Author's Note: Here's the second chapter! Hope everyone enjoys it!
To FawnTheFox: Hello! I'm glad you like this one, I'm a big fan of ASL AU's too XD This is definitely a dark story, lots of violence and apocalyptic stuff. Ace and Lu are connected...but how? Lol I won't spoil anything for you. Makino is precious. Thank you for your sweet review! See you next time!
To solariswarrior mf: And here you go ;)
To Guest: I'm so glad you enjoyed the first chapter! This is a fun one to write, very unique setting. Thank you for the review!
To cat saezp: Hey there, I'm doing well :) Haha don't worry about it, I always love getting reviews, especially if you're interested in seeing my work continue. Enjoy the update!
WARNINGS:
- Violence/Blood
- Possessiveness
- Vampire "persuasion"
Luffy swiftly stuffed his things back into his bag as he prepared to take Makino out into the wastes. It wouldn't be difficult to locate a patrol; the hard part was slipping away unnoticed. Vampires were notoriously difficult to sneak past once you were within a certain range.
Thankfully, Luffy's smell was somewhat masked by layers upon layers of dust and grime that, while not particularly pleasing to others, helped keep him safe while he traveled.
"T-Thank you for doing this…" Makino whispered from the bed, already looking more relaxed, "Not many would put their lives on the line for a stranger."
"Don't worry about it!" Luffy replied with a bright grin, "I like you and the old man, so it's no problem!"
Plus, he was getting restless from being underground for almost two days now, much longer than he'd originally planned due to Makino's fluctuating health. He couldn't take her out just to have her die before they found a patrol!
Luffy had gone out into the main tunnels briefly to pass the time but returned quickly when the self-proclaimed "vampire slayer" began to hassle him.
'That idiot provoked a vampire, likely a member of the local clan.' Luffy mused as he slipped his scarf around his neck, 'Depending on which clan, they may want-'
Suddenly, the whole cave shook violently, showering them with rocks. Luffy immediately threw himself over Makino to protect her. When the shaking stopped, screams began to fill the air.
"It's a raid!" Woop Slap hissed, pushing his way into the back room, "Vampires are already swarming the tunnels! You need to get out of here, lad!"
"Not without you!" Luffy retaliated, taking in the old man's bleeding forehead (likely from a falling rock). If he left Woop Slap behind, he would likely be killed just for being elderly. "I'll carry you and-"
"NO!" The old man refused loudly as he pushed Luffy out the door, "I'll just slow you down. Take what I promised you and go! Makino and I will be fine."
Luffy bit his lip and turned to Makino who smiled sweetly at him.
"It's all right, Luffy, everything will work out. Just go!"
Nodding shortly, the boy shot through the door and out into the tunnel, tears building in his eyes. All he could do was pray they would spare Woop Slap and treat Makino well.
He could hear the vampires coming from the western tunnels so Luffy ran east, towards one of the additional exits all sanctuaries had. Soon he was joined by other screaming people desperate to escape capture. They pushed and shoved past him, using their superior weight to bowl over his small body.
Luffy cried out in pain as he was trampled underneath the wave of terrified souls, curling in on himself to protect his head. When the stampede ended, he pushed himself up and kept going, trying to ignore the pain. Luffy grimaced at the feeling of bruised legs, hoping neither was broken.
Limping around the corner, he was met with the same crowd, rushing back the way they'd just ran. Not wanting a repeat of what just happened, Luffy squeezed his tiny figure into a space between a metal beam and the rock. It was essentially a small cave in the side of the tunnel and served his purpose for the moment: not getting trampled, again.
Taking a deep breath, Luffy sat down and shuffled himself backwards, hugging his bag tight to his chest. As he interlocked his fingers, the boy felt a strange wetness, one that he quickly identified as blood. Cursing, Luffy tugged off his scarf and held it firmly to the bleeding wound, hoping none of the vampires would take the time to follow one small scent.
'If they were coming back, then the other exits must already be blocked off.' Luffy thought as he watched the terrified people rush around outside of his little hiding place.
He physically jolted as loud, commanding voices began to shout and people were dragged out of his field of vision by gloved hands. The vampires had arrived.
Swallowing wetly, Luffy scooted as far back into the nook as he could. It curved slightly at the very back, offering him some protection if a vampire were to look inside. Plus, the opening was too small for most to get through.
Maybe he could wait it out…
Law marched through the colony with purpose, leading a group of four vampires trained in human care and handling. As they walked, he couldn't help but smirk as the soldiers did their job, catching all the humans efficiently and taking them outside with cuffs on their wrists.
Their target had been one of the first captured, despite using his entourage as a shield and attempting to escape. Even if he had managed to run, there was nowhere to go. Thanks to Ace's surveillance, they had all of the exits covered.
