(Blackbeard AU)

"It's been six months and that fire bastard ain't joined us yet," Burgess complained. "Can't we just chuck him at the Marines and be done with this?"

Teach snorted. "If you think Ace is being stubborn now then you should have seen him during his first month. Trust me, he's growing weaker."

"The problem is now he's sick from all the seastone exposure," Laffitte pointed out. "Are you certain physical torture wouldn't work?"

"Ace is too tough for that, no, it's his mentality we need to break," Teach smirked. "Besides, I have the perfect target in mind, we're going after Monkey D. Luffy again."

Augur blinked. "Is that due to the attack on Enies Lobby?"

"Zehahaha, yep, he'll make the perfect prize."

.::.

Ace coughed and hacked, choking on a mouthful of cold water, and couldn't help but whimper. He had lost consciousness for a moment, and instantly a bucket had been chucked over him, by that damn doctor who Ace really wished would croak already.

"The Captain send you aren't allowed to sleep," Doc Q reminded. "Not until you give in and become one of us."

Ace didn't bother replying, he wasn't even sure if he had the energy to at the moment, he merely leaned his head against the wall once he got his breath back. He couldn't close his eyes for long, otherwise he's get another bucket tossed over him, but his eyes felt so heavy and his head was pounding.

He wanted to sleep so badly, it hadn't slept in what felt like weeks. For all he knew it could have been, he hadn't seen the sky in months, or maybe even years. Nobody would tell him what the date was. All they did was tell him to give up.

Teach was right, nobody was coming for him. Teach had been right months ago, but it could have been for any number of reasons. Sabotage from Teach's spies, Pops could been ill, Thatch could be recovering or died (and that thought didn't even make Ace wince, he was too exhausted to), their islands could also be under attack by Big Mom or Kaido or even some rookies.

They couldn't drop everything to come save Ace, and Ace understood that. If he hadn't gotten himself captured then he wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place. So no, this was his responsibility, he had to resist, resist Teach's torture for as long as he could.

A hand touched his forehead and he flinched, pressing his head against the wall and forcing his blurry sight to focus on the form kneeling before him. He hadn't even noticed anybody enter his cell, and cursed himself for his lack of focus. He could have dozed off again.

"You're feverish again," Teach mused. "You keep this up and I'll need to untie you and lock you in my darkness again."

The seastone, apparently it was making him ill, it certainly made him cold. Whenever Ace got too bad Teach would unchain him, but that only met Ace would be locked up within his darkness instead.

"Drink some water, Commander."

A cup was immediately at his lips and he drank it, it was as stale as ever, but honestly Ace would take whatever he could get at this point.

"Now, listen to me, Ace. I finally have a target," Teach grinned. "A target who would easily get me into the Warlord program."

Teach had explained his plan, to become a Warlord and get into Impel Down and collect the worst pirates in the world, so he could have them join his crew. That he'd be so powerful, powerful enough to defeat his target, who, he didn't say, but Ace had a feeling it was Pops.

If not then one of the other Yonko probably, or an Admiral, but either way, none of it sounded good.

"And this..." Ace croaked, his lips felt so dry and cracked. "This is supposed... To make me want to join you? Really, Teach?"

He was exhausted and starving. Teach only gave him enough food to keep from starving to death and no more. The bastard hardly allowed him to sleep either, only the narcolepsy truly allowed Ace to rest now. Ace knew it was to try help Laffitte break him, to let Laffitte slip easier into his mind and hypnotise him properly.

Ace refused to let it happen. He wouldn't betray his family. Never willingly.

"You're stubborn now, but once you realise my capabilities, you'll be honoured that I've been so persistent in having you join my crew," Teach smirked.

That damn smug look was really getting on Ace's nerves. The bastard stabbed Thatch, kidnapped Ace when he was trying to save Thatch's life and locked him away. Ace didn't even know if Thatch was alive.

All Ace could so was sit on his numbed ass and try not to move his wrists too much so he didn't completely damage his arms. The cuffs were too tight and made completely of seastone and had been cutting into his wrists for weeks now and it got even worse whenever the weather turned bad. They were probably infected, that was probably what had him so sick, not the seastone.

Although Ace wouldn't be surprised if that was the reason too. He didn't have that much luck after all.

"He'll be a prize. That's for sure," Teach grinned sharply, and Ace blinked, startled and confused, wondering if he had missed some of the conversation.

He was so tired and Teach was still talking.

"The man who just attacked Enies Lobby to rescue his own crewmate. Announced that he was going to war with the World Government. Why, the Marines would celebrate me handing him over to them! Zehahahaha!"

Enies Lobby? Who would be crazy enough to attack Enies Lobby-

Ace's heart stopped.

Teach held up a Wanted Poster with a savage gleam in his eyes. Luffy's grinning face stared at Ace and it made Ace ache, that he hadn't gotten to see his little brother yet, that he was trapped down here while Luffy made his way into Paradise.

He had wanted to see Luffy early on in his journey, to check on him and his crew, to see how he was getting on. Pops had even agreed to let him go, saying he could take Marco if he wanted and introduce his boyfriend, and Marco had choked, horrified as Ace laughed.

