(This is quite a bit longer than the usual chapters o.o)


(Dark Carrier AU)

"Should we not leave your brother down in the hide out?" Lindbergh asked.

Sabo glanced back over at his brother who was still asleep on the blankets Morley had piled up for him earlier. Ace looked peaceful, curled up on his side, and it made Sabo ache for him, how badly his brother must have suffered all these years, while he had been suffering amnesia.

The thought made him scowl, but he shook his head at Lindbergh. "I want to make sure he doesn't panic and upsets himself and the baby. If I just left him with a bunch of strangers he'd be furious after I drugged and kidnapped him."

"I think he might be pissed off with you anyway," Lindbergh chuckled.

"True," Sabo grimaced. "But at least this way I will be personally handling it."

A groan made him pause, and he glanced back, seeing Ace beginning to stir. Sabo walked over and knelt down, preparing himself for the explosion of rage he'd no doubt get from Ace's sheer fury. He had an explanation thought out and prepared, just like he had done plenty of times as a child when handling Ace's temper.

He didn't want Ace to be stressed out, it could hurt him and the baby, and the pair couldn't afford too much stress at this delicate time. It could force Ace into an early labour and they had to avoid that.

"Easy, Ace. Take it easy," Sabo urged, as Ace drowsily tried to sit up. "You're going to be feeling pretty sluggish for a bit. That will wear off soon."

Ace surprised him though, there was no explosion of rage, no snarl or hiss, he merely looked around quietly then sighed.

"So, where am I exactly?" Ace asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Ace sounded completely disinterested in the entire situation. He had been that way during their conversation as well, in fact the only time he had reacted was when Sabo had drugged him. The rest of the time Ace had been near emotionless.

"Safe with us," Sabo reassured.

Ace laughed, it wasn't a bright, happy sound. It was just like all his earlier laughs, it was dry and cutting and dark. "Safe? How am I safe with a bunch of Revolutionaries who don't even know their own status? Little kids do yet you guys don't. It's hilarious."

"It should never have been this way," Karasu began but Ace huffed.

"They're Gods. Of course it's meant to be this way."

"Ace this isn't you. The sooner we get you away from those monsters the sooner you will-" Sabo began but Ace cut him off.

"Sabo. I don't care," Ace interrupted. "I don't give a crap about all the little sensitive feelings you and your Revolutionaries have for the poor, unfortunate souls that the Gods take for granted. It's always been this way and it always will. Why interrupt it now?"

"Because our leaders are corrupted-"

"And they'll just be replaced by more corrupted leaders," Ace said.

"Not if we do it right this time," Sabo insisted. "People shouldn't have to be slaves. Carriers shouldn't be kidnapped and forced to marry others. It should be fair."

"You know you should have stayed with Outlook. You could have been King of Goa Kingdom. You could have changed the rules and made it better. Except you ran off, got 'murdered' by a Celestial Dragon and became a Revolutionary."

"A King can only do so much against the Celestial Dragons."

"Now you're getting it," Ace grinned, but it was sharp. "Now, can I leave yet? Cedric's going to be furious when he realises I'm gone. If he already hasn't. I don't know how long I've been out for after all."

"I told you. I'm bringing you home," Sabo said.

"Do you really want to go back to them, cutey?" Morley cooed, tilting his head.

"Yes actually. I do," Ace replied. "Now, do me a favour and let me go."

"I don't think we'd want to do that," Lindbergh grimaced. "You could just go and tell everyone we're here."

"They'll figure it out soon enough anyway," Ace snorted. "CP-0 are here as well as two Admirals. Do you really think you four can outsmart all of them? Truly?"

"We either succeed or we die," Sabo frowned, clenching his fists but he stiffened when Ace laughed again.

It was so cold.

"Die? Who said anything about dying? CP-0 will keep you alive and then they'll torture you. They will do whatever they want to get the most important piece of information out of you. Where is Dragon?" Ace smirked darkly. "Then they'll target the figurehead once they know."

"Dragon-san is strong. Way beyond strong," Lingbergh said. "He won't be beaten by the likes of CP-0."

"And yet he hasn't beaten them."

"It takes time and patience," Sabo said firmly.

"Which you're running out of. The longer you stay here and more likely it is you will be caught," Ace pointed out, admiring the walls.

