Chapter 12

"I need to get into contact with Whitebeard," Ace said. "He's the next step - I'm sure he knows everything that I haven't remembered yet." Sabo nodded.

"Of course. Unfortunately, Whitebeard seems to have moved position - possibly as a result of your supposed death. I don't have any intel on his new location yet. If you give me a few days, I can probably find it."

"Weren't the revolutionaries keeping tabs on him?" Ace asked. Sabo shrugged.

"If they were, I was only vaguely informed about it. I know a lot, but there are some tasks they don't deem important enough to give me detailed reports about."

"Makes sense. So I need to find him."

"If you just wait -"

"Have I ever been one for patience?"

"Touché," Sabo conceded. Both young men took a second to revel in the fact that they could now say things like that and mean them before returning to the task at hand. "I'll look around. With my network, I'll likely find him before you do."

"Maybe," Ace replied. He thought about the people he'd been in contact with lately - Kid, Luffy, and Law - and mused that maybe his "network" wasn't half bad. Then again, he wanted to punch Law in the face more than he wanted to ask the guy questions. But that was a matter for another time.

"Why don't you just go to Shanks?" Luffy asked. Ace glanced at him, one eyebrow going up. Luffy had just been playing around with a 3D puzzle the entire discussion while sitting upside-down on the couch. Neither Ace nor Sabo had expected him to take any real interest in the discussion. Upon seeing their gazes, Luffy momentarily stopped fiddling with the puzzle. "Shanks would know, wouldn't he? He and the mustache guy drink sometimes."

Understanding dawned on Ace. "Right, you sometimes work at the bar that Shanks hangs out at."

"Yeah."

"That would probably work," Sabo mused. "You would think that the most powerful men in the city would keep tabs on each other to make sure they're not threats to each other."

"They're drinking buddies," Luffy supplied. Sabo sighed.

"Right. The more powerful, the less logical."

"Oh, by the way," Ace said, turning to Luffy. "Do you know what happened to Dadan?"

Luffy stared for a few seconds. "She's still in the orphanage," he said. "I got Nami to send her stuff every now and then. You were doing that too, remember?"

Ace searched his memories. Sure enough, he could recall sending Dadan money and random gifts over the years. "Right, right. My head still isn't quite in order yet."

"It's understandable," Sabo said. Ace looked at him.

"Wait, I don't remember seeing you and Luffy hug or whatever. Did I miss it?"

"Yep," Luffy said, popping the "p" while his attention drifted back to his puzzle.

"I woke up before you did," Sabo explained. "According to Luffy, we both passed out almost simultaneously. Luffy and his little doctor friend took care of us - the doc left after a day or two - but I woke up sooner than you. I think because -" Sabo's mouth screwed into a frown, "because I had less to remember."

Ace immediately felt slightly guilty for asking but brushed the feeling aside, reminding himself that Sabo had already been working through it. Ace didn't need to press the issue. He could ask Sabo for the details of his memory loss later. "Okay then. Well, when this is all over, we're having some quality family time."

"I'm interested in seeing what ridiculous plan you come up with," Sabo said with a grin. "Though I get the feeling you'll make me help."

"You know me so well."

"So this is the place?" Ace stared at the bar tucked between two larger buildings, its worn brick exterior at odds with the lacquered wooden sign over the door that named the bar. He glanced at Sabo, absently tugging on the collar of his red button-down. He'd wanted to keep wearing his favorite shirt - a red t-shirt that he'd been debating cutting the sleeves off of - but Luffy's sauce stains had ruined that plan. Now he was stuck with the new red shirt, black shorts, and his usual boots. "Is it?" He was pretty sure it was, but he wanted to be absolutely positive.

"Don't look at me," Sabo replied easily, deferring to Luffy. The youngest simply bounded ahead, throwing open the door as though he owned the place - yet, somehow, without the same kind of arrogance.

