AN: Please mind the title of the chapter. It is the warning I will give you before reading this. Note that it is not that gruesome. I tried to tone it down as much as I can.
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Sab woke up with a head-splitting headache. With a dazed look, she looked around and managed to register the unfamiliar grounds. The memories came back to her before waking up in this unknown place. She tugged her arms but felt the metal cuff on her arms restraining her from any excessive movement.
"Look who's awake!" Sab looked up only to see the man smirking at her. "Did you have a nice nap, Blue?" She could only answer him with a glare. "Not so nice, aren't we?"
"Do I have a reason to be nice to you?" She managed to cough up the words, pretending to be strong and unaffected by the drugs they gave her.
"Nuh-uh. I guess not. Your lover was so nice to us, though. He gave us your head, after all. Hahahaha!" The maniac laughter echoed in the room, and Sab only listened to it while gritting her teeth in anger. "You did not see it coming, did you?"
Sab had a lot of questions and doubts. The thought that Kidd betrayed 'Blue' did not fit him well. After all, 'Blue' was compliant with their deals. Kidd was not the type to betray someone just because it would benefit him more. Their relationship as Kidd and Blue was a fair trade. The only reason Sab could think why Kidd handed her over was that he discovered her identity as Sab.
As for how he discovered it, Sab had no idea. She can only deduce but with an unclear conclusion.
"It's time to start spilling some tea, don't you think?" A woman with blonde hair stepped into the room, looking smart with her formal outfit. Her eyes looked cold and cruel with a hint of mocking glance in them. "It was hard to capture you alive. Many agents fell in your hands. We lost count of how much we lost because of you and your damn army." Her tone became harder, emphasizing the tragic losses they suffered at the hands of the Revolutionary Army. "Now, tell me where Dragon is!"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Feigning ignorance will get you nowhere. Tell us now, and perhaps we can spare your life."
Sab burst into uncontrollable laughter, choking at some point as if hearing the most hilarious joke she had ever heard in her life.
"You? Spare my life? How laughable. You never had any intention to spare my life."
"The more you should be afraid. Don't you think this warrants cooperation from you, given that your little life is in our hands?"
"Kalifa, stop wasting your time in negotiating a lost cause. Why don't we get started?"
"Shut your mouth, Jabra."
Hearing their names, Sab immediately realized which Cipher Pol division they belong to. CP9. Given her identity as Blue, she was surprised not to see any members of CP0 or the World Government. The place is scarce of any guards or other Cipher Pol agents which made her think that these two in front of her might have kept her capture a secret.
"Oh, what a pleasure to have CP9 with me. The renowned dogs of CP0." The change in their demeanor proved Sab's initial assumptions. Even in their ranks, there would always be an unavoidable tension. What she needed to do right now was to distract them long enough for her to think of how to escape or enough time for her sisters to find her.
She was not optimistic about the latter since her phone and earbuds were missing. So these two were meticulous enough to remove any GPS tracking device on her.
"Say that again." Jabra was fuming as he stepped within Sab's reach.
"I said you are the dogs of CP0!" Slap! Sab felt her ears ring and her head dizzy at the impact of the slap. Slap! She did not have time to recover when he slapped the other side of her face. She felt her gums bleed, and the copper taste penetrated her tongue. "Ughh!" She groaned in pain when Jabra pulled her hair, forcing her to loop upward. He was pulling it hard enough for her to feel the pain in her muscles.
"You must be tired of living! If you are not going to talk, might as well break you till you wish you were dead! Oh, you cannot imagine what things we could do to you. Let's see how strong your mental fortitude is!" Sab inwardly prepared herself for what was coming.
Ever since she was a child, she and her sisters trained themselves to tolerate pain in case they get captured to be tortured to death. Yet, no matter how many times she steeled herself to receive the pain, it was never enough for her to disregard the electricity Jabra was giving her.
He was using a tool to electrocute Sab. The voltage must be low enough for her to keep herself awake, but it was high enough for her to pain. She gritted her teeth, barely keeping her scream.
