT FOR YOU TOO!)
Guest, Chapter 27, Dec 23:
Wow I didn't expect the Whitebeards to be that... insensitive? obviously Ace cares about his BROTHERS how could they mention him staying while they leave, I thought they would understand. I can get them not interfering in the city (that was disappointing too but nowhere near a much) but really, assuming Ace will stay and leave his brothers when he's obviously confused and has said how important they are to him already was too far. Sorry I didn't reas this chapter before *big hugs*
Hey!
Yeah, they are pretty insensitive, i know. I guess you can put it down to them not knowing how to act around ace, or outsiders. And i guess the thing about the city is addressed in this chapter, ahahaha
Its fine! Im glad you liked it! Thank you so so so much for the review, ily, *big big big big hugs*
Guest, Chapter 28, Dec 24:
Well at least the strawhats know the brothers are okay (and outside the city) (yeah! totally!), as for the brothers themselves... Well Luffy is catching up with Shanks which is great (im so glad you think so!), Ace wants his family to know he doesn't hate them and spend some time with them which is good (thank you!) but the Whitebeards need to understand that he's changed and accept those changes (i know, right? They dont get it…). Also, I adored Marco worrying about Sabo being alright (aaaaa thank you so so much!), I that's exactly how it should be, they should think that if he's important to Ace he's also important to them (yeah, definitely!). Speaking of Sabo poor boy he wants to make things better which seems impossible right now (I hoping for it to somehow change, probably wishful thinking) and he's so uncomfortable (dont worry. At some point, in the distant future, he'll manage it. Somehow). The nightmares don't help either, he deserves some rest though I doubt he'll get it, can't wait for more (yeah, i doubt it too) *happy holidays, take care, huge massive hugs*
*massive hugs, have a great day! Ily! Lots of love coming your way!*
Izzywolf22, Chapter 27, Dec 24:
I never hated the whitebeard crew until those last couple sentences WHAT THE HECK MAN
I apologise for NOTHING
….ily