"SHANKS!" Luffy cried as he entered. Ace and Sabo winced at his volume but stepped inside as well. The sounds and smells of the bar washed over the two as the door closed; the smell of alcohol drifted through the air among the hubbub of conversation that a shout or cry occasionally punctuated.

Luffy weaved through the haphazardly-placed tables with the deceptive ease of long practice. Ace and Sabo followed as best they could, knowing that Luffy had a destination but having no clue where that destination was. The low lighting made it impossible to look ahead without risking running into the corner of a table.

"Shanks!"

"Should he really be yelling his name like that?" Sabo muttered to Ace. "You would think Shanks wouldn't like that in such a public place."

"It's fine," Ace said, dredging up memories of coming to this bar with Luffy to work and chat with the red-haired man. "Shanks is pretty relaxed."

Sabo looked unconvinced but didn't argue.

"Ah, Luffy! What brings you here all of a sudden?"

The new voice was loud, boisterous, and happy. Ace picked up his pace, nearly ran into someone, apologized, and finally caught up to Luffy, Sabo right on his heels.

"Shanks, you'll never guess what happened!" Luffy was saying while rocking back and forth on his heels. Ace automatically put a hand on Luffy's shoulder.

"Let's not give the poor old man a headache from having to watch you, yeah?" He suggested, only then turning his attention to Shanks. Inwardly, he blanched, realizing that he'd just called one of the most powerful men in the city "the poor old man". Then he remembered that he did that all the time and relaxed. Slightly.

"Luffy, who's your new friend?" The man at the table asked, leaning to one side slightly so he could better see Ace behind Luffy.

Ace took in the familiar red hair, bright eyes, and memorable trio of scars over the man's left eye, and then smiled. "Hey, Shanks. It's been a while. Sorry I haven't been able to stop b-"

"Ace?" Shanks whispered, standing so abruptly that his chair teetered dangerously before the man sitting behind him stopped it from falling. "Is that you, Ace?"

"Idiot," Sabo muttered. "People think you're dead, remember?"

Whoops.

Ace hesitated for a second and then pushed ahead. "Yeah, Shanks, it's me," Ace said, stepping forward so the light hit him better. "It's a long story, but I'm not dead. Just took me way too long to recover."

Shanks stared for another two seconds before his shoulders sagged with relief. "You boys are going to be the death of me one day." He sat back down in the chair that had been returned to its previous position and blew out a breath, his piercing gaze landing on Sabo. "So who's this kid? If he's another brother back from the dead, I -"

"He is, so I wouldn't finish that statement," Ace interrupted with a grin.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed at Shanks's gobsmacked expression. "He's Sabo! We thought he died in a fire but he's okay!"

"Not entirely 'okay'," Sabo said while touching the scar that spanned over nearly half his face, covering his left eye. That eye's iris had faded to a washed-out blue color. "But alive, at least," he added, finishing with a smile upon seeing the worry in Luffy and Ace's expressions.

"You boys…" Shanks muttered. Then he collected himself, looking Ace in the eyes. "So, what is it you want?"

Ace found himself paralyzed by the aura of authority Shanks held - an aura that became almost suffocating upon making eye contact - until his memories of the times he'd spent with Shanks allowed him to relax and feel at ease under the pressure.

"How did you know we want something?"

"You have that look in your eye," Shanks replied.

"Wha - look? What look?"

"You know, this one," Shanks said, scrunching up his features in a way clearly intended to mock Ace's serious expression. Ace scowled.

"Really?"

Sabo and Luffy laughed, Sabo squeezing out, "It's pretty accurate!" around giggles.

"Can it, you children," Ace said, one eyebrow twitching. "I do not make expressions like that."

Sabo just smirked.

"So, what'll it be?" Shanks said, dragging the conversation back to its actual topic.

"Information," Ace answered. "I need to know where Whitebeard is."

Shanks raised one eyebrow. "You don't know where he is?"

"He moved after I was attacked. I wasn't able to keep tabs on him while I was recovering."

"Allow me to clarify," Sabo said. "Ace here lost his memory, so even when he recovered enough to move around, he had no idea that he should have been searching for Whitebeard in the first place."

