"You're going to WHAT?" Ace shouts the moment they all finish explaining what happened on the shipyard.
"That wasn't a part of the plan," Thatch hisses, but looks resigned. Ace just wants to punch something because leave it to the pirates to make everything complicated.
"We are going to break into Impel Down," Fire Fist says like he is talking about the weather and not talking about breaking into the highest security prison in the entire state. "Grab Blackbeard's double, bring him here and then go home."
Seeing their faces, Straw Hat grins.
"I've already broken into Impel Down before, don't worry!"
"That is not what I'm worried about," Ace wants to cry out in frustration. It's so hard to explain to criminals why being a criminal is actually bad in this world.
"Then what are you worried about?"
"We have the same face," Ace tells them. He's a bit hysteric at this point, but it's been a rough two weeks and honestly he doesn't care anymore. "If someone sees you or Straw Hat, they'll go after me and Luffy! You're going to make us wanted!"
"That's good!" Straw Hat says with a grin.
"No, it's not," Ace snaps right back.
"We're going no matter what. You guys stay here," Fire Fist says, "We won't let anyone see us. No one is going to get caught."
Marco scoffs and Fire Fist turns to pout at him.
"You wouldn't know stealth if it punched you in the face," Thatch says and Ace is very inclined to agree. Luffy nods from his spot on the floor (whether it's because he actually agrees or is just copying Ace remains to be unseen).
"We can be sneaky when we want to be," Fire Fist protests.
Ace buries his face in his hands.
"Oh god, I'm going to be a wanted man for crimes I didn't even commit."
Breaking into Impel Down is surprisingly easy.
All Fire Fist and Straw Hat have to do is hop a few fences (do they really expect barbed wire to keep inmates in?) and sneak in the building. Fire Fist nabs some security guard's tag and bam, they're inside.
The easiest way would've been to burn a hole in the side of the building, but Fire Fist figures that Ace would not appreciate that.
This Impel Down is…different. There isn't a pot of boiling water to dunk their prisoners in, there aren't any levels of hell, no beast guards and no poisonous warden. All they have is a large facility (which isn't even underwater!) and some guards with guns.
It's almost a joke.
Locating Teach is almost as easy as sneaking in.
He isn't hard to miss. Big man, bushy hair, wearing clothes covered in black and white stripes. He's chowing down on prison food (it looks disgusting, even from here. Maybe that's how they torture their prisoners?) and chatting with the others around him.
"You!" Straw Hat launches himself at the man before Fire Fist can even come up with a plan, rubber arms wrapping around his torso several times. Blackbeard's double yelps and squirms, but Straw Hat easily lifts him over his head.
"Lu—!" Fire Fist goes to say, but stops and stares as people start to notice that his arm actually stretched.
The cafeteria is complete chaos in mere moments.
Straw Hat jumps over the tables as the guards rush forward, guns raised. Alarms blare to life and all the prisoners are sent into a state of panic. Fire Fist tries not to sigh because, really, Straw Hat could've handled that better.
"L-let me go!" Teach shouts, still squirming in Straw Hat's arm. Straw Hat looks at him and frowns