Screaming in pain would only give them the satisfaction they wanted, and Sab will never give that to them.
Jabra continued electrocuting her. Often he interrogates her but received no answer. In response to her silence, he continued the torture. The torture of the electricity was not enough, so they prepared a barrel of water.
Kalifa put a collar on her before they dragged her limp body toward the barrel. Even in her hazy state, Sab knew what will happen.
"You will not talk, huh?" Kalifa shoved her face onto the dirty water, letting her struggle for a minute before pulling her head out, letting her catch a few breaths before being shoved back to the water. "Talk!"
"Fuck you!" Once again, Sab found herself in the water. It lasted more than a minute, and she felt suffocated. It was getting harder to think. No matter how many times they ask her, she would never give them the information they needed.
Losing her patience, Kalifa pulled out her whip and started lashing at Sab's back. The thorned whip slashed through her shirt, piercing through her skin. She continued to whip her till she was a whimpering mess.
"If you won't talk, then perhaps we should get your lover to accompany you. We could do the same to him. Or even worse."
"H-Huh. L-Lover? I have no one." Sab might be in this predicament, but she cannot find it in herself to hate Kidd for doing what he did. 'His hatred was too deep. The betrayal left a huge scar on him.' She accepted this a long time ago. There might be no hatred in her heart, but the pain was there. What brought her a sense of comfort was the fact that at least, Kidd would be free of her- a burden - and shall live on with his life. He will never be entangled with the hell of a mess she was in.
"You betrayed him first. Now, he betrayed you. Fools indeed." Jabra said. "Oh, well, if you are not going to talk, might as well let your screams serve as our music, shall we?" Sab cannot guess what he was planning, but his voice told her that it will not be less painful than what they were putting her through.
"AAAHHH!" Sab finally screamed after feeling the stinging pain in her back. Jabra poured salt on her wounds and went as far as rubbing them.
"Shall we use that drug?" Jabra asked Kalifa who was preparing herself to deliver another series of slashes from her thorned whip.
"No. We have to let her taste the pain before killing her. The higher-ups either want her dead or alive. If we cannot get information from her, then neither can they. Better kill her after torturing her all night." Those were the last words Sab heard before feeling her skin go numb from the pain.
They were having fun torturing her till she was nothing but a pathetic mess. It was getting harder for her to keep her consciousness, but in her mind, she savored this feeling of still being alive. If what they said were true, then perhaps she might be dead in no time.
Every whip on her back felt like death flashing before her eyes. Her vision was spinning, and there was nothing but a blurry mess around. Their laughter roared in her ears as he slumped on the cold floor, vaguely feeling the warm red liquid staining the ground. She looked like she was bathed in her blood.
As the pain intensifies, the memories started flashing in her mind. It started with her sisters, then her life with her family before her parents' death, their journey in this god-forsaken revenge, the first time she killed someone, then all the people she killed. One by one, the memories kept coming back and the last one was her memory of that night - the night she lost her twins.
Tears started to fall from her eyes. 'I'm sorry, Ann and Lu. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I'm sorry, Kidd. For everything.'
It's not like she wanted to die, but she knew her situation was hopeless. Her sisters might find her, but she might be dead by then.
With death right before her eyes, regrets started pouring into her heart. She regretted not reaching their revenge. She regrets the death of her babies. She regretted not telling Kidd everything.
'Maybe death is not such a bad thing. I will be with my parents, and I will join my babies in death.' More tears poured out of her eyes. Everything was nothing but a dark silence around her. Sab was about to succumb to that darkness when the place started getting noisier. Shouts from people penetrated her ears, along with gunshots. No matter what she tried, she could not fully open her eyes to assess the situation.
Sab could barely hear someone calling for her. The shout felt like it came from a distance before it started getting louder in her ears.
"Sab!" She looked up, half-lidded eyes caught the sight of a very familiar spiky red hair. "SAB!" The voice roared in her ears, but she had no strength to answer him. Her consciousness was still in that dark state, not realizing the state of everything around her, including the person holding her right now. "SAB! Wake up, damn it!"