"I...see," Shanks said slowly. "I do know where he is now, though I haven't spoken to him in some time."

"That's fine," Ace said quickly.

Shanks grabbed a napkin and accepted a pen from the same man that had stopped his chair from falling - Benn Beckman, if Ace's memory served - and then scribbled out the address, handing it to Ace. Ace squinted at the letters, only barely holding back a comment on Shanks's ever-atrocious handwriting.

"Warehouse district," Sabo muttered, peering at the napkin over Ace's shoulder. "I know where that is. It's in one of the seedier parts of town, not somewhere I'd expected him to set up shop."

"That's probably why he did it," Ace pointed out. Sabo nodded.

While Ace and Sabo took a brief seat at a nearby table to discuss their plan of attack for talking to Whitebeard, Luffy and Shanks chatted. Ace watched the two interact for a few seconds, a fond smile twisting his lips.

"They're really something," he commented.

"Yeah," Sabo agreed.

"So, Sabo." Ace's voice dropped to a more serious tone that barely carried over the conversation around them. "What happened? I saw it - I saw what happened. I was sure you were - that you -" Ace's mouth twisted, "that you were dead."

Sabo looked down at his hands, a bitter smile on his face. "Honestly, I don't know. I remember going down the stairs, holding Luffy, and then it just...blurs. Something...hit me, I think, and I fell."

Ace nodded. "Yeah. Into the basement. And then the place collapsed."

Sabo reached up and touched the scar that covered his face. "I don't remember how I survived. When I woke up, I didn't remember anything. The thing that hit me must have taken my memories with it."

Ace thought for a moment. "There was someone else there. At the orphanage, I mean."

"I was being chased," Sabo pointed out. "They weren't fans of my plan to run away again."

"No, other than them." Ace frowned, casting his gaze to the ceiling for a brief moment. Then he snapped his fingers. "Do you know anyone that has black, spiky hair? Likes to wear dark capes?" Ace frowned. "Er, cloaks? Something like that?"

Sabo raised one eyebrow. "Spiky black hair? I would say Luffy, or..." Understanding dawned on Sabo's features. "Dragon. That must have been Dragon."

"Dragon? Like...the leader of the revolutionary army or whatever you call yourselves?"

"Yeah," Sabo said. "He's the one that saved me and then raised me. I wonder why he was there at the time, then."

"Coincidence?" Ace guessed. Sabo shrugged.

"Maybe. I can ask him about it later. Anyway, before you go talk to Whitebeard, we should find the place where you were attacked."

"Why?"

"Mostly because I'm curious," Sabo admitted. "But we might find something there that will help us."

"If you say so. Then we'll plan my grand entrance."

Sabo rolled his eyes. "You're incurable."

Ace grinned. "Have I ever claimed to be otherwise?"

The two chatted about nothing in particular for the next few minutes before Luffy bounced over. They said their goodbyes to Shanks and began to leave, but Shanks stopped Ace.

"Listen, Ace," Shanks said, his voice low and grave. "If you need anything, call. There's something coming, and I get the feeling you're going to need all the help you can get."

Ace nodded acknowledgement. "Thank you."

Shanks stared into Ace's eyes for another second before finding whatever he was looking for and stepping back. Then he grinned, no sign of his gravity from a second before remaining in his eyes. "Good luck!"

"You were spying on me?" Sabo asked, examining the small, first-floor apartment room that Ace had been attacked in. Ace shrugged, absently kicking at a loose floorboard. The room was empty and a thin layer of dust had begun to form over just about everything.

"I thought you might have been Sabo. I was...checking."

"I am Sabo," Sabo pointed out.

"I didn't know that at the time."

"But you suspected?"

Ace sighed, turning to face Sabo. "Wanting to believe that you had somehow survived nearly drove me mad for days, Sabo," Ace said. "It hurt - physically hurt - to consider the idea. So when I heard that the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army was named Sabo - that he wielded a pipe - I had to see. I had to know."

