A longer update for you guys and in a timely fashion! I hope you all enjoy!
I glance around worriedly not at all certain of where exactly I'm supposed to go that Zoro will be able to find me. I end up at the train station. Which as it would turn out was a very big mistake. There are a large number of Marine grunts running around, a few higher ups, and then some Cipher Pol Agents. I feel my chest contract and my breathing becomes uneven as I attempt to walk away unnoticed.
"Stop," I hear a voice so in my direction, shaking I top walking and slowly turn around. I wish I hadn't immediately; the anxiety that seems to pop up immediately following seeing government officials or marines intensifies. The man stopping is some government agent, he doesn't look particularly highly ranked, not that it really means anything. "Well you look oddly familiar, and if you look familiar that must mean you've done something notable to be noticed." He claims cornering me against a wall, stepping closer he inspects me, looking down I try to even my breathing.
I shake my head trying to hold back my obvious fear. "I j-j-just got into town." I mumble stuttering as I refuse to make eye contact. In these sorts of situations the training I got to be the perfect slave comes back at full force.
"Never look someone in the eye, you're not worthy enough of this, do as you're told the first time, and remember they mean more than you do, you're a lowly slave with no importance." The most important things listed off to me by the Trainers.
"Sir, why don't you have a look at this girl?" The man calls to another, only this time it isn't some faceless agent or marine, this guy has a rank.
I feel my body tremble even more violently. "Azure Azami, wanted for desertion." He says as soon as he looks at my face. "Devil Fruit user, logia, cuff her." The captain says with a dull expression. "I'm sure Saint Edward would like to know she'll be returning." Breathing heavily I attempt to pull away, as I try this the cuffs are slapped onto my wrists, the mark on my back screaming and burning as this captain forces me around. Ripping my shirt just enough to see the tip of the mark. "All the proof we need is right here." He says shoving me on the ground, looking up at him I feel the fear of these last two years intensifying, tucking the key in his pocket he turns and walks away. "Put her in the baggage cart, she'll be right at home." He says dismissively.
"Yes Captain," A few grunts say as they roughly pick me up and pull be along between them. I trip over my feet from nerves. Both men let me fall to the ground and give me irritated looks as I look up at them.
I'm roughly picked up off the ground, and then shoved in the direction of the cargo hold. "Don't get too comfortable, I'm sure Saint Edward will have a rather warm celebration at your reception." Another man says spitefully as he watches me fall onto the floor, shutting the door I hear a satisfied chuckle.
I feel like time has gone back to when my family and I were first captured, only this time it's worse. I'm alone and I know what to expect by the time I'm returned. I'm being dragged along and my body isn't even trying to resist. Returning back to Mariejois seems imminent, returning to the hellish life for sure, and worst of all I can't bring myself to even attempt to get away.
Scraping my knees as I'm pushed into the dark room, pushing myself up I move to sit against the wall, I know what will happen when I return, Saint Edward will either rejoice that his favorite slave is being returned or he'll kill me on the spot and no one will care. The terrible part isn't being forced back into slavery, yeah it's bad, but the really horrible part is I was happy traveling, a bit uneasy, but I was happy. Straw Hats, crazy, wild, and fun; nothing exactly like the rumors. They made me feel welcomed, they saved me from that crazy Count when they hardly even knew me, and I was starting to feel at ease with them, despite the nightmares and lack of sleep, it was all so much fun.
I sit in the dark for a long time, the train rolls slightly with the water, I can feel the wind rocking the cart aggressively, and the sounds outside of the cart seem to have completely disappeared. A lot of me wants to scream for help, but the part of me that is so afraid of no one coming scares me more than anything is winning out. After what seems like ages another two things are tossed in roughly, and they're loud. Pushing myself even further against the wall I clamp my eyes shut, I don't want to be found like this, not by anyone, of course this all is in vain seeing as I can't just meld with a wall.
"Oi, who are you? Girl what are you doing back here?" A voice calls over to me after a few moments. "Oi, are you going to answer?" He asks a bit louder.