'I must be in dreamland to hear his voice. God pities me for even in death, they would let me see the person I've wronged the most.' Sab thought to herself and smiled bitterly. She drew a few short breaths, sobbing as she weakly raised her hand to feel the person in her dream. The warmth coming from his skin made her cry even more.
"K-Kidd... Y-You're here." She sobbed again, feeling relieved that even in her death, she could still see him one last time. Even if he was nothing but a figment of her imagination. "I-I'm sorry... F-For everything."
Then, everything went dark.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Kidd may look calm, but deep inside was in a state of chaos. His emotions were in turmoil after what Killer told him. He did not doubt that his oldest friend would go as far as to lie to him about the pregnancy. Even if it was a lie, he would deal with it in equal punishment as soon as Sab confirms the truth.
They soon arrived at the location pointed by Heat's tracker. As soon as Kidd stepped out of the car, it was like Satan stepped out of hell and walked on Earth. He walked into the building, killing anyone who might get in his way. Surprisingly enough, there were no more than 5 men stationed outside of the old building. He could care less even if there were dozens of them. What was on his mind was to get Sab.
His men quickly assisted him, encircling the building to ensure that whoever was inside would not escape their grasp. Kidd, Killer, and Wire immediately destroyed the door, infiltrating the building. They opened each door they find, and the last door led to the person Kidd was searching for.
The first thing that caught Kidd's eyes was the pliant body of a woman - bloody, injured, and almost lifeless - sprawled on the ground, bathing in her blood. Everything went dark in Kidd's eyes. Nothing mattered anymore but that sheer anger boiling in his heart.
His eyes landed next to the two people pointing their guns at them. The woman was holding a whip stained with blood - Sab's blood. Whatever thread holding Kidd's rationality snapped - broken - at the sight of the two people responsible for Sab's predicament.
Throwing caution to the wind, he ran toward the man and attacked him. He punched him without hesitation till he was a mess. The woman did not manage to save his companion when Killer and Wire were there to subdue her.
Kidd's anger was not easily quenched by throwing a few punches at them. The anger was not directed only at these people but also at himself.
And as he approached Sab with trembling hands, it was like having his heart ripped apart. The state she was in was beyond what he could have imagined. And he did this to her.
He called her name several times, trembling when she did not respond. When she managed to answer his desperate calls, the words only made Kidd's heart feel more pain.
An apology. For everything.
"SAB! Fuck, damn it! Don't you dare apologize and die on me! I won't forgive you! You hear me! I won't forgive you if you die!" He was holding her in his arms, afraid to let go.
"Get the medicine from the car! We need to bring her to the base!" Killer shouted at their men. Sab's injuries might be worse if not treated immediately. Before they could start their treatment, they heard a screeching sound coming from a vehicle outside. "I'll take a look." Killer left Kidd with Wire to check if there were enemies outside. What he witnessed were a few familiar faces pointing their guns at Kidd's crew.
"Killer."
"Strawhat." He greeted back. The tension decreased but none of them lowered their guns.
"Where is Sab?" Hearing the question, Kidd did not need to ask why the Strawhats or Firefist were here.
"She's inside. She needed treatment."
"I'll help her!" One of Strahat's members - Dr. Chopper - raised his hand and brought a box full of medical supplies. He ignored the guns pointing at him as he ran into the building.
"Lower your guns." The other members of the group did not need to be told twice. Strawhats and Firefist followed suit.
Firefist stepped in front of Killer with murderous eyes.
"If anything happens to her, I will murder your leader." It's not like Killer needs that reminder. But that threat reassured him that these people were not here to kill Sab.
Strawhat, Firefist, and Killer went inside while the rest remained on guard outside the building. They stepped into the room only to witness Kidd pointing his gun at Chopper while still clutching Sab's body against his.
"Kidd!" Killer shouted. "Sab needs to be treated. He is here to help." That brought Kidd to his senses. His crazy state worried Killer and Wire. He resembled a wild animal pushed against a wall, fighting for the survival of his mate.
