Author's Note: Hey everyone! Ya know, I really like this chapter... *shrugs*. I hope ya'll like it too!
To FawntheFox: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it :) Lol yeah Ace and Lu are getting there, right now it's a bit...stalker-like. So it's sort of sweet XD See you next time! [P.S. loved your update of Defenders Without Fear ;)]
To SarahPrincess: You're welcome! I always want to make sure my reviewers feel appreciated :) The pendants are definitely important, but what do they mean? Haha gotta stay tuned to find out! Yep, Lu's is red and Ace's was white. Thank you for always reviewing!
To Vongola10: Thank you!
To kittyface27: Lol I love Zoro too! He's a boss XD I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
To fluffypuppies: Zoro's so cool...him and Lu are gonna be fast friends! There will definitely be more Ace and Luffy fluff because they're the best brothers ever (Law and Luffy fluff too cause inside, Torao's a softy). Haha yet another mystery to consider ;) Thank you for always reviewing! I look forward to reading them every time I post!
WARNINGS:
- Electrocution
- Vampire "persuasion"
- Some violence
Luffy woke to the sound of whispered voices and sunlight shining on him, warming his make-shift bed. Lethargically opening his eyes, he could barely make out three forms clustered together below him.
"Why would they bring someone in the middle of the night?"
"How should I know! It's not like they tell us anything…"
"D-D-Do you think he's dangerous?"
The boy scooted to the edge of the loft and looked over his new cell mates, now visible in the morning light. He recognized Zoro immediately, his broad build and gruff voice giving him away. The man appeared a few years older than him had green hair, which Luffy decided was super cool.
The second human was younger and scrawnier with an abnormally long nose. He seemed scared and kept pointing up in Luffy's general direction. Lastly, was a girl. She was young, probably around his age with short orange hair and a piercing voice.
All three of them wore the same clothes Luffy did, complete with no shoes. Though, Zoro had a weird metal band around his neck.
'Wonder what that's for?' The boy thought, sitting up. As he straightened his cell mates immediately looked up at him. Thankfully, Zoro greeted him with a nod.
"Morning, Luffy."
"…hi…" He returned quietly, slowly climbing down the ladder and wincing as his legs protested. Somewhat unsure, Luffy padded up to the group and wrung his hands together. Almost immediately, the girl stuck a finger in his face.
"So, what's your story? Why were you thrown in here in the middle of the night?"
"Y-Yeah!" The other kid supported (from behind Zoro), "Are you a spy or something!?"
"Spy?" Luffy questioned, tilting his head. Before he could answer, Zoro wacked the two on the head.
"Oi, leave him alone, we've all got stories. Luffy, this is Nami and Usopp. Looks like we'll be living together for the time being."
"Nice to meet you." Luffy mumbled, cracking a smile. It felt nice…comfortable even, to finally be around humans instead of vampires. After saying a brief hello, Nami and Usopp exited out the back door.
Luffy shuffled over to peek through the opening, hitting his head on one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling in the process.
"Ne, Zoro, what're these for?"
"Whatever you want really…" The older man answered, grabbing two and pulling himself up off the floor, "I've been using them to work out. We figure the vampires want to encourage 'healthy living' or some crap like that."
Luffy awed at Zoro's strength, wishing he could bulk up like that. He was by no means weak (excluding the unnatural power of vampires) but couldn't seem to build up large muscles…just lean ones. When Zoro dropped to the carpeted floor, he turned back to Luffy.
"They'll be bringing food soon. If you're thirsty, there's a fountain outside and a small bathroom behind that panel over there."
"You sure know a lot…" Luffy said, salivating slightly at the thought of food, "How long have you guys been here?"
"Not long…about two months." Zoro replied, crossing his arms, "What about you? Your tag looks brand new…were you captured during the raid a few days ago?"
Luffy bit his lip and clutched his forearm. He was nothing more than a caged animal now…
Zoro brought him out of his thoughts by placing a large hand on his head.
"Don't worry about it."
Looking up at his new friend, Luffy smiled softly. Zoro really was the best…and he'd only known him for like a few hours!
