Title: What are the Odds?
Summary: For denizens of the Territories, life is generally pretty good. Provided of course that one is able and willing to conform to the rules imposed by whomever is in the charge of the area. However when the World Collective, a group of allied territories, declares that they are resuming hunts for people who seem to have the Devils own abilities, life becomes very complicated very quickly.
Pairings: Marco/Ace.
Warnings: AU, Language, canon-typical violence, possible Out of Character moments, too many characters, OC's galore, implied sexual content, slow burn, mentions of non consensual drug use.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I simply play with them for my, and your amusement.
Authors Note: This was beta'ed by the magnificent Ktwontwo and the artwork that you see in the cover is by Idaida on tumblr. Yall can find a much larger and better version of the magnificent stupendously phenomenal picture here! post/143364258999/one-piece-big-bang-2016-what-are-the-odds.
Chapter 12: Whichever Way the Winds Blow
Ace hummed contentedly as he gazed out over the scrub desert he currently called home. It wasn't a sight he normally took much notice of but after being cooped up for two full days due to the start of Flashflame, being able to go outside for any amount of time was a blessing, and one he was going to take advantage of.
When it came to the differences between living in any of the territories or the Border it was often the weather more than anything else that was the deciding factor. If you didn't like the leader of the territory you lived in, more often than not you could leave. If you didn't like your neighbors you could move. This was not the case in the Border. In the Border, the forces of nature ran wild uncaring and unheeding of those who lived within it. Creatures and people alike either adapted or didn't. The lucky ones realized early that they were unable to survive the harsh conditions and left. Those who didn't died. It was that simple.
Unfortunately there was no real adapting to what occurred during Flashflame however. Unlike the weather in other areas, in Outskirts and the rest of the scrub desert that made up this stretch of the border, Flashflame was a highly irregular weather phenomenon as it was tied to the life cycle of a plant called the Cindicone.
For something that sparked an inferno every time it needed to propagate, the cindicone was a rather unassuming little thing. For most of the year it simply grew peacefully in patches, the ivy like leaves spreading haphazardly over the desert floor. The plants bloomed at random times, sending a sprinkling of small white four petaled flowers across the desert. As time passed, the white would eventually darken into a dark blue. The change in color was the indicator that trouble would be soon to follow. The darker the color, the riper the plant and the closer it was to producing a seedpod.
It was the seedpods that were source of Flashflame. The little maroon pineconeesque structures that eventually pushed past wilted dark blue petals were tightly sealed with a pale pink waxy coat which was highly flamable. That coat, for no discernable reason would occasionally stick around for weeks without releasing the seeds trapped behind it. Other times, it would scarcely last a full half chime before exploding in a fiery burst sending the next generation of seeds on their way. Once the first one in an area went off, it inevitably started a chain reaction that set the entire desert aflame. When things really got going the desert would burn for days on end. The large flames, noxious smell and thick smoke that the cindicone germination fires produced often shut down this entire section of the Border. Despite how boring it was, the residents of the area had long learned that the best way to handle this natural phenomenon was to simply wait it out in buildings designed to handle the intense heat and flames.
Ace took a sip from the mug of tea that he had brought outside with him. He absentmindedly scanned the scenery again looking to see if he could identify the cause of this reprieve. A small part of him was hoping that they'd just had an abnormally short Flashflame this year but the slightly dusty, sweet smoky smell that still permeated the air had him thinking that such a thing was highly unlikely. No the pause in the firestorm was more likely something else: lack of dry fuel, unripe cindicones, a user playing with the weather or maybe even the possibility of an out of season rainstorm.
A gust of wind ruffled Ace's hair indicating the most plausible explanation for what was currently occurring. Occasionally the wind would pick up and blow with enough force in the proper direction to beat back the flames and smoke. The end result was a bit of a reprieve. Unfortunately the minute the wind dropped or switched direction then the fires would return with a vengeance.
A new scent wafted by on the wind and Ace turned his head hoping that it didn't mean what he thought it did. No such luck. The new smell was vaguely reminiscent of rubbing alcohol, earth and ozone. Coupled with the fact that the wind was now picking up rather rapidly and the smell was increasing along with it, Ace started scanning the horizon paying special attention in the direction of the Agvitatmaa Mesa. There were a lot of good things that came out of Whitebeard's territory but favorable weather was not one of them. The residents of Outskirts tended to look that way first whenever bad weather appeared to be pending. "Lucky Bastards" Ace thought to himself as he continued to search the horizon for signs of whatever was coming. The mesa itself was too high for any of the more unfavorable weather patterns to wreak havoc on the city. No the nastiest weather tended to go around the sides of the mesa leaving the residents up there with a view reminiscent of a ship at sea.