"Did it help?" Sabo looked Ace right in the eyes. "To see me here, to know what I looked like?" Nevermind the fact that Ace had managed to track Sabo down, a feat in and of itself.

"Hard to say," Ace replied slowly, turning his attention back to his feet. He didn't remember much leading up to Blackbeard's assassination, but he remembered enough. Ace then frowned and crouched down, picking something up. "Does this look familiar to you?" He asked, holding up a broken black watch with a compass-styled face. Sabo shrugged.

"You would know more than me. It's yours?"

"I think so." Ace slipped it over his wrist and fastened it, turning his arm to see if the feeling of having it on changed anything. "Yeah, it is. Must've - yeah, there's blood on it." Ace took off the watch and dropped it into the blue pouch wrapped around his leg. He checked the room over again, trying to ignore the large patches of dried blood by the window and the trail that led out the door. He'd seen it walking in, but being in this room - it made his head and chest throb uncomfortably.

"Ace, look," Sabo said. The blond was crouched by the window, his hand up to the wrist between floorboards.

"What?" Ace asked, kneeling next to him. His eyes went wide as Sabo carefully pulled something out, holding it in cupped hands. "What is that?"

"A necklace, I think," Sabo said as he gingerly put it on the floor. The red beads bounced against each other and a few began rolling away before Ace grabbed them. His lips twisted upon seeing the darker red that speckled the beads, but the blood was long since dry and began flaking off at Ace's touch.

"That bastard," Ace muttered, gathering up the beads and string and stuffing that into his pouch as well. "Sabo, were there any other beads?"

"Not that I could see. Were you wearing that at the time of the attack?"

"Yeah, I think. It must've broken when he attacked me."

Sabo stared out the window for a few seconds before striding over to the large bloodstain in front of it. "So, you were here, staring out the window - presumably at the front door. Why were you on the first floor, again?"

"Uh…" Ace looked at the ceiling. "I think you'd just walked in or out. Can't remember very well."

"Not surprising. So, you were here -" Sabo stood in front of the window, staring out. "Blackbeard would have been...here, maybe?" He continued, shifting to a position slightly behind him and to the right. Ace raised one eyebrow.

"The blood splatter?"

"Yes," Sabo said. "If I'm reading this right - which I'm probably not, given how old this evidence is - Blackbeard took a large object, likely a knife, and ran you through with it while you had your back turned. That would cause the blood to splatter like that...but…"

"It's not quite right," Ace muttered. "I think - I turned, maybe. Could be how I survived; he was probably aiming for something vital."

"Probably," Sabo murmured, his eyes hard as he took in the room as a whole. "So, Blackbeard stabs you and removes the knife. You, likely in shock, stagger forward a step, one hand holding the injury and the other bracing you against the windowsill -" Sabo imitates the hypothetical situation as he talks, "but shock will rob you of your strength, probably preventing you from fully using your power, and you slide down, the blood from your back creating this streak here…"

Ace put one hand to his abdomen, wincing as nausea rumbled his stomach. "Sabo…"

"One second. I can do the rest in my head, don't worry."

Ace watched as Sabo paced around the room, muttering something under his breath. Then the blond young man abruptly stopped. "I got it. Blackbeard is right handed, prefers bladed weapons in close combat, and was wary enough of your power to stab you from behind but not wary enough to check whether you had lived or not. He also took something - or some things - of yours as proof."

"Sabo?"

"Yeah?"

"I could've told you that without coming here."

Sabo stared at Ace. Then he scowled, strode right past Ace, and called over his shoulder, "Well, aren't you just so smart!"

Ace grinned, knowing that Sabo was just trying to lighten the mood. The attempt was awkward, sure, but it was more than Sabo would usually do. Ace then paused - the current Sabo was older than he was Ace's memories. Significantly older, and different. Ace felt a pang go through his chest; he'd missed that much of Sabo's life, that much of his growth.

Did Sabo feel the same way?

"Hurry up, Ace!"

"Coming!"

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