Mentally picturing the map they'd compiled of the colony's tunnel system, Law swiftly made his way to where Ace reported seeing the female.
When they arrived, Law nodded to his companions who rushed ahead of him and into the dwelling to secure any other humans who were inside. He waited only a few seconds before following his men inside, stepping over what remained of the wooden booth that had blocked the entrance.
Two of his men were securing an old male (who he recognized from Ace's pictures), while the other two surrounded the female on the bed, firmly holding her wrists to prevent her from moving too much.
"Hello there…" Law said softly as he kneeled before the woman, taking stock of her situation. She wasn't breathing well, had an unnaturally pale complexion, and was definitely malnourished. His men held the female while he checked her vitals.
As he did this, the woman bit her lip and looked down at Law's shoes.
'At least she's submissive.' Law thought as he stood up. The less their prey resisted, the easier it was on him.
"Will she be all right?" The old man in the corner asked, straining slightly against the cord holding his wrists behind his back.
"You are her caregiver?" Law asked, turning from the woman, "Do you have knowledge of her condition?"
"I-I…well, I've been taking care of her, but I'm not sure what's wrong with her…"
Law hummed and turned back to the female, noting the frightened, familiar look she gave the older man. They didn't usually take old humans back to the citadel, but this one could be useful in keeping the woman calm and in good health.
They could always dispose of him later.
"Go get a stretcher from the truck." Law ordered one of the men watching the old human, "I need to get this one back to the citadel as soon as possible for treatment."
"Of course, Sir!"
While he waited, Law examined the woman and her current dwelling. The hovel was filthy and covered in a layer of dust, even the beds to an extent. Though, one other bed besides the female's had been cleaned…and recently.
'That's right…there was another, the boy.' Law thought, 'Did he run, I wonder?'
"Oi, Law, how's it going in here?" A voice asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. Ace pushed the curtain aside and joined them in the small room, "I see you found her."
"Yes, though there is no sign of the third occupant." Law informed him before turning to the woman, "Where is the boy who was with you?" She flinched and attempted to pull back from the edge of the mattress, to no avail.
"H-He left the sanctuary yesterday." She answered timidly, refusing to look him in the eye. Beside him, Ace snarled and grabbed the female none to gently by the chin.
"Don't lie to us. Where did he go!?"
"Ace-ya, that's enough." Law chided, moving to stand between them, "You're being too rough."
Ace actually hissed at him, eyes turning red for a moment before returning to his normal silver. It was… intriguing. Obviously, the boy had peaked the fledgling's interest.
"Don't hurt Makino!" The old man shouted, gaining Ace's attention.
"I wasn't planning to…" The freckled vampire said as he approached the male human and leaned down to meet his gaze, "But I also don't appreciate being lied to. Where's the boy? I won't ask again."
Law had to admit, the fledgling was a good interrogator when he got serious. Fear was obvious the human's eyes, and the doctor suspected Ace wouldn't even have to persuade him to get the information he wanted.
Vampires have the ability to put humans into a trance-like state. Their eyes are hypnotic and incredibly enticing when their natural vibrant red color. If paired with proper voice techniques, there were few who could resist. It was a useful talent that made controlling the weaker species simple, though it took practice to totally master.
Luckily for Ace, he had a good teacher.
"H-H-He left minutes before you got here." The old man stuttered, backing up till his back hit the rock wall.
"So, he's still here…" Ace whispered to himself before rushing back out into the tunnel.
Law snorted in amusement when the fledgling nearly collided with his subordinate who'd returned with a stretcher. Ace was a strange one…he'd have to question him about his interest in the human boy later.
"Let's get them to the truck." Law instructed, "We have a lot of prisoners to transfer, and she's our number one priority right now."
Ace jogged through the tunnels, surveying all the humans who'd already been caught. His human was not among them. He knew there were still stragglers but wanted to hold out hope that the boy had avoided capture so far.
If the youth was taken to the stables, it would be a lot more difficult to question him alone. And, frankly, Ace didn't want to share.
Walking down the tunnel, he sniffed, trying to detect anything or anyone out of place. Ace passed a few other vampires escorting groups of humans to the entrance, but it emptied quickly as no more humans remained in the section.
'The exits are still blocked, so he has to be in here somewhere…'
Just as he started to become frustrated with his lack of success, the coppery smell of blood filled his lungs. It was faint compared to the thick, permeating stench that filled the colony after their raid, but to Ace, it smelled different…unique somehow.
Following the scent around a corner, he crouched down and peered into a dark crevice, immediately locking eyes with his human. The kid was huddled in a tight ball with his back against the rock and bag held to his chest. When their eyes met, the boy's breath hitched, and he attempted to scoot even further away from him.
