Author's Note: BONUS UPDATE! Since I already had this chapter done, I figured I'd go ahead and post it :) Figured ya'll wouldn't mind haha.
To Guest 1: Lol it was pretty intense! Poor Lu...but it was definitely exciting ;) *provides new chapter really fast for sustenance*
To FawnTheFox: Lu did have a pretty rough chapter :( but it'll get better from here on out! Thank you so much for reviewing!
To kittyface27: I seem to be the master of cliffhangers XD
To hinakudo: I know right, as I keep saying, poor Lu! I was so mean. I'm so glad you are enjoying my story! This is a really fun one to write and the inspiration keeps coming!
To Guest 2: Thank you! As for Ace, he returns this chapter! I've been missing him too so definitely look forward to lots of him in the coming chapters :)
WARNINGS:
- Gore
- Medical lines/IV's
- Mentions of surgery
- Anesthesia
Look forward to lots of incoming fluff in the next few chapters along with the long anticipated Ace and Sabo interactions!
Luffy was in more pain than he had ever been in his entire life.
His body was cold and though he could hear voices around him, all he could focus on was the feeling missing from below his right elbow. Even when he'd been trapped deep inside the earth, a prisoner of that vampire, he'd never felt such agony.
Luffy felt himself move automatically, naturally.
He lifted his head up off the table and maneuvered his pendant into his mouth. It was strange to roll it between his teeth and gums, knowing what would happen if he bit down hard enough. His father had warned him about only using it as a last resort.
But…wasn't this as good a time as any? Luffy was alone and being tortured in enemy territory, he had no choice.
Even so, he felt himself hesitating. If he did this, there was a chance he'd die anyway…and what if someone did show up-
"Luffy-ya." A deep voice whispered soothingly, breaking him out of his trance-like state, "Look at me."
Luffy sniffled and whined, vision blurry from tears. Was someone there? He flinched as cold hands settled on his cheeks, massaging them gently.
"It's okay…you're going to be okay." That voice…was it…Torao? Blinking to clear up his wet eyes, Luffy focused on the person hovering over him. He sobbed when he finally recognized the tall vampire.
'T-They came…' Luffy thought, savoring the cool touch on his face as a way to distract himself from whatever was happening with his arm. He never thought he'd be so happy to see a vampire. Torao held his face tightly, keeping him face up and unable to look at his arm.
"That's it, come back to me." He crooned, "Look at me, don't worry about anything else." The vampire's ministrations were calming and helped Luffy relax as much as he could, though he didn't release his pendant.
Not yet, what if-
"Luffy-ya, will you spit that out…please." Torao whispered, tugging slightly on the chain jutting out of both sides of his mouth, "There's no need for it anymore, we're going to take care of you."
He shook his head vigorously, making the vampire frown slightly. This was his only defense mechanism right now. He'd been beaten, exposed, and humiliated. If this would give him the ability to defend himself and survive another day, then he couldn't just let it go.
"If you go through with this," The tattooed vampire warned, "we won't be able to take you back. Please, Luffy-ya…"
It's okay.
We'll take care of you.
Trust us.
Just…let go.
Luffy whimpered and sniffled, but slowly opened his mouth, nonetheless. Torao swiftly pulled the necklace out while whispering reassurances. He wanted to fight back as the vampire removed it completely from his neck, but he was too weak and utterly exhausted.
His arm felt like it was on fire, and all he wanted to do was sleep.
Katakuri watched in silence as Marco and Trafalgar worked to stabilize the human. His eyes glanced down to the floor where the youth's arm lay, innocent to the pain its original was in.
He'd observed closely as Trafalgar attempted to coax the little one into releasing his trigger, something that had the whole room on edge. Katakuri knew all too well what would happen if that sphere was broken, having fought D's before.
From what he understood, it contained a powerful accelerant that would activate the human's dormant blood, giving them unimaginable power…at a price, of course. In a D this young, it would probably destroy his body in the process.
Katakuri had known of D's who'd mastered their power, but it took time and relentless training. Trying to obtain it too quickly would end in disaster for everyone involved.
Apparently, Enel and his lackeys had no idea what they'd brought into their compound. Uneducated fools.
It actually didn't surprise him that this boy was a D, considering Whitebeard's history with the clan. What DID surprise him was that he recognized the human…from many years ago, when he'd pulled a tiny pup out of the ground and freed him from his captor on a whim.