He was probably trying to look for a way out. Sabo internally sighed. Ace wasn't going to get out though, there was no way Sabo was going to let him go back to those monsters. He was saving his big brother, even if that meant carrying him out struggling.

Sabo was going to drag Ace out when they freed the slaves. As many as they possibly could and offer them the chance to fight back.

.::.

It was pure chaos. The bondola was rapidly filling with more and more slaves. Ace had been carried into one of the guest rooms by Sabo earlier and left with his hands cuffed to one of the bedposts, leaving him sitting right at the end of the bed. The door had been locked behind him and all Ace could hear was the chaos outside his room and the bondola begin to move down.

It was moving quick. Very quickly in fact. Too fast. Almost as if someone had cut the cables or destroyed the breaks. Screams erupted on the bondola the exact moment Ace thought that and he tensed.

Footsteps hurried towards the room he was locked in and Sabo came through and Ace's heart leapt when he saw blood on his brother.

"You're hurt!" Ace felt the blood drain out his face.

"I'm fine. Glad you care though," Sabo grinned at him as he wrapped his arms around him, bracing him against the bed. "Just try stay still for now, it's a sharp drop till the bottom!"

Ace gaped. "Did they cut the cables?!"

"Nope. We destroyed the breaks. Can't have them following us down!" Sabo smirked darkly.

Ace cursed and buried his head into Sabo's shoulder, trying to brace himself and his baby. The bondola came to a sharp drop and the only reason Ace wasn't jerked about was due to Sabo's grip on the bed, hands black from haki.

Ace slumped in Sabo's hold, his heart pounding even as his brother rubbed his back, looking sheepish. "Sorry, Ace. That was a bit of a sudden drop huh?"

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself killed with your recklessness," Ace hissed, pulling away from Sabo's arms who frowned.

"It's weird hearing that coming from you," Sabo admitted as he sat up. "We'll be down in a moment. Morley's bringing the bondola down elsewhere so we won't be swarmed by the Vice-Admirals."

Ace pushed the thought of gramps away from his mind at the reminder of Vice-Admirals and grimaced.

"You shouldn't have bothered kidnapping me. I'll be brought back to Cedric soon enough," Ace sighed even as Sabo undid the cuffs, redoing them immediately afterwards. "Keeping me tied up?"

"Just until we're safely away from here. I'd rather you didn't try fight me," Sabo said as he scooped him up into his arms, making Ace frown.

"If you really think you have a chance of winning you're wrong. The Celestial Dragons are Gods for a reason Sabo. You don't mess with someone who holds all the power," Ace reminded him, hoping Sabo would just bloody listen.

He didn't want to deal with this. He wanted to go back up to Cedric's side and let his husband hold him. His husband was happy when Ace was safely up in Mariejois and by his side. This was bound to drive Cedric crazy. Sabo wasn't listening though, he was walking out the door, carrying him further and further away from home.

"I didn't want to leave in the first place y'know," Ace scowled. "You're kidnapping me."

Sabo frowned. "You know I finally found your medical files and took them before we left. You were drugged up plenty of times against your will and they even tied you down."

"That was a long time ago," Ace replied icily.

"And you're still bound by a seastone bracelet," Sabo stared pointedly at the band around his wrist and Ace struggled to suppress a flash of anger.

"I have no need of my fire anymore. I'm safe up in Mariejois. You're the one putting me in danger by dragging me away."

"I'm bringing you home, Ace. Back to your family," Sabo tried to reassure him but Ace shook his head and wriggled, trying to get away but Sabo was stronger than him and it was frustrating that he couldn't get free. "To Whitebeard and Marco the Phoenix-"

"Shut up!" Ace seethed. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see you or Luffy or the Whitebeard pirates. Not any of you. So put me down already and fuck off!"

"It's alright," Sabo soothed, his face visibly softening. "I know why you're angry-"

"You don't know anything! You're acting like a bloody idiot!" Ace snapped and his eyes burned and blurred and he sobbed. "Fuck! Let me go, Sabo... Just let me go..."

Sabo lowered him to his feet and hugged him tight and Ace couldn't help it, the tears ran freely and he cried. He and Sabo stood there for what felt like hours, his brother rubbing his back and telling him to 'let it all out'.