Given the increase in the wind and the smell, Ace thought that they just might get one of the toxic dust storms that occasionally ran through the area. These storms, commonly called Dustblow, were one of the more mild weather patterns that the Border experienced. Loose sand and toxic dust picked up from the Sea of Dunes on the other side of the mesa were entrained in strong winds then funneled through the natural wind tunnel formed by the band of mesas at the edge of the desert, of which Agvitamaa was one. The end result was a short lived dust storm that blasted out all over the Border and the Abyss. A Dustblow occurring during Flashflame wasn't too unusual. Generally all that it meant was that there would be embers and ash flying alongside all of the dust. This tended to not be a terribly big problem as all the buildings in the border were constructed to resist these very conditions.
Of course the other potential weather phenomena would be Firefall. Firefall was a bit more uncommon than Dustblow but it was still not entirely unheard of. Firefall was when the rain caught fire. Unlike a Dustblow, Firefall only happened when Flashflame was occurring. No one really knew whether the cindicone explosions caught the rain on fire or if the rain ended up catching fire from some other reason but whatever the cause rain certainly didn't catch fire any other time of the year. Firefall was annoying and slightly more dangerous due to the random explosions that it caused as the burning rain interacted with the cindicones but it was nothing that they couldn't handle.
Unfortunately what Ace sighted behind the mesa was neither of these. It was much, much worse. What appeared to be a solid purple red wall topped with greenish clouds covered the horizon, stretching as far as the eye could see. The slowly rising sun cast an ominous red light across the desert, darkening the color of an abnormally large Dustblow on one side of the mesa to that of old blood. A flash of light from within the wall was the next thing to snag Ace's attention as he followed the jagged path of lightning back to the grey green clouds that were its source. This monstrosity was a Mudmist; an obnoxious combination of a rainstorm and Dustblow. The rain, along with being alarmingly viscous also tended to be highly poisonous when mixed with the sands a Dustblow carried.
A sudden shift in the wind drew Ace's attention away from the oncoming Storm and back out towards the desert that he called home. He knew what that meant. The Flashflame was about to resume and Ace couldn't help but stand in shock as he realized what exactly he was witnessing.
This wasn't just going to be Mudmist. The storm was going to be blown right over the Flashflame which meant that they were in for a Hubloo. A Hubloo was what happened when the Firefall, Dustblow and Flashflame all combined into one cataclysmic event. Ace had only heard of such things in stories that the older regulars liked to tell. He'd never experienced one for himself. They were incredibly rare and incredibly dangerous. Animals would attempt to outrun them or hunker down in their deepest burrows and hope that the storm passed by quickly. It was a rare plant that didn't burn down to the roots. In short, anything or anyone outside in Hubloo was toast, burnt toast to be precise.
Ace ran around to the other side of the building to see if anyone other than him was outside at the moment. The wind was picking up and the Hubloo would be upon them quickly. He was lucky. No one else was up this early in the morning. For goodness sake the sun hadn't even completely ascended into the sky. Instead it hung low, just over the horizon, painting everything not in the storm in a golden orange light.
Ace paused for a second to stare at it. He had known somewhere in the depths of his mind that it was early, but he hadn't realized it was quite this early. No wonder no one else was up. Normally he wouldn't be either but the Flashflame had messed with his ability to stick to the schedule that helped keep his narcolepsy in check. That coupled with the strong emotions that he had been feeling since the foray to Blackbeard's compound had been causing him to fall asleep at random times. That in turn had the unfortunate side effect of triggering the insomnia that often accompanied his condition.
It wasn't as if he could help the emotions though, Ace thought as he turned back to judge how long he had before the storm hit Outskirts. It was a vicious cycle. Ace kept imagining the worst-case scenario of what happened to Marco in the compound before having to remind himself that the Phoenix had been in the building. He had seen the bird and its two passengers. If the rumors about Whitebeard and the Phoenix were true then the Phoenix was one of the three commanders in the building when it collapsed and it rescued the two others. Unfortunately even that thought didn't always help Ace's emotional state because it was possible that Marco had still gotten injured when the building collapsed. What was even worse was that Ace knew he was not likely to find out if Marco had been injured or even worse perished any time soon. It wasn't as if anyone would care that Marco had made friends with a man who simply ran a sandwich shop. Besides no one other than Sabo knew for certain that Ace actually liked the guy.
Ace looked back at the storm. The winds were accelerating and the leading edge of the Mudmist had cleared the mesa. If he was reading the weather patterns correctly it would hit the Flashflame area and merge soon. That meant it would probably hit Outskirts within the next few minutes. He glanced at the road. There was an indistinct figure heading in the direction of the town. The figure wasn't moving slowly but it was clear that whomever it was hadn't realized that the storm was right behind them.
Ace peered at the figure and his heart nearly burst out of his chest as he recognized a familiar mop of blond hair. Marco was alive. He was alive and well and probably had come to demand answers to why Marie had been in the compound that he had destroyed but all of that could wait. Marco was all right. Ace sighed in relief then realized with a sudden shock that Marco was simply ambling along road, making no motion to hurry to shelter. Did he even know how much danger he was in? Probably not, if his reaction to Ace's warning about the weather the night Sabo came home was genuine.