'To think, he was a D…' Katakuri mused, stepping forward when the boy finally passed out, unable to take the pain anymore.
At this point, Marco had expertly applied a tourniquet of sorts to the child's arm, bringing the constant flow of blood to a stop. Meanwhile, Trafalgar fussed over the human, taking a blanket from one of his subordinates to bundle the boy in.
"I need to do surgery right away." The doctor stated, "Otherwise, his arm may get infected." Phoenix nodded and marched up to Enel, covered in blood. One look at him made the pureblood shy away, face curling in disgust.
"We need to use your infirmary, yoi. Where is it?"
"Hah!?" Enel exclaimed, "You can't be serious. He's just a human-"
Marco didn't let him finish and slammed him against the wall with such force that it cracked.
"Where. Is. It?" Enel glared, eyes flashing red.
"Get your damn hands off me, un-pure. I will not allow members of a different citadel to waste precious medical supplies on a human whelp!"
Katakuri, recognizing that the situation was escalating, grabbed Marco and pulled him off the other vampire. While Enel was undoubtedly at fault for this situation, he wasn't about to let two powerful vampires brawl in front of him.
"Enough of this!" He bellowed, making everyone bow away from him. Now that he had everyone's attention, Katakuri continued, fixing Enel with a harsh stare, "I hope you realize that by stealing another citadel's human, you've broken one of our cardinal laws."
"I-I had no idea-"
"I DON'T CARE." Katakuri snapped with a snarl, "Give them access to your medical resources and I shall consider giving you a warning for this…misstep."
Honestly, he should report the pureblood. Knowingly or not, he had taken a human that was tagged as the Whitebeards' property.
Enel's expression changed to one of fear and then annoyance, but Katakuri knew the pureblood would yield. After all, his acceptance into the Charlotte Family was at stake.
"Very well but be quick about it."
Marco worked to light yet another cigarette as he waited outside of the small infirmary he and Law had jerry-rigged into an operating room. Unfortunately, their supplies were minimal, and they certainly had no surgical equipment, forcing Law to make do with what he had.
He'd offered Trafalgar his assistance, but the vampire had declined. Marco took a deep drag, knowing in his heart that Law blamed himself for this whole mess and the fact that the human's arm wouldn't be able to be reattached.
The harsh truth was they were too far away from a proper facility to do the sensitive surgery required to fuse the muscle and nerves back together again. It was all they could do to ensure the boy remained healthy and survived the staggering amount of blood he'd lost.
"Care for one, yoi?" Marco offered, glancing to his left where Katakuri sat, seemingly lost in thought.
"No thank you, I don't smoke."
Marco hummed and blew smoke out slowly. What a strange situation they'd found themselves in…all over a single human child who was a D of all things. Of course, there were other implications, some he'd noticed immediately upon recognizing the boy.
This was the human Ace had shown them during his scouting of the colony many weeks before, meaning he probably had something to do with his appearance in their citadel. Marco recalled his conversation with Thatch about how the fledgling's seal was weakening and if the human boy, who now had a name, had something to do with it.
He was now certain they were connected and would need to speak with Ace upon their return. If the fledgling regained his memories, it could be disastrous.
"Thank you for your help back there." He said, inclining his head. Katakuri nodded.
"You're welcome, though I must say, I didn't expect you to be so attached to a human."
I'm not…is what Marco wanted to say but stopped before the words escaped his lips. He'd only met the boy officially a few hours ago, so why had he acted the way he did? Was it because the human's youth? Or perhaps to assert dominance over Enel and his followers?
'Maybe because I now know he's connected to Ace somehow…'
Regardless, this was quite a mess they'd gotten themselves into.
'…and our new Lord has no idea…'
Their brief conversation came to an end when Law stepped out of the infirmary, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Well, yoi?"
"He's stable." The tattooed doctor informed them, dark circles prominent under his eyes, "When we return home, I'll need to keep him under constant supervision to make sure the residual limb heals properly."
Marco nodded, already thinking ahead. They still had to consider that the boy ran away, an act that generally required intense punishment. But, in this situation, perhaps solitary confinement would suffice. They could run it by Sabo…who knows how the pureblood would react when they returned home…
"Then, I will take my leave." Katakuri interjected, standing up, "Though before I go…do you have any plans to seal the boy?"
Marco closed his eyes, knowing this was coming at some point. Katakuri was old, old enough to remember the D clan's history and ability. The pureblood wouldn't report them, not if they took every precaution.