Ace struggled to pull himself back in, it took a lot out of him to pull all those broken pieces back together the last time he broke down and he refused to do it again. Ace reigned in the tears and pulled away from Sabo's arms who stared down at him with a serious look in his eyes. Ace pulled out the cold, detached version of himself, the part of him Rosetta had helped him grow and raised a brow at the Chief of Staff.

"If you aren't going to let me go I suggest getting on with my kidnapping," Ace spat out coldly, although his voice was still choked up from crying. "You will regret it though when my husband orders an Admiral to come collect me."

Sabo's hand stroked through his hair. "It will be alright. It will take time but one day you will never have to fear the Celestial Dragons again."

Ace smiled but he could feel it, it was twisted and disgusting. "I don't fear Cedric. I love him."

"You'll be free."

"I was never free," Ace replied.

"Not even sailing with Whitebeard?"

"Everyone belongs to the Gods."

Sabo shook his head and scooped him back up into his arms. "Your Pops would never agree with that."

Sabo began to walk down the corridor, heading straight outside where the Mink Revolutionary was directing slaves off the bondola. Ace didn't recognise the place they were in, it was a huge cavern beside what looked like a small lake that had the smallest of gaps leading out into what was probably the sea.

"How-" Ace stared, shocked.

Where were they? Where were the guards? Why wasn't anyone fighting to keep the slaves from leaving? How did they get so far away?!

"Morley pulled us into the Red Line itself. We created a space for ourselves for this exact mission. Lindbergh, is Kuma secure?" Sabo asked as he approached the Mink.

"Karasu and Morley have him bound up on one of the boats. Kuma-san is going to be difficult to keep subdued with all those enhancements put in him but we should be able to manage for now." Lindbergh grimaced before eyeing him. "How's your brother?"

"Irritated," Ace said.

He looked around, trying to search for something, some kind of weakness that could be exploited but he couldn't see anything. There was nowhere he could escape too. The only exit appeared to be by those boats.

Ace spotted a flash of red hair and stiffened when he saw Cassidy, their eyes met and hers widened. Beside her stood a vaguely familiar blonde cradling a baby, that was Charlos' wife, who, of course, was pregnant again. Charlos never gave his Carriers any time to recover, which is why he kept getting them killed for overexertion.

The Revolutionaries had taken the Lords and Ladies as well as the children of the Celestial Dragons. At least some of them, but even some of them would led to a panic. Charlos would go crazy, Cedric would be furious. Sabo was being a reckless idiot.

"He's pretty upset. Probably tired too, to be fair," Sabo admitted but Ace's eyes remained fixed on Cassidy and he couldn't help but feel a small spark of relief.

She could be free.

A voice that sounded like Cedric said he couldn't. That they belonged to him. That they were his. So, no, she couldn't be 'free'. Ace wavered, confused and unbalanced.

Why did Sabo have to ruin everything?

Cassidy approached them hesitantly but Sabo offered her a smile too when she made her way to their side, still dressed in her lovely gown, even if the bottom of it was filthy. "Hey, Cassidy, right?" Sabo greeted.

"You rescued us both?" Cassidy breathed out, shakily.

"I couldn't get the rest of you out. That Rosetta woman and the other husband, sorry the name's-" Sabo winced.

"Theodore," Ace muttered.

He should have been sitting with Theodore right now. He would have came into the study and they would have cuddled up on the lounger while Ace snacked and Theodore read. Cedric would walk in later and coo over them and be delighted at the sight. It would have put him in a good mood.

"Neither of them would come willingly and I didn't have enough time to fight them on it," Sabo finished.

Cassidy nodded. "Rosetta would never leave Cedric willingly. Not anymore. Theodore would never have taken the risk either in case he was found again. Nobody wants to face that punishment," she almost sounded monotone, as if distancing herself from the idea. "I take it you wouldn't leave willingly either, Ace?"

Ace tugged at the cuffs. "I've been kidnapped. I'm rather pissed off by it too. We both know Cedric won't give up on me."

Cassidy only nodded again, crossing her arms. It was so weird, seeing her quiet and not smiling but Ace couldn't blame her. She didn't have to put up an act anymore.

"Well, I hope he doesn't get either of us back..." Cassidy finally said, rubbing her arm. One of the revolutionaries called out to her and Sabo nodded.

"You better head back over. Your boat's leaving next."