"Oi, you guys gotta see this!" Usopp called from outside, "Something's going on!"
Scurrying after Zoro, Luffy blinked as bright sunlight blurred his vision. The outdoor portion of the pen was completely enclosed by a metal fence that curved at the top. There was also a small patio and soft grass that felt wonderful on his bare feet. Interesting enough, they were also provided with some hammocks and cushions.
They were given quite a lot for being mere livestock…
Gathering his thoughts, Luffy trotted over to the other three who were gathered at the edge of their paddock. Squeezing beside Zoro, his eyes widened.
Their stable (G…if he remembered correctly) was situated towards the front gate of the citadel. He'd only seen the inside of the vampire stronghold and a brief glance when brought out by Torao, but he was certain there hadn't been a massive gathering of vampires in full battle gear there a few hours ago. Scanning the group, he remembered what Ace and Torao had talked about.
"They're leaving to scout the wastes." He whispered, turning the heads of his cell mates.
"How do you know that?" Zoro asked with narrowed eyes.
"I…I overheard it." Luffy huffed, scratching at his tag, "Let's just say I've spent the last few days in close contact with a vampire and it…um…" He shivered, remembering the tiny closet and being taken away to Torao's room.
"You…you weren't brought here by normal means, were you?"
"No, not exactly."
Suddenly, Luffy found himself explaining his circumstances to complete strangers. He told them how he'd been kidnapped by Ace and the vampire's strange obsession with him. Torao had warned him to keep a low profile, but these were humans, not vampires. What was the harm in it?
"He kept you in his bedroom, chained up!?" Nami hissed, immediately coming to hug him, "That's sick!" Luffy wasn't sure why being in Ace's room would make him ill, but he gratefully returned the hug anyway.
"It's not uncommon for vampires to have obsessions." Zoro growled, "You probably have the same blood type as him or something."
"Ne, doesn't 'Torao' sound familiar?" Usopp put in, still keeping a wary eye on the growing horde a distance away, "Wait…you don't mean Trafalgar Law do you!?" Luffy nodded, leaning into Nami's touch as she scratched at his scalp soothingly.
"Yeah, Torao. He discovered Ace was hiding me and is the one who put me out here." At the name, all three of his new friends scowled.
"That guy sucks, always treating us like cattle!"
Luffy shrugged, not sure about the vampire himself. Torao was definitely scary and strong, but he was also kin (apparently)…so maybe he really was an ally? He couldn't be sure. At the thought, Luffy grabbed his shirt where his pendant was hidden, recalling what his father told him long ago.
"Just as not all vampires are bad, not all humans are good. Keep our secret until you're certain of their character. Otherwise, they will try to use you for their own gain."
'I can't tell them about this, not yet.'
"Oi, they're coming." Zoro said with a smirk, making Nami sigh.
"You don't have to do this every time you know…one of these days they really will just kill you." Confused, Luffy peered out of the fence and watched a group of vampires dressed in familiar jump suits unlock and enter the stable. Weren't those Torao's subordinates? Did that mean it was time for food?
He went to follow Zoro back into the stable but was stopped by Nami.
"Trust me, you probably want to wait a few minutes."
Confused, Luffy waited alongside Usopp who seemed equally exacerbated and nervous. What was Zoro going to do? His question was answered when yelling and cries came from the inside. Immediately concerned for his new friend, Luffy pushed past Nami and rushed back indoors, making his legs ache in the process.
He didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't Zoro fighting against five armed vampires.
"How long are you going to do this, Marimo!?" One of them yelled, barely avoiding a punch from Zoro.
"That's not my name!" The green-haired man yelled, nailing another one in the gut. Luffy gaped, severely impressed and concerned at the same time. Just as he thought Zoro might injure another one, he screamed, grasping at his neck.
Luffy stared in horror as the metal band electrocuted Zoro.
"Enough!" A deep voice bellowed. Luffy gulped as a massive vampire dipped into their cell and held a remote up to Zoro, "I don't know why Captain insists on keeping you alive after all the trouble you cause…"
Soon, Nami and Usopp were next to him looking both tired and frustrated as they watched Zoro gasp for breathe on the floor.