Whitebeard's original policy (created all those years ago) was clear, if slightly outdated: the citadel was open to everyone, even D's, but only if their abilities were sealed away so they wouldn't be a danger to anyone, including themselves.
"He's only sixteen." Law put in, "Developmentally speaking, his natural abilities won't start to manifest for another two years."
"I'm aware of his youth." Katakuri replied, crossing his arms, "However, if I am not mistaken, you are without someone powerful enough to create a full seal…with Whitebeard's hibernation and all."
The pureblood had a point. Marco's eyes glanced over to Law and his many tattoos. Most of them were for show, but the ones on his back were part of the seal Pops had implemented years before. Unfortunately, Marco was no pureblood, which was why his attempt to seal Ace's abilities had fallen short.
Well, that and the fiery human had already awoken his inner power. He remembered very clearly when the now fledgling bit into his pearly white pendant and literally burst into flames.
"Are you offering us your services, yoi?"
"Merely making sure you have a plan in place." Katakuri continued, glancing to the infirmary door, "Depending on what tribe he's from, that child could become a threat in the future. For his sake, and ours, it is better to remove the possibility of rebellion now, before it manifests into something deadly."
Marco nodded in agreement, though that might be easier said than done. After speaking with Doma about the boy's blood, it was obvious now that he was NOT a pure D, or one of an untainted blood line. The fact that his blood wasn't toxic was proof enough of that.
They would need to determine his tribe (or tribes) of origin back at the citadel.
"We shall consider it once the boy is healthier, yoi." Marco answered, "Thank you for your concern." Katakuri nodded and left them alone, prompting him to follow Law into the infirmary. The human, Luffy, slept soundly in a bed with his arm bandaged up tightly. His skin was pale, and his hair was damp with sweat, but at least he wasn't dying any more.
Though, based on his many other injuries and terrible black eye, he would be in pain for a while.
"Will you help me transfer him to the van?" Law asked, not taking his eyes off the boy.
"Yeah, let's go. I'm tired of this place, yoi."
Luffy groaned as he woke up, slowly becoming aware that he was in something…moving. The vibrations jostled his sore body. The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was that there were a bunch of people surrounding him, seated within reach.
"You're awake." Turning his head, he met Torao's gaze, noting it was tired but pleased.
"W-Where…what-" Luffy broke into a coughing fit that only brought more pain. Torao steadied him and pushed his hair back from his forehead.
"You're in one of our vans. We're about thirty minutes out from Moby."
He blinked and swallowed nervously, glancing around to the other vampires watching closely. Some of them he recognized, like the big one…Bleh…something, and Doma who sat with his monkey perched on his shoulder.
The vampire gave him a small smile and stroked the animal's head methodically.
Another thing he noticed was that there were straps across his body (that was thankfully clothed in a gown of some kind), securing him to a gurney.
Luffy's first instinct was to test the strength of his restraints, only to be stopped by a pale hand coming into his field of vision.
"Don't, yoi. Those are keeping you still…it'll hurt more if we remove them." The one who spoke was a blonde vampire who seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place him. Upon closer inspection, there were all sorts of lines attached to him which he simply didn't have the energy to think about.
"Ne…Torao…" Luffy whispered, rolling his head back to the tattooed doctor who was pushing something into one of his lines, "What's gonna happen to me?"
"Like I told you earlier, we're going to take care of you."
"…but…" He managed, vision becoming blurry and thoughts clouding, "…I d-did a bad thing…the old guy said everybody would b-be hurt…I 'don wanna…hurt any…one…" Luffy didn't hear the answer to his question.
All he heard was garbled voices and hands smoothing his hair again as he fell back into a drug induced sleep.
Sabo paced back and forth across the front steps of the citadel; hands gripped tightly behind his back. He was stressed, really stressed. Law had checked in throughout their journey to re-capture the missing humans and so far, it wasn't going well. Last he heard, most of them were dead and Luffy was missing, possibly kidnapped!
This is why he wanted the kid to stay with him, preferably within reach! There were too many vampires out there who'd want to snatch him up and keep him for themselves. Luffy was too adorable for his own good.
'Based on Law's last communication…' Sabo mused, 'They should be arriving any minute now.'
Just as he thought that, the gates opened and three vehicles drove in, one after the other. Sabo rushed down the steps and met Jozu as he leapt out of the driver's seat.