"Where are you taking us?" she asked.

"To remote locations. We won't disclose the information yet. Not until we can confirm who is safe to trust or not," Sabo said.

"Understandable," Cassidy began to turn away but their eyes met once more. "Stay safe, Ace."

"You too, Cassidy," he said, earnest. He wanted her to find her freedom, to stay safe and happy and be herself again.

She had suffered enough.

But it probably wouldn't happen. Cedric loved them, would do whatever it took to find them again, but maybe if Cassidy was lucky enough, Cedric would be too distracted trying to rescue Ace.

Once she had headed for her boat Sabo turned back to Lindbergh. "How is sorting them all out going?"

"Not too bad. We'll sort them all out properly once we get them to secure locations then find out who wants to join us and who simply wants to be on their way. The volunteers will then go to the fake bases set up in case someone's a spy. Bunny Joe's going to evaluate them."

"Good. And Kuma?" Sabo asked.

"I'll take a look at him before bringing him back to Dragon-san. See if I can take a look into his modifications and make sure he's got no tracking on him," Lindbergh frowned. "I can't risk leading him back to the rest of us."

"Agreed. Be careful," Sabo ordered. "We need to be quick. We don't want to risk getting caught and dragged into another fight. We only just managed to hold our own and free the prisoners with those Admirals about."

"Agreed," Lindbergh nodded. "I'm going to go ahead while Kuma-san is down. Get you and your brother out of here quick."

"I'd rather he just put me back where he found me to be honest," Ace grumbled.

"Well I'd have to take you all the way back to Goa Kingdom for that to happen," Sabo said cheerfully. "We could do that but it would be quite the journey. We'd arrive in time to introduce Dadan to the baby."

Ace snorted and couldn't help himself. "That would give her a shock."

Ace grimaced once he made the joke. He didn't want to think about Dadan's reaction. He wanted her to disappear from his memories. Just like he wanted to do with everyone else who wasn't high up in the sky right now. If they just left him alone everything would be perfect. They'd get on with their lives, be happy and successful, and Ace would be able to make Cedric pleased, as Cedric's joy was his joy.

"It certainly would be a good reaction," Sabo grinned down at him before meeting Lindbergh's eyes. "Stay safe."

"You too," Lindbergh nodded and he headed off, boarding the boat with Kuma and two other cloaked Revolutionaries.

"Sabo, you don't have to do this. You could let me go right now and save yourself a fight," Ace tried to bargain with him but Sabo headed for a lone boat off in the corner. "Sabo-"

"I'm not letting them take you back up there, Ace. I know you're scared but I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

"I don't give a fuck what you want or what you promise me. I want to go so let me go," Ace hissed. "I'll make a fuss as soon as I get a chance. I'll kick and scream and cause a scene-"

"We're underground, Ace," Sabo replied, lowering him carefully on to the boat.

There was a bunch of blankets and Sabo was already tugging one up over Ace's shoulders, tying off the ends so it was secured in place. Ace ignored the blanket though. He didn't need it. All he needed was to go back to Cedric. To help Cedric calm back down and relax.

He was probably freaking out right now.

"It doesn't matter. Look, Sabo, just stop this nonsense. Countless people have died trying to change things. Fisher Tiger did exactly what you're doing now and he died for it," Ace scowled. "Do you really want to join him?"

"Try get some rest, Ace," Sabo said. "It's a few days journey to reach our destination."

"Well drop me off as soon as we see the first island," Ace ordered coldly but he was ignored in favour of Sabo readying the small ship. "Dammit, Sabo! I'm the Lord of a Celestial Dragon. Let me go!"

"You're also Portgas D. Ace, my brother," Sabo said softly, "And I'm setting you free."

"The only thing to set me free from is your damn company and these cuffs," Ace said, but Sabo ignored him, continued getting ready to set off.

Ace couldn't do much to stop Sabo. Unfortunately he was just too weak, he was nowhere near as strong as he used to be. Ace hadn't fought a person in years, the last proper fight he ever had was with Teach. He was far too weak to try fight off Sabo's misguided 'rescue'.

He didn't need saving. He was the Lord of a Celestial Dragon. He was Cedric's husband, Cedric who was the grandson of one of the Five Elders of all people. Ace had a perfect life.

He didn't need saving.