"Mikan, Pachinko, and," The large vampire took a chart offered him, "Luffy, the new one…" A smaller guard, one Luffy recognized from last night, whispered something into the other's ear, making him nod.
"Take Marimo while he's stunned, we need to harvest his blood this week anyway."
Luffy instinctively stepped forward as the vampires started to drag Zoro away, wanting to do something. His movement drew the attention of the large one.
"Don't even think about it."
They had a brief stare down until Usopp put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head solemnly, prompting Luffy to shuffle backwards and lower his gaze.
"Good…let's go, we've got others to deal with."
The vampires left a few trays of food just on the inside of the cell door before locking it behind them. While Usopp went to collect the food, Nami sighed.
"Zoro's been doing that since we were thrown in here. For whatever reason, the head-honcho wants to keep him alive despite everything, but they locked that collar around his neck to make him easier to handle." Nami ran a hand through her hair, "The idiot's determined to fight back…it's admirable, but also stupid."
Luffy frowned thinking about how long Zoro had been resisting, getting electrocuted every day…
"Why does he do it?"
"We were all captured at the same time." Nami explained with a huff, sitting down on the floor in front of the food. When Usopp plunked down next to her, Luffy quickly joined them. "Let's just say the group we're a part of tries to fight against the vampire's reign, but so far we're not doing so well…"
Usopp shoved a roll into his mouth and tried to add something but it came out a garbled mess until Nami passed him a cup of water.
"We tried to ambush a group of vampires but were overpowered." Usopp finally managed, "As for Zoro, he says he's looking for someone that was taken by vampires a long time ago."
"Who?" Luffy asked, gingerly bringing a piece of fruit up to his nose to smell its sweetness.
"His sister, Kuina." Nami replied, eyes downcast, "But she's been gone for so long…honestly, I'm not sure she's still alive."
They continued to eat in silence, the only noise coming from other pens and the vampires outside. Luffy felt like he understood Zoro's zealousness a little more, especially since he'd lost family members himself.
Ace quickly jogged through the hallways while he finished buckling his knife to his belt. After leaving Law's room, he'd tried to sleep, but simply couldn't…not when Lu was probably scared to death.
'I've got some time before we leave…I'll go see how he's doing.'
Turning the corner, Ace ran straight into someone.
"Ace, yoi. What's the rush? Worried you'll be late?" Marco teased, cracking a smile. Swallowing, Ace returned his sire's grin, albeit a shaky one.
"Something like that…just wanted to make sure I got breakfast before we left." As he replied, Ace clenched and unclenched his sweaty hands. Of all the people to run into…especially after Law's ultimatum.
"When you return from the expedition, inform your sire of this boy's existence."
"Is something wrong? You're acting strange, yoi."
"N-No, I'm just…nervous." He stuttered, "This is a big operation and our leader is someone we hardly know, or trust." Marco huffed and put a hand on Ace's shoulder.
"I know it's different, and I'm thankful all of you have worked hard to accept these changes, yoi."
Ace straightened at the compliment, unconsciously enjoying praise from his sire. That is, until he remembered why he was in a hurry.
"Thank you, Marco, for your kind words, but I actually have to go and finish my preparations. See you when I get back?" The older vampire nodded.
"Of course, yoi. Don't forget I will need to renew your mark as soon as you return."
Nodding, Ace trotted past his sire and exhaled deeply once he exited into the yard. At least that had gone better than his interview with Law. Purposefully skirting around the edges of the grassy courtyard, Ace slipped into the stable.
Thankfully, most of the keepers were gone, having just fed their charges. Remembering the pen number, Ace jogged past each cell, checking the identification numbers carefully. Finally, he arrived at his destination, the last one. Thankfully, the back door was right next the pen, giving him an easy escape route.
Peeking inside, he saw Luffy sitting with two other humans eating what must be their breakfast.
"Lu!" He whispered, kneeling down and grasping the bars. Almost immediately, the boy turned around and met his gaze, eyes wide.
"A-Ace?"
The vampire exhaled in relief, grateful his human appeared physically fine. Law kept his promise. Turning his head to check for prying eyes, Ace beckoned for the kid to come closer. Unsurprisingly, the other humans began to protest and even tried to pull Luffy away from him.