"Where's Luffy?" He exclaimed, earning a pained expression from the larger vampire. Jozu sighed and motioned with his head towards the back where the double doors were opened, and a gurney was carried out.
Sabo paled as he recognized the small body secured to the padded stretcher, an oxygen mask tight over his face.
"What the hell happened!?" He whispered, fist clenching tighter and tighter as he looked over Luffy's battered face. Law said nothing but reached over to remove the blanket covering the rest of the small human.
Sabo's body went cold.
A bloody stump was all that was left of the boy's right arm, severed above the elbow. It was bandaged tightly, likely Law's handiwork.
"Who…how-"
"Vampires from Upper Yard took him." Law explained while leading the group into the building, Sabo hot on his heels, "We confronted them, but we were too late…it seems, after several botched attempts to remove his tag, they resorted to cutting the whole thing off."
"They stole him knowing full well he was tagged!?"
"Yes. From what we understand, they intended to gift him to a visiting pureblood." Law continued, pushing the door to the infirmary open, "It's been handled. Thankfully, Marco and I were well acquainted with the intended recipient. Now, if you'll give us some space, I need to do a follow up surgery."
Sabo nodded and stepped back, allowing the door to swing closed.
Law remained in the infirmary for many hours after that, hopefully utilizing whatever equipment he had to heal Luffy. The poor thing would be in so much pain when he woke up…
As he waited, Marco came to sit beside him, flipping his hood back. It was odd to see the esteemed vampire dusty and with dried blood on his pants.
"I apologize, yoi." Lord Phoenix said, turning to look at him, "For all our promises, we were only able to recover one human…and he was maimed horribly."
"It's not your fault." Sabo replied, "I for one am just glad Luffy's back where he belongs…and alive." Marco hummed.
"About that, as the acting head of the citadel for another day, you need to decide on the human's punishment. Though, he has already been punished quite a lot throughout this ordeal, yoi."
Sabo nodded, knowing what the other vampire was getting at.
"Yes, I believe solitary confinement will suffice." Though he did want to speak with Law about measures they could take to stop something like this from happening again, with regards to their captured humans and Luffy specifically.
After what felt like forever, Sabo was finally allowed inside to see Luffy. He already looked better than when he'd been taken out of the van but was covered in bandages and lines. It was painful to see someone so small be injured so terribly.
Law informed him that he would transfer Luffy up to one of the tower cells some time that evening, which were reserved for difficult humans. Sabo nodded, mentally pulling up an image of the rooms, having stopped over for a look during his first exploration of the citadel.
From what he understood, they were all empty at the moment.
"We'll put him in a large one, to give him some space." Law said, attaching Luffy's clipboard to the end of the rolling bed, "Feel free to renovate it however you like, Sabo-ya, here's the number."
He wasted no time and immediately rushed to Izo's quarters for aid. Thankfully, the vampire was glad to help and brought along a couple of his assistants. Sabo wanted to have the room ready by the time Luffy was brought up.
It took a while to arrive at their destination as the cell was all the way up in the tower. The door was made of metal and had a small barred window at face level. Sabo huffed and swiftly unlocked it, preparing himself for what he might see inside.
"Well…this could use some work." Izo whispered, examining the dusty yet suitably large room. Sabo hummed in agreement, eyes scanning over the rickety cot (the only piece of furniture in the room) and the two barred windows on either side of the back wall. But, with some work, it would serve their purposes just fine.
"Let's get to work."
Law was exhausted.
It'd taken multiple follow-up procedures, but he'd finally managed to fully stabilize Luffy. He plopped down in a chair next to the still sleeping human, mentally cataloging the medications required and gauze changes he'd need to do over the next few weeks.
If all went as planned, the little human would be functioning somewhat normally in a few weeks.
"We're ready, Captain." Penguin said, followed by Shachi and Jean. It was time to move Luffy up to the tower.
Law knew the boy likely wouldn't like it, being sequestered away from everyone, but it was for the best. It would satisfy the need to punish him and keep him out of contact with anything that could infect his many wounds…or inspire him to try another escape attempt.
The cell itself also had two large windows, which would hopefully keep Luffy from having any panic attacks. Once he was mostly recovered, and had behaved, perhaps they could take him outside again…
It wasn't difficult to lift the stretcher Luffy was on (the kid weighed practically nothing after all) and carry him up into the tower. When they turned the corner to where the cell door was located, Sabo was waiting for them.
