"Are you really leaving us here?" the blonde boy asked, looking up to his mother as his brother stood beside him.
"I have to," the mother said, squating in front of her two boys. "I'll be back in a few days. You won't even know I'm gone." The woman motioned towards the older man next to her. "In the mean time, listen to what Commander Piers says, all right?"
"All right!" the two children said, smiling.
The mother kissed her children on the forehead and smiled at them before being tapped on the shoulder. She looked up to see one of her marines. "Vice-Admiral, we should be going."
"Right..." The woman looked to her two boys once again, giving them a reassuring smile. "I'll be back in five days, you won't even know I'm gone. And remember, I always have the Den Den Mushi with me."
"Right..." the two boys said before watching their mother walk off into the distance.
The place was in ruins and there were no survivors.
"Lewis! Suho!" the mother cried, running all over. The tears streamed down from the woman's face as she continued to scream for them, but there was nothing. It was hopeless. They were nowhere to be seen or heard.
"I told you I had nothing to do with that!" the woman screamed, struggling against the two men holding her back. "I was framed!"
"I won't hear this!" one of the old men at the stand shouted, jumping to his feet. "The evidence has clearly shown you were the reason behind this, Vice-Admiral! Who else could have done this but you?!" The old man slammed down his javel. "As punishment, you will be hung on the stands evening tomorrow."
"Zetsumei-san?"
Zetsumei's eyebrows twitch at the kind voice calling her from the darkness of her own mind. She wished to open her eyes, but found no energy to do so, let alone any energy to reply. Even if that was the case, there was no real reason to see who was in front of her, because she already knew.
"Zetsumei-san, you need to open your eyes." Something warm touched her cheek and began caressing it. "Please, Zetsumei, open your eyes!"
"She still has a pulse!" another voice had chimed in, this one much more childlike. "They must have drugged her with anesthetics. We need to get her down, quickly!"
"I'm trying!" another shouted. "These shackles are much harder than you think they are!"
Zetsumei tried opening her eyes, managing to open them just a little to see a blury face in front of her. Yellow, white, blue, gray, they were all just jumbled together. She blinked slowly, the picture beginning to form.
"B-Black...Leg?" Zetsumei ended up mumbling still shivering and such from the cold.
"Thank god," Sanji sighed, rubbing Zetsumei's cheeks with his thumbs to get heat back in her face. "I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Why are you...?" before Zetsumei could finish, Chopper cut her off.
"You need to stop talking Zetsumei," Chopper said, looking up at the woman that had her hands hanging from the wall. "You've lost a lot of blood, and the drugs they gave you haven't worn off yet."
"We'll get you out of here as soon as we can," Usopp said from beside her, working on the cuffs binding her hands.
Zetsumei shook her head. With what breath Zetsumei could manage to get, she spoke. "No...you all...need to...get out of...here..."
"We're not-"
"This is my problem," Zetsumei cut off Sanji. She looked up, her eyes almost pleading while her expression remained stoic. "I need...to do this...by myself. I don't want...your help..."
"Shut up, Soumei!"
Zetsumei's eyes widened when she heard Luffy's voice. She looked towards Chopper to see him holding Sanji's Den Den Mushi, much to her surprise.
"You heard what Chopper was saying," the device spoke, having the demanding voice of Luffy. "You're in no position to be telling us to walk away. I know I promised that we wouldn't interfere with your plan, but we're not going to be leaving you here to die nor allow you to get taken from us!" Luffy's voice seemed to calm and it was hard not imagining a smile on his face as he continued. "We'll help, not matter what. Just tell us what to do."
Zetsumei was silent for a moment, before dropping her head and mumbling something. "A file..."
"A file?" Usopp questioned right has he unlocked the cuffs. However because Zetsumei was so injured and drugged, her legs didn't have the strength to hold her up. This meant she fell right into Sanji's outstretched arms and open chest.
"There's a file..." Zetsumei continued to say. "In the Commander's office...under the rug...near the desk..." Zetsumei stopped for a moment, feeling a bit lightheaded, but she continued anyway. "I'm not leaving...without that...file..."
"All right," Luffy said, making everyone in the room look to the Den Den Mushi. "We'll get the file and meet back at the ship. Chopper, take care of Soumei."
"Got it," Chopper said, nodding.
"Usopp, make sure they get out all right." Usopp nodded, giving a small salute. "Sanji, we-"
"Luffy," Sanji spoke up before Luffy culd finish, "I think it would be better if I stay with Chopper and Zetsumei-san." Sanji's look turned from serious to a bit melancholy. "I can't just leave her."
"Quit being stupid!" Zoro's voice echoed in the background. "She's fine with Chopper and Usopp. So get your-" Before he could continue, it seemed Robin covered his mouth before he could say anything else.
"All right," Luffy said, before changing the subject onto Zetsumei again. "Soumei?" Zetsumei ignored the throbbing in her chest and looked to the Den Den Mushi to hear Luffy continued. "Leave everything to us."
Zetsumei couldn't help but smile as the Den Den Mushi hung up, quietly mumbling a small 'thank you' before slipping back into the darkness she had been in.
This probably a bit out of character, so apologies for that, but I do hope you're all enjoying. I look forward to hearing your feed back!
Thank you for reading!