However, before he could get angry, Luffy gently broke free of their protective arms and padded over to him.
"Hey…you okay here? In the stables I mean." Ace probed quietly as Luffy lowered himself down onto his knees. The boy shrugged and briefly glanced back to the other two humans who were watching from the back of the pen.
"It's okay, still a cage though."
"I know, and I'm sorry about that." He apologized, reaching through the bars to pet through Luffy's hair, "When I get back, I'll try to think of something else, but for the time being-"
"Keep a low profile." Luffy interrupted, pulling Ace's hand away from his head, "Torao told me the same thing." The vampire frowned, a little hurt the boy was shying away from him, but it was understandable.
"Listen, I know how you must feel about me, but all I want is to keep you safe…you know that right?" The boy chewed on the inside of cheek and nodded, making Ace smile again. "Good. I'll see you in two weeks then."
Taking Luffy by surprise (if his stiff body was any indication), he reached the bars and hugged him. Not wanting to dawdle for too long, Ace quickly released him, but not before ruffling his hair playfully.
"Bye, Lu. I promise things will be better when I get back."
Luffy let out a sigh of relief when Ace left, still surprised by the sudden hug. The vampire seemed…genuine, but it was all so complicated. Maybe if he could figure out why Ace cared about him so much, some of his confusion would go away.
"Are you nuts!?" Usopp hissed, rushing up to him, "Wasn't that the vampire who kept you locked up in his room!"
"Yeah, Ace."
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Nami questioned while grabbing Luffy's face and looking him over with concern.
"No…just startled me."
As his two new friends lectured him, Luffy shifted from his knees to his rear, crossing his legs in front of him. No matter what Nami and Usopp said, he knew Ace wouldn't hurt him. When he didn't respond, his cell mates retreated back to the corner of the pen, whispering about hypnosis and other stuff.
Just as Luffy was about to get up, a shadow fell over him.
Instinctively, he looked up and locked eyes with an unfamiliar vampire. The creature was blonde with scars running down one side of his face and wore a deep blue robe, similar to the one Torao had been wearing the night before.
The vampire didn't say anything and simply looked Luffy over, eyes inquisitive and searching. Not daring to move, the boy held his gaze steady, unsure what the being wanted. When the vampire broke eye contact, Luffy deflated, like a weight had been removed from his body.
The blonde was now looking out the door, where Ace had just exited.
"How curious…" The vampire whispered before pulling out a chart, one Luffy had to assume was his. After looking it over for a few seconds, he returned the chart to its place and locked eyes with him again. This time, they glowed an ominous scarlet, making Luffy's breath hitch.
"Stand up and come out here, human."
The command hit him like a wave, making him stand up almost instantly. He could hear Nami and Usopp gasp from behind him but was grateful they didn't try to help.
Whoever this vampire was, he was more powerful than Ace.
Shuddering with every step, Luffy moved to the door that the creature had unlocked and stepped out onto the cold stone floor.
"Good, now hold still please."
Luffy could do nothing as the vampire put his hands around his neck and palpated the sensitive skin. Was he checking for bite marks? Held in place as he was, he prayed the creature would miss his necklace. Luffy's heart raced as the blonde sniffed him, sharp fangs dangerously close to a major artery.
"Lord Second? What're you doing?" A voice interrupted, making the vampire drop his hands. Glancing to the left, Luffy recognized Torao's subordinate…the guy with the funny hat.
"Just checking something." The blonde vampire replied, eyes returning to their normal color. Luffy's legs buckled once he was freed, and he would've collapsed into a heap on the floor had the creature not caught him and sat him up against the bars of his pen. "My apologies, little lamb…are you-"
"Here, allow me." The smaller vampire cut in, quickly checking Luffy's vitals, "He's okay, just knocked the breath out of him, I think. Damn, you purebloods have got some kick to your abilities!"
As the blonde laughed, Luffy's body went completely still. This was a pureblood!? If he discovered him-
"Hey, hey, easy little guy…" The smaller vampire soothed, reaching a gloved hand out to him. Luffy swallowed and tried to get his breathing under control. The last thing he needed was the pureblood putting his hands on him again.