"There you are…" Ace whispered with a smirk, taking in the young one's huddled form. The boy was scrawny, runt like, much more so than the video portrayed. Amazingly, though he reeked of fear, the human didn't avert his gaze and even growled at him, warning the vampire to stay away.
It really wasn't intimidating and made Ace chuckle. The human was spirited.
Not moving from his position, Ace examined the crevice his human made into a hiding place. It was too narrow for him to enter as it was barely large enough for the kid to squeeze into.
"Why don't you come out here, little one?" Ace coaxed, willing his eyes to turn scarlet and deepening his pitch, "I won't hurt you, I promise."
Surprisingly, the human immediately shut his eyes and curled up with his head in his lap, hands coming up to cover his ears. A scarf covering his prey's right hand fell away, revealing a nasty cut from which crimson blood flowed down his now upright arm. Since he'd been found, there was no need to try and hide the smell.
The kid knew about their persuasion techniques, which complicated things, but didn't discourage him.
Even with hands covering his ears, Ace's voice would still reach him. Without proper earplugs or something similar, bare hands wouldn't do the job well enough.
"Come on…it's okay…don't be afraid."
The kid trembled from the strain of resisting, but he still didn't move towards Ace. Frowning, the vampire changed to a more authoritative tone.
"Come out of there, now, human."
"I won't!" The boy screeched, taking Ace by surprise, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
Ace huffed at the human's continued resistance, but felt his interest grow. This kid was smart and definitely more resilient than most humans. And, since he'd just confirmed he could hear him…
"Come. Here. Now." Ace commanded, his voice low and full of power. Marco taught him that simply raising your voice doesn't make the persuasion any more effective. It's all about presence and authority.
At his words, the kid shuddered and began to crawl slowly towards him, definitely against his will, pushing the bag along with his knee. The boy's eyes were open now but focused on the ground and his movements forced.
"That's it…come out of there."
About halfway out of the crevice, his human whined in frustration and forced himself to stop, but a few more words from Ace and he resumed his slow trek. Just as he came within range of Ace's arm, he stopped resisting and threw himself at the vampire.
The little human swiped at him with a long knife, forcing Ace to jump back and breaking his concentration. When the kid landed on his feet, his legs buckled, bringing him to his knees. Before his target could get up and run, Ace was on him.
He pushed the boy down into the dirt, face-first, and secured him there with his knee. Ace grabbed the scuffed arms and held them tightly against the human's lower back, twisting his wrist to make him drop the knife.
"No, let me go!" The human shouted as he thrashed in Ace's hold, "Get off!"
"Easy, easy…" Ace soothed, trying to get the boy to calm down. If he was too loud, others would hear and come to investigate. "I'm not going to hurt you so-"
The kid cried out again and wouldn't stop moving around. Deciding to put an end to it, Ace gripped both of the boy's arms with one hand and reached into his pocket to pull out the sedation pen he'd grabbed before leaving the citadel.
Flipping up the cap, Ace jammed the pen into his captive's neck, injecting him with a powerful sedative. He didn't usually carry them around because taking humans wasn't generally part of his job description, but he made sure to bring one just in case.
Almost immediately, the boy went limp.
Taking a deep breath, Ace got off the small figure and rolled him over onto his back so he could get a better look at his prize. First of all, now that he was close to the human, he stunk! The kid smelled like he'd rolled over in manure and then jumped into a swamp or something.
His hair was greasy (as he'd seen on the video) and covered in a layer of dirt. Additionally, the boy had bruises and cuts all over his body. The one on his right hand was bleeding profusely and likely what had led Ace to him in the first place. There was definitely something wrong with the boy's legs if the shaking and weakness was anything to go by, but he didn't have time to look him over thoroughly.
Ace took some bandages out of his pack and quickly wrapped the hand, not wanting him to bleed so much that he alerted other vampires to his presence.
Moving on, he secured the boy's wrists behind him with metal cord and tied his legs together in the same way. Just to be safe, Ace gagged the human with a thick strip of cloth.
'It would be bad if he were to wake up and scream before I could get him home…' He thought while pulling out a large bag that would serve as the kid's home for the next few hours. It was unnervingly simple to pick up the tiny human and slide him into the bag.
His prize was so…thin. Was he eating right?
Tying the bag closed, Ace threw his bundle over his shoulder along with the kid's pack as it could hold clues to answering some of his many questions.
Hopefully the sedative would do its job and keep his captive asleep. Ace couldn't afford to get caught, not now.
Thatch nodded in approval as group after group of human captives was brought out of the colony. They were making good time and would probably be home before dinner.