I look over hoping it's another strange with whoever is talking, this is quickly shattered as I look over. "Azami, what are you doing here?" Usopp asks shocked. "Why aren't you with Zoro?" He asks alarmed.
I shake my head and let out a sigh, hating just how easily the things I learned in my years as a slave come back to me. In my mind I run over the list again and again, don't make eye contact, don't object, don't correct, do as you're told by anyone, your master's commands are the ones that matter most, and react as they'd want you to. "It doesn't matter." I mutter quietly feeling even more sure that there isn't anything I can do to change where I'm going.
As the train lurches forward I topple over, getting another cut on my arm and shoulder from the rough fall, getting up I feel the cuffs tight against my wrists grate into me, ignoring the pain I stand up. "Where are you going? How did you get caught?" Usopp asks as I sit against the wall of the cargo hold. "Azami, are you alright?" He asks me finally.
I shake my head fighting back the fear in me. The easiest way to deal with the resentment, fear, pain and everything is to lock it away. "Hell, I'm going back to the last place anyone should go." I say quietly as I lean my head back against the wall. I close my eyes and try to prepare myself for what will happen upon being returned like a lost dog, the kind that you send into fights and treat like nothing, the kind that gets beaten into submission.
For a few moments the three of us sit in silence, it isn't until a door is kicked down that I look up surprised. "Azami-chan?" Sanji asks completely shocked by me being here. He ignores Usopp and the strange man with him as he kneels in front of me. "What are you doing here? I'll save you and Robin-chwan!" He declares while taking my hands. I pull them away and look away from the blonde chef, "Azami-chan, what happened?" He asks full of concern.
"She says she's going back to Hell." The other guy butts in, to which Sanji takes notice to him for the first time and kicks him in the face and hard. "What was that for?!" The other guy yells sitting up and glaring at the chef.
"No reason." Sanji says while lighting a cigarette. The whole thing goes on for a while until Usopp convinces Sanji of Franky's, the nearly naked, good nature. "Azami, we're escaping, I'll carry you." Shaking my head I stay seated and against the wall. "I'll protect you in place of that block head." He says seriously. "I promise." This I hate, the constant revival of hope, I wish I could just keep it going, but a piece of me is wary that Sanji or even Zoro is capable of really saving me.
I shake my head as I try to work up the nerve to go with them. "You can't look at my back, no one can." I tell him quietly. "I would rather die or go back than have anyone see it." I tell him seriously as that dangerous and prickly feeling of hope pushing up inside of me. "No one can see it." I whisper while standing.
Sanji nods his head and holds his arms open for me; gradually I work the courage stride over to the blonde chef. "You're safe." He says simply as he turns around and pulls my chained arms around his neck. "Do your best to hold on." He commands, exiting through the rear door he easily jumps up and lands on the top of the car.
Untangling ourselves I sit in the middle desperately trying to hold on, the cuffs are making things extremely difficult. Of course the rain pouring down on us is making me very aware of my back, the fabric of my shirt feels far too thin, far too ripped open, far too revealing. Breathing heavily I look at the three others, one now masked, all looking as though they're planning something, though Sanji looks back at me warily. "What?" I ask nervously hating the cuffs on my wrists, wanting nothing more than to have a jacket.
As though reading my mind Sanji hands me his jacket, tying the garment around my neck so that my back is mostly covered. "The kairoseki handcuffs complicate things. Azami-chan, do you think you can run over the rooftops?" Sanji asks me seriously; though it isn't like I have much of a choice at this point, but eventually we're run out of train carriages to run on top of.
"I can, though you do realize eventually there won't be a cart to run on to." I ask him looking forward, the limited places for us to go, though I still need to find that captain and get the key. "I'll need to find the key for these." I say raising my wrists up, if I can't do this myself I don't think I have any business looking for my freedom, at least that sounds like something Zoro would say. Standing up I try to ignore the nervous feeling bubbling up inside me, the fear and everything seems to die down some. "I'll do that by myself." I tell the three of them earnestly.