Seeing the sincerity in Chopper's eyes, Kidd reluctantly allowed him to treat Sab, but his vigilance remained steady while scanning the others for possible threats. Such actions left Ann with distaste. She was about to give Kidd a piece of her mind when Luffia stepped in.
Chopper's treatment continued, and they were kicked out of the room. The silence and tension remained heavily in the air.
"How did you find this place?" It was Zoro who broke the silence, directing the question at Kidd and his men. He still wore a mask to hide his face, making Killer curious when the Strawhats acquired a new member. Kidd did not bother to answer him, still distracted by his worries.
"Heat attached a GPS into one of the vehicles used by CP9," Killer answered.
"Was this part of the plot that you would use Sab as your bait to get the CP9?!" Firefist raised her voice. Her mask had long since been removed which startled Killer and the others upon seeing such a beautiful face up close. They were aware of the hearsays in the streets about Firefist's identity, but none of them made any effort to pay close attention to it. Kidd might not think too much about it, but Killer would.
Three vigilantes masking their faces. Firefist, Blue, and Strawhat. If both Blue and Firefist were women, Strawhat might be the same.
"It was not," Killer answered, then looked at Kidd whose eyes remained glued to the door where Sab and Chopper were.
"Is that so? He sold her to the Cipher Pol. He has a lot of nerve showing his face her." The glare Kidd directed at Ann might be deadly but it did nothing to faze her. She glared back with a fierceness that matched his. In the end, he relinquished by looking down. His silence only infuriated Ann.
"You - "
"Ann, come here." Luffia dragged her sister away from them, bringing her somewhere else.
"What?!" Ann brashly retracted her arm from Luffia's firm hold, unsatisfied with her sister's interference.
"Take it easy, okay?"
"Take it easy?! He sold her out! He did this! And now - "
"And he saved her back. Had we been too late, Sab would have been dead."
"And it will be his fault!" Ann argued back only for Luffia to shake her head at the eldest.
"He probably saved her because he knew the truth."
"It doesn't matter!"
"It matters Ann. Had you been in his situation, what do you think you would do? It was probably a lot to take in all at once."
"Why do I care about him, anyway?!" Ann's anger blinded her from seeing the whole picture which Luffia was trying to desperately present.
"He probably just found out everything. Everything. Including the twins." The mention of Sab's babies woke Ann from her rage. She stole a glance at Kidd not far away from where they are, still lost in his thoughts. "We are not in the position to say anything to him or to do about his situation with Sab. You know that better than anyone else." The complicated situation cannot easily be mended. Ann knew that no matter what happened today, Kidd was not entirely to be blamed for his actions. He was blindly following his anger that Sab never remedied.
The chain of decisions and events led to their predicament now. Only those directly involved can amend it. Only Sab can decide on this situation. All they needed to do was wait for her to recover.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
After Chopper said that Sab was stable, they decided to vacate the place and bring her somewhere safe. Ann refused to let Kidd bring her to the base which sparked another heated argument. In the end, the consensus was to bring Sab into the Strawhats' base as long as Kidd, Killer, and Wire will tag along.
The dead Cipher Pol members were buried with the building they set on fire. The two other members, Kalifa and Jabra, were brought along for an interrogation.
Sab's body went into shock because of the torture she went through. Chopper said she might be out of commission for the next few hours and advised them not to stress her too much.
8 hours. That was how long Sab slept. She woke up seeing her sisters with her as well as Chopper who was quick to check on her condition.
"Your injuries are not quite deep, but you cannot strain your body too much. The electric shock you went through still affected your body." Sab smiled at Chopper and thanked him for saving her. He left the room and let the sisters be for now.
"How do you feel?" Ann asked.
"Groggy. A little dizzy but I've had the worst. What happened to the Cipher Pol?"
"The others were dead. We had the other two kept in the basement for interrogation. You might want to do the honors." Ann casually shrugged. Had it been her, she would have killed them by now if not for the torture they put Sab through. A painless death is the least they deserve.
