Rules / Ruins
Dark eyes flicker over the ashes as he rests with soot coating his clothes and embers burning parts of his body as he views upon the ruins of his home. A pain is lightly stabbing in his heart, hating the sight before him as he caused it and had no one to blame but himself. Ace refused to seek help, refused to take that hand extended to him years ago as he felt he was different and his foster parent said how much they had him under control.
They were all wrong.
It took someone with knowledge of his power to come in and burst the contraption over his chest that withheld his power. It engulfed him like a tidal wave, catching even the stranger off guard of such power and burning to a crisp with everything and everyone else. The contraption was the only thing keeping his corrosive power at bay and now it was gone with his small life he had ever built up on after losing his parents when he was just a baby.
"I see I was too late, yoi…" The voice doesn't make Ace move as he stares emotionlessly at the home before him, hands hanging to his lap with a golden locket, melted on one side, but picture is whole. "There is a way to hone your power, Portgas." The stoic voice only brings a blink from hazy eyes, fingers shifting along the locket.
"I…" The hoarse tone starts from Ace as he never drags his eyes away. "I don't… I don't want it…"
"We don't get to choose that, sadly." Though it's supposed to be sympathy, it comes out dull like he has said this multiple times before.
"Then kill me…" Ace whispers and startles the visitor that stares with sharp blue eyes of remorse and surprise. The man is surprised because no one usually wishes to be killed, just trying to get away from the power or trying not to let it overcome them.
"I will not let you pick a way out of this so selfishly." It's a little bitter rolling from the stranger's tongue with a sense of nostalgia, but Ace could care less.
"How is it selfish? No one is left to care about me…" The response speaks volumes, the embers burning lowly along his skin and he doesn't look to the man who is behind him. One of Ace's hands caresses his bare chest, where the contraption was.
"We have rules that should be followed, individuals like us especially, yoi. One is to never suppress the natural power and second is to help the host know how to wield it for the greater good." The words sound rehearsed and monotonous like he says them countless times.
"Those rules don't apply to me…" The spark of Ace's tone sharpens with embers burning hotly, flames cradling up into his hair as he clenches his jaw. "You don't fucking care about me. With that sentence alone you see me as some… thing with a power to be used. I will not follow something that will treat me like an object, I'd rather die before that happens." The shift of his head tips dark locks to the side and shadowing his burning body that starts to glow like it pulses with his heart.
"I'm either to retrieve you or kill you… I'd rather not hurt you if I can help it." The mentioning sounds sincere, the stranger finding this strong will in someone who has faced so much in mere minutes.
"I don't fucking care what you rather not do. Either leave me the fuck alone or kill me." Ace spats with a grip to his golden locket and feels it bend with his heat before lightening up on it. The last thing he wanted to ever damage was the picture he had of him and his mother that was blissfully undamaged.
Shoes scratch along the dirt path and then there is sounds of scrapping, confusing Ace before there is something digging into his shoulder, throwing him down and quickly pinning him to his back. Dark eyes gaze up, startled, and sees large blue flamed like wings span out with the stranger positioned to be shown tall in stature and giving soft coos. The sight sends a flickering of astonishment through Ace, noticing as a talon was pining him down over his chest and one of his legs.
"Portgas D Ace," the name falls from full lips and dark eyes meet dazzling azure, causing his breath to hitch. "I will take you with me and will become my partner among the organization, I will see to it properly and make sure any burdens you have can be shared with me." The firm words are showing this type of neediness lingering and gives a chattering that would leave a bird and Ace can't move, only swallow thickly from the intense glare. "I am Marco, and you will follow my rules."
Ace couldn't find himself to deny.