"The others are on their way too." Sanji says carefully. "Will you be alright by yourself? These guys aren't the type to mess around Azami-chan." He's looking at me worriedly. "I know that you can stand your own, but that's only in practice."
I nod my head. "I'll be fine." I tell him simply. "I'll slip into the cart unnoticed, get the key, and then meet up with you guys." I tell Sanji as I take a deep breath. The rain makes this a bit difficult on me, I feel even more sluggish, but it isn't something I'm going to say to Sanji or Usopp. "If I can't do this then I don't have any business attempting to get my freedom." I say sure of my resolution.
Sanji nods his head at me. "I'll ease you down to one of the carts then." He says as we both walk to the edge of the next carriage. "Be careful, and remember we are getting out of this all together." He says to me and even glancing over at Usopp.
I nod my head as we both ease me down between the two carriages. Dropping to the ground I peer into train, I see that both carts are filled with low level Marines and government agents. Opting to go back over I get back up and run along the top of the cart, Sanji, Usopp and Franky have already moved on, jumping down and keep my balance I peer into this next cart, I quickly find the Marine Captain in this cart.
Taking a deep breath, I pull the door open and get the attention of everyone, twenty five low level Marines and the Marine Captain all stare at me. The Captain looks at me with amusement. The first thing I have to do is get all the transponder snails. As a Marine pulls one out I close my eyes and run at him, keeping in mind the rood I jump up and kick him in face, landing on his chest I open my eyes to see all eyes on me and myself in the middle of them all. Kicking the snail up to my hands I hook the snail awkwardly onto my hip. "Azami you're quite brazen. I was told you were conditioned to be catatonic without Saint Edward near." He says sitting relaxed and watching me with a twisted smirk. "I wonder how long you can last; you only won all your mêlées before because of your devil fruit."
As he waves his hands up the men move closer to me, taking a deep breath I think about what Zoro had said: they're not Marines, they aren't good people; it is okay to fight back. Dodging the attacks I ignore the flooding memories of my 'mêlées', they were just fights or combat practice like with Zoro and Sanji. Those were life-and-death situations, like fighting in a coliseum to live; I have more blood on my hands than these Marines.
It isn't about that though, this is about getting that key, I don't have to kill them, and in fact it'd be preferable to keep them alive. I've just been avoiding, looking around I notice the numerous openings I have, taking them I kick a few more while twisting on my chained hands, it hurts, but it's getting the job done. Flipping back I make my move towards the captain, landing in front of him I drop to the ground avoiding the sword being swung at me, quickly I slip my hand in his pocket, feeling the cold metal like substance I grasp my fingers around it. In an instant I'm jumping back with said key in hand. Grabbing it with my mouth I jam it into the lock, twisting it and avoiding attacks I feel them clank to the floor.
"Out of the way," The captain yells enraged, realizing that odds have now changed to my favor drastically. "A slave should do as they are told." He says menacingly, holding a sword up at me he glares. "Now I'd hate to tell Saint Edward why you're missing your head." He says charging at me.
Slicing me in half I turn to face him and send a kick at his head, throwing a wall up to prevent him from flying off the cart I stare at his now bleeding face. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that, right now you need to worry about me not being afraid of fighting you." I say standing tall and melding my body back together. Everything becomes a bit hazy, but looking around at all the unconscious, and one or two dead I'm climbing out of the cart and flying above the carts, sending bits of mist in I feel around for Sanji, Franky, Usopp or even Robin, as I fly closer to engine of the train upon entering the third cart I see Robin being taken through a doorway that should not exist, but does.
I fall in line next to Sanji and Usopp, turning to look at them completely baffled by the now sealed and non-existent door. "What was that?" I ask them staring at the space where the door closed with Robin disappearing through it.
"A door." Is all they say, for a few moments we're all too stunned to really say or do anything, then again these last couple of days have been crazy, more than what I'm used to.