Surprisingly, the blonde seemed genuinely concerned, a look that reminded him a little bit of Ace.
"Lord Second, would you open the door again? I'm gonna get him back inside."
Luffy grunted as he was pulled to his feet and led back into the pen, where he was immediately met by Nami and Usopp. Suddenly exhausted, he went limp in their comforting arms.
"I'll check up on him later."
"Thank you, Mr. Shachi, I appreciate it." The pureblood replied, glancing briefly to Luffy, "Unfortunately, I need to go see Kidd off…apologies for the inconvenience."
"Aye, aye, don't worry about it, it's my job after all."
Shuddering slightly, Luffy didn't resist as Nami sat them down and allowed his head to rest in her lap. He closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort that was her thin fingers carding through his hair.
"It's okay…just breathe…"
Usopp sat down with them and began to regale him with stories, further helping him calm down. Purebloods were scary.
Making his way out to the large group of vampires, Sabo considered what he'd seen in the stable. No matter how he re-played it in his mind, it had appeared that Ace was drinking from that young human. Why else would he be pulling him up against the bars?
'…but there were no puncture marks…so why…?' Sabo huffed, stopping to straighten his kimono. 'This is what I get for being proactive.'
He didn't particularly want to involve himself in the private lives of his new subordinates, but something wasn't quite right. For starters, while Trafalgar had been out doing whatever he was doing the evening before, Sabo took it upon himself to memorize the rest of the charts and documentation on the humans.
And, just now, he'd realized that the young human "Luffy" hadn't been in Stable G's files the night before. But, according to Trafalgar's personal note (in the chart that seemingly appeared out of nowhere), the boy had been in his care in solitary confinement due to a possible blood disorder.
So why hadn't the human's chart been in the binder? And what was Ace doing with him?
"Sabo!" A voice called, bringing him back to reality. Kidd was dressed in his battle attire and armed to the teeth, much like the other residents of Moby Dick. Among them was Ace, who was chatting with one of the older vampires on the other side of the yard.
"You seem happy." Sabo teased, smirking at his old friend.
"Naturally. This is the first step to my dream after all." Kidd said with a smirk, "Plus, it's bound to make an impact on the council. Oh yeah, Killer showed up this morning, finally."
Sabo hummed and scanned the crowd for the long haired vampire, finding him bowing before Lord Phoenix on the front steps. Killer was practically a brother to Kidd and followed him everywhere. Unfortunately, it had taken him a bit longer to join them, hence why he was a few days late.
"Will he be accompanying you?"
"Yeah. It's not that I don't trust the others, but…ya know." Sabo nodded, understanding completely. It had become very clear to the both of them since their arrival that the entire citadel was unashamedly loyal to Whitebeard and Lord Phoenix. "Take care of the citadel for me while I'm gone."
Sabo nodded and waved as Kidd turned and rallied his forces, Killer appearing at his side seconds later. They made quite a sight…nearly thirty warriors and scouts battle ready and prepared to go out into the wastes. No vehicles or transportation since the mission was supposed to be "stealthy".
Hopefully, they wouldn't cause any trouble with the surrounding citadels. From what he'd learned, not all of them were particularly friendly towards the Moby Dick.
When the front gate closed behind them, Sabo released a breath. As of now, he was in charge…a strange feeling. Turning around, a flash of white caught is eye.
It was the young human, now in the outdoor portion of the stable. He was accompanied by the other two humans who were gesturing at a hammock excitedly, trying to cheer him up perhaps? Something was going on, and it seemed to be connected to that boy.
Just before he made to re-enter the main building, something glinted off the kid's chest, a brilliant red color. It was only there for a second before it was gone. Blinking in confusion, he focused on the boy again, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. Sabo remembered a chain of some kind around the human's neck…jewelry maybe?
'Yet another undocumented mystery.'
He was tempted to question Law about it, but if the doctor was in on…whatever was going on, that wouldn't be a good idea.
'Perhaps a solitary investigation would be more prudent…'