"How'd he do?" The pureblood asked.
"I'm optimistic for a full recovery." Law replied, leaning slightly in an attempt to look into the boy's new home, "You've been working for a while, Sabo-ya, what exactly did you do?"
The vampire smiled tiredly and moved aside so they could take Luffy inside. Immediately, Law's eyebrow rose.
It was hard to believe it was a cell with the burgundy drapes and soft carpet covering the stone floor. The cot had been replaced with a good sized bed, one nice enough to belong to any vampire in the citadel. There were about three blankets on the bed and a soft pillow indicating where Luffy's head would go.
The way they'd rearranged it, the bed was framed by the two windows so the human could see outside from anywhere.
On the right wall was a small couch with a quilt and some stuffed animals (obviously made by Izo…how had he made so many in such a short period of time?). Just past the couch was the door into the small bathroom attached to the cell which had been cleaned and updated slightly.
The left side of the room was mostly empty but held a dresser for clothing and extra blankets.
Law wouldn't have believed the cell was made to hold a prisoner if not for the barred door and some chains hanging from the ceiling. Hopefully, they wouldn't need those, but if they did, they'd keep Luffy from reaching the door.
"You spoil him, Sabo-ya."
"I know…" The pureblood said, smiling sheepishly, "What can I say, I've gotten attached to him!"
'You, Ace, and every other vampire in this citadel…' Law mused with a snort as they carefully transferred Luffy onto the bed. The boy was dressed once again in the off-white clothing all humans were required to wear. He would've looked the same as when he'd left if not for the bandages, black eye, and missing limb.
Well…and the distinct lack of his red pendant. After what had almost happened, Law wasn't planning on returning it to Luffy any time soon. Though, he couldn't blame him. The poor thing had been terrified and hadn't seen any other option.
'I'll consider returning it once he's proven himself.' If only because it seemed to mean so much to the little human.
Law adjusted the boy's IV's and bandages as Sabo pulled a blanket over him, looking somewhere between caring and murderous. The pureblood was obviously angry. He sighed, thinking of what would happen when Ace returned, and they came face to face with each other…Luffy would be caught in the middle between two extremely possessive vampires.
'Eustass-ya as well…this should be interesting if nothing else…'
Ace could barely keep himself seated as the van approached the citadel, early morning light shining on his face. He couldn't wait to see Lu again! How had he adjusted to living the stables? Would he be happy to see him? Would his adorable human give him one of his nervous smiles?
Ah, the suspense was killing him!
"You seem happy." Thatch teased, elbowing him in the gut.
"Just ready to sleep in my own bed again…" Ace replied, lying through his teeth with a happy smile on his face. Maybe he should stop by the kitchens and get Lu some more pancakes, he seemed to really like those.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to hang out with Luffy. Kidd had already sent emissaries to the three citadels in their vicinity inviting them to a "welcome banquet" in hopes of having friendly relations, or at least, that's what he claimed.
Ace was pretty sure the pureblood intended to declare his intention to expand their citadel, which probably wouldn't go very well.
The familiar vibrations of the front gates opening drew him back to reality and made him breathe a sigh of relief. He was home.
It didn't take long for all the vampires to pile out of the vehicles and stretch while greeting their friends who'd stayed behind. However, it didn't take long for Ace's smile to drop. Something…wasn't right.
Scanning the courtyard, he immediately noticed that all of the stables had their outdoor portions closed off. That almost never happened unless…
"Kidd." Someone called, a vampire Ace recognized. It was Sabo, their new Second. He wore a dark green kimono and had a serious look on his face. The red-haired Lord turned to face the blonde and smiled immediately hugging him.
"Yo, how'd things go…hey…what's up?" Kidd asked, pulling back with a frown. Right away, Killer was at his side. Sabo bit his lip and whispered something in the other's ear, making his frown deepen. From behind the blonde pureblood came a familiar face that immediately made Ace break into a cold sweat.
Marco.
That's right…he needed to tell him about-
"Ace, yoi." Marco bellowed, making everyone turn to look at him and his stomach drop. His sire didn't look pleased. Had he…figured it out?
'Oh crap, is Lu okay?' Ace thought, swallowing nervously.
"Let's move this to the meeting hall." Kidd growled after delegating something to Killer (who rushed off to coordinate the other returning vampires), "It seems we all need to have a little chat."