Shit. Oh shit, shit, shit! Why did things like this have to keep happening?
To make matters worse Ace calculated that Marco would have barely enough time to make it to the Bar before the storm hit. Even that was entirely dependent upon how quickly he moved and only if he started running now. Ace would only get one chance at this.
Leaning out over the railing as far as he dared, Ace took in a large breath and yelled as loud as he was capable of doing so "MARCO! RUN!"
Ace couldn't breathe for a moment. Marco had noticed him yelling and instead of running like any sane person he just had to turn around and look. Of course he froze when he saw what he was supposed to be running from. Ace almost screamed with frustration. Thankfully for Ace's peace of mind Marco didn't freeze for long. He'd quickly assessed the situation and then taken off like a bat out of hell heading for Outskirts. Ace almost couldn't bear to watch but he couldn't make himself leave his position either. He thought he had lost the other man before he had ever managed to tell him how he felt and now he was faced with the possibility that he might lose Marco once again.
As Ace watched helplessly Marco practically flew down the road. He was going fast but Ace wasn't sure that it would be enough. He took another glance at the sky and swore. Earlier, one had been able to clearly see the sun slowly rising over the horizon between the line of rising smoke where the Flashflame currently was and the monstrous shifting purple grey green wall of sand and cloud that marked where Firefall and Dustblow were mixing into Mudmist. It had been rather pretty in an odd sort of way with the fire and smoke on one side, cloud and dust on the other framing the sun. This was no longer the case. The smoke and dust had now met and as Ace watched in horror, a brilliant flash lit up the desert as a massive pillar of flame shot up with a reverberating crash. The three natural disasters clashed as if they were fighting. The explosion seemed to spark something in the areas that had yet to mix. The Flashflame flared on its side and rushed forward with a renewed vigor while winds howled and pushed the Firefall and Dustblow forward, rapidly accelerating the formation of the Hubloo. Within moments the whole thing would become a cataclysm of epic proportions.
Ace looked down the road his heart in his throat. Despite Marco's incredible speed the storm was quickly closing the distance. In fact the storm was moving so fast Ace couldn't stay out here anymore. He needed to close up the few shutters he'd opened when Flashflame had subsided then get downstairs. Marco in all probability would need help getting inside. The seconds that it would take for him to deal with the heavy outside door on his own could very well be the difference between life and death.
Ace raced inside barely remembering to latch the balcony door and engage the shutters behind him. He raced through the apartment's living room and dove for the stairwell that led down into the bar proper. The sound of several something's hitting the building had Ace frantically increase his speed. He ended up vaulting down the stairs taking them three and four at a time. Ace was in such a hurry that he misjudged the turn in stairwell and he crashed into it with a resounding thud.
"Shit!" He muttered to himself as he pushed away from the wall and rushed down the rest of the stairs this time almost running face first into the door between the inner stair and the bar.
He could hear the hissing sound that indicated the leading edge of the Mudmist had made it to Outskirts. The main force of the Hubloo would be close behind. The hissing and scratching sound intensified mixed with the crackle of electricity and a thunderclap that rocked the building on its foundations. He didn't hear what he was listening for. There was no slamming of a door to let him know if Marco had managed to make it inside.
Ace felt the familiar feelings of worry and despair start to stir once again. As he struggled with the door into the bar a muffled thwump echoed through the building causing the windows to rattle in their frames behind the closed protective shutters. Ace knew that sound. That was the sound of the extremely flammable rain igniting. His steps faltered just as he reached the door at the bottom of the staircase. The Hubloo had reached the Outskirts and he still had no clue if Marco had made it inside or not.
Snippets of regrets and things he never had said, never even knew he had wanted to say fluttered around in Ace's head. Frustration and anger at his own incompetence in handling emotions surged through him to join the ocean of torment he was currently trying not to drown in. Why couldn't he get the damn door into the bar open? Why was he so incompetent when it came to feelings? If he had bothered to figure this shit out earlier then maybe, just maybe, he could have told Marco earlier. And now the other man was in all likelihood dead for the second time in a week.
Ace shook his head as if to forcefully dislodge that thought. He didn't know that Marco was dead, not for sure. There was still a chance. Not a large one, but one that he was going to cling to if it kept him afloat. A small part of his mind piped up and Ace shoved the thought away before he could even finish it. Nothing good ever came out of that corner of his mind. Why was this happening now? All he wanted to do was get the damn door open. He didn't have time for this. He needed to know what had happened. Despite his churning emotions and turbulent thoughts, Ace kept struggling with the door. Finally managing to get the latch up, Ace seized that small piece of hope with everything he had and nearly wrenched the door off its hinges.
AN: Hello my faithful readers! And Hi to the people who are just finding this. I decided to move the entirety of the AN down here for a change. Also yeah, yall get another clifhanger. Sorry. I do hope the made up science and weather patterns did not detract from the chapter. They're important. Anyways, please let me know what you all think! I cant wait to hear from you guys!