But that never happened. Teach stabbed Thatch and took Ace away.

"Luffy..." Ace whispered.

"Oh?" Teach tilted his head. "Know him, Commander?"

Ace seethed, and that anger gave him some strength back. "You really... You really didn't pay any attention back on the Moby Dick did you? Not unless it was to do with yourself. I showed off... I showed off that poster everywhere on the Moby Dick. To the point it pissed people off. So if you touch a hair on my little brother's head I swear I'll do whatever it takes to kill you!"

He shouldn't have shouted, that had tired him out, and just when he had felt some energy hit him. Ace slumped against the chains, leaning heavily against the wall once more as everything blurred.

"Ah, that was this brat?" Teach studied the poster thoughtfully. "I ran into him once, that was when our ship tore apart, Burgess had to save you from drowning. Lucky brat escaped me back then but I doubt he can now after having fought a long and hard battle."

Ace barely remembered that now. He wasn't sure how long ago that had been to be honest.

The gleam in Teach's eyes distracted him, left him shivering instead.

"I might be persuaded to leave him be however," Teach smirked. "If his big brother does as he's told."

"What and join your crew?" Ace asked, breathlessly.

"Zehahahaha! Not that exactly. No. I can't trust you yet. You'd never behave," Teach chuckled, ruffling his hair.

Ace ached, ached for that gentle touch. His family would ruffle his hair often, especially Thatch and Izo, and that warmth nearly made him weep. It also made him silently curse himself, because he had leaned into that touch, and Teach had noticed and withdrew his hand, smiling at him.

"No, definitely not yet," Teach said, his voice growing soft. "First I want you to stand at my side properly, fight together once more like we used to before. I want you, Ace, to finally give in to Laffitte's hypnotism."

"And give up my freedom entirely? Become a slave?" Ace seethed, he could barely push the anger out, his voice was hoarse and sore and he wanted to sleep.

"Not a slave. Become mine." Teach's hand snapped out and Ace grimaced when the bastard grabbed his jaw as he leaned closer. "Become part of my crew then perhaps, one day when I win you over properly, my right-hand man. Forget all about the old goat and his brats. Forget all about being the Second Division Commander. Become one of my future Captains."

Ace shivered. The idea of forgetting his family was terrifying. Forgetting Pops' kindness, Thatch's brightness, Marco's warmth, all his family's love. The very idea made him sick.

But staring at Luffy's photo and thinking of his little brother locked away, all alone and without freedom made Ace feel even worse. Gramps might be able to stop Luffy's death but that would only make Luffy suffer more.

Luffy hated being alone.

"What exactly... What are you going to force me through, Teach?" Ace said through clenched teeth. His hands were throbbing from how tightly they were clenched, he could feel blood trailing down his palms, slipping down towards his restraints.

Ace forced his hands to loosen, cursed himself for being an idiot, for spending his energy causing himself pain.

"It won't hurt. Laffitte will only give you the means to obey me. To no longer wish to return to the old man's side," Teach said, his smirk was gone, he looked much more serious with that frown. "You'll join my side, follow my ideals, but be yourself while doing so. Then, when the day comes when you'll join me for real, the hypnotism will go and I will welcome you with open arms."

"And you... You and your crew will... Will leave Luffy and his crew alone?"

Ace wasn't the most intelligent person in the world but he wasn't a complete idiot either. Teach would leave Luffy alone but if that was the agreement made it would only be Luffy and now Teach knew Luffy would fight anyone for his friends with the whole Enies Lobby incident. All Teach would have to do was to attack one of Luffy's crew mates and then all bets would be off. He'd attack Luffy and Luffy wasn't ready for that yet.

He didn't want Luffy to be locked away in the dark like he was. Luffy deserved to be out on the open seas, with the sunlight shining down on him. With his crew all around them, and Luffy grinning bright and happy.

The thought almost made Ace smile, but it wasn't enough, Teach was still in front of him, holding his jaw tightly.

Teach laughed. "Bargaining huh? Nice. Very well, the Blackbeard pirates won't go after the Straw Hat pirates. Satisfied?"

"No, but we both know I'll never be..."

"One day, Commander. One day you'll accept everything I have to offer willingly." Teach pulled away, finally releasing his jaw. "But for now this will do."

Teach stood up and headed for the door, looking back over his shoulder to grin at him. "Enjoy your last moments of resistance against me Ace, because after Laffitte is finished there won't be another."

Ace slumped against the wall, trying to ignore his wrists aching, tried to focus past his exhaustion and weariness because he didn't want another bucket of cold water dumped over him.

Nobody came back though, and slowly the last of Ace's strength ebbed away, and he drifted off into sleep.

(So I've made it about eight months since Ace was taken and Thatch was stabbed. I hope I managed to show why Ace is as weak as he is at the moment, because being trapped in a cell for eight months or in darkness is bound to mess you up, along with everything else Teach has done to him.)

Whiteywolf26 (chapter 9), The Kitty AU is really adorable xD But yeah, I'm hoping to write about what the consequences are for Thatch saying all that, because Ace will be hurt, even if he tried to remain calm and walk it of.