"Sir!" A low ranked soldier shouted, "Trucks two and three are full. Should we send them back to Moby or wait?"
"Yeah, go ahead." With so many prisoners, it would take a while to process them all so the faster they got them home, the better.
Thatch trotted over to Trafalgar who was finishing securing the female in his medical vehicle.
"How's she doing, Doc?" He asked, looking over the woman who had an oxygen mask over her face and an IV in her arm.
"She'll live, just needs some antibiotics and rest." Trafalgar answered smoothly before pulling Thatch away from the vehicle and whispering, "Has Ace-ya contacted you?"
"Uh…no," Thatch replied, brow furrowing, "Is he in trouble?"
"I'm not sure yet." Law replied, looking pensively to the ruined colony, "He rushed off in pursuit of the little human boy from his pictures. I've never seen him so…obsessive."
Thatch hummed, deep in thought. There were a couple different things that could cause a vampire to become obsessed with a human. First, their blood types matched. He'd seen aged vampires go out of their way to capture a human in battle because they smelled so appetizing. Hell, Vista did that during the last ambush!
But Ace hadn't smelt the kid at all yet, so that probably wasn't why.
Second, was if they were mates. It happened sometimes where a vampire and human were fated to be together. He supposed it was possible, but unlikely considering Ace was still deeply connected to Marco, his sire. The freckled vampire was still a fledgling, theoretically incapable of having any other special bond just yet.
It could also just be a random interest or maybe the kid reminds Ace of someone, someone from his forgotten past... If that was the case, Marco would need to know.
It wouldn't be good if Ace remembered his heritage and everything that happened. All of Marco's hard work would go to waste.
Thatch huffed and tapped his earpiece to activate it.
"Ace, you there? Where are you?"
"Yeah, I'm here," Ace replied, sounding slightly out of breath, "and heading back home." Thatch frowned at that.
"What? Why-"
"Er…no reason, just covered in dirt and stuff, so I want to go take a shower before the gathering later. The trucks are too slow."
Ah, right. Marco had told him about that meeting yesterday…should be interesting.
"Okay, but make sure you report in when you get there. Otherwise, Izo will have my head."
"Yeah, I'll do that." Then the communicator shut off. Law was staring at him, obviously wanting to know what the fledgling said.
"Apparently, Ace is heading back already…to shower."
"Really?" Law hummed, "He's never done that before…would you like me to question him?"
"No," Thatch determined, "We have more important things to focus on right now. I'll mention it to Marco later, hopefully it's nothing to worry about."
Marco took a deep breath as he prepared to enter the throne room. It hadn't been used since Pops was Lord. Marco preferred the more casual sitting rooms where he could commune directly with his generals and subordinates, it made them feel included and not looked down upon.
Pushing the heavy doors open, the blonde vampire walked into the vast space confidently, meeting the gazes of the two young purebloods mingling on the marble steps (a remnant of Pops' original design).
"My Lords, it is an honor to welcome you to the Moby Dick, my citadel." Marco greeted while kneeling respectfully. Not one to cow before others in his own home, he looked up soon after kneeling and examined the purebloods.
First was a blonde vampire with what looked like burn scars down the left side of his face. He smiled slightly at him and bowed his head. Marco didn't know him but appreciated his respect.
To his left was a red-head, broad and intimidating. Marco knew this one, his father was a pain in pretty much everyone's ass but also one of the most influential Vampire Lords to date.
'He doesn't appear to have inherited Shanks' carefree spirit…' Marco mused as he looked into the young pureblood's eyes, evaluating.
"Thank you for your greeting, Lord Phoenix." The blonde one answered, "Have you been briefed on the details of our acquisition?"
Yes, he certainly had. The pureblood council decided his citadel needed a leader of "higher caliber" than him, despite all Marco had accomplished and how prosperous they were. Their solution was to send two young nobles, freshly out of training and barely into their second decade of life, to take over leadership of the Moby Dick.
It was something of a competition or examination to them. Their skills would be tested and if they failed, their future (and that of their family) would be bleak. Marco imagined that Shanks' son was already in good standing, but the other one seemed to be from a lower ranking family.
"I have, yoi. Though, if I may, will the two of you rule together?"
"The position of Lord has already been determined by our performance in training and current standing." The red-haired noble informed him, "I will be Lord and delegate tasks to Sabo as I see fit."
"Very well, Lord…"
"Eustass Kidd." The young noble answered, "I look forward to hearing your council, Phoenix, and making this citadel into the best it can be."
Marco bowed his head, keeping his opinions to himself. Of course, he didn't want these rash, young purebloods ruining Pops' legacy, but there was nothing he could do to oppose it.
How would his subordinates respond to the change in leadership? Hopefully, with grace…yeah…that'd be nice.