"Once I am better. Just make sure they are alive."
"We cannot guarantee that," Luffia said, munching banana chips casually. "Someone's been torturing them."
"Who?" Sab cannot think of anyone from the Strawhats who liked to torture during interrogation except Robin. But even so, it was never Luffia's style to torture enemies. She was straightforward after all.
"Kidd," Luffia answered while staring at Sab, whose eyes widened at the mention of his name. She vaguely remembered seeing him during his delirious moments, but she thought it was just a fragment of her dreams.
"He's here?"
"He was the one who saved you. He arrived earlier than we did and they killed all the Cipher Pol members except for the two ring leaders."
Realization dawned on Sab. If Kidd was here, does that mean he knew the truth?
Seeing the panic on Sab's face, Ann rolled her eyes at her.
"You have to decide on what to do next. If you asked me, I would send him to hell for doing that - "
"Ann. That's not nice." Luffia interrupted.
"- BUT!" Ann continued, sighing. "Telling him the truth is inevitable."
"Which truth?" Sab sarcastically asked. Should she start with who she was?
"That's up to you," Luffia said. "You should have seen what he looked like when he was holding you." What Luffia witnessed was beyond what she imagined. She knew Kidd's reputation in the streets. He was ruthless and decisive to his enemies. But when he was holding Sab's injured body, she knew what he felt was genuine. He cared for Sab more than anything. That was enough for Luffia.
"Are you ready to face him?" Ann's question made Sab smile with hesitance.
"Do I have a choice?"
"We could always kick him out of here." That was a tempting offer from Ann, yet Sab knew this was inevitable. She had always been running away from him. This time, she needed to face him even if it meant revealing the painful truth.
"Send him in."
"Alright." Ann stood up from her seat, acknowledging her sister's bravery in facing this head-on. "We will be outside the room when you need us."
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Kidd was blankly staring at the screaming figure of Jabra and Kalifa, unbothered by the hateful gazes thrown at him.
The basement was filled with guns and a few vehicle supplies. It was not a torture room like the one they used on Sab. Kidd had to improvise to ensure that these two would feel the pain.
The Cipher Pol agents were hanged on the ceiling using a metal cuff on their hands. Their hands were raised, being pulled apart by the hold of the cuff and the heaviness of their body. They looked like pigs waiting to be slaughtered.
"Are you not going to talk?" The threat in Kidd's voice made the room feel heavier. The two Cipher Pol agents cursed at him, still refusing to provide him any information. With another refusal comes another punishment. The redhead looked around and found a toolbox nearby. The adjustable wrench caught his eye. He waved the tool in the air while staring at Jabra.
"I am not scared of you!" He shouted. His eyes traveled between Kidd's nonchalant eyes and the adjustable wrench in his hand.
"Okay. If you say so."
"Kidd, keep them alive, will you?" Killer was at his back, warning his leader not to take it too far.
"I know. I just needed him to have a taste of his medicine." That was the only warning Kidd gave to Jabra before taking off the latter's shoes and socks. He placed the toe into the wrench and with a quick snap of his hand, the man screamed in pain. Kidd did not even flinch even after seeing the broken toe. The blood dripped from the wound, staining the ground red. It was not enough. He needed them to feel more pain. One toe followed the other till all toes of his left foot were broken.
He did the same with the other woman. It did not matter if she was a woman or a man. What Kidd knew was they hurt Sab.
Even after all that pain, they refused to talk. Seems like the World Government trained them well to endure torture.
Since that is the case, Kidd took out a bucket filled with salt he stole from Strawhat's kitchen and dipped the Cipher Pol Agents' wounds in them.
"You used the same method on her, right? Now, taste this." The screams got louder, making Killer wince from the volume. Kidd would have continued if not for Ann's presence.
"Keep them alive for Sab, will you? And she's awake. You can go now."
Kidd immediately left the basement to see Sab. Now is the time he had been waiting for. It was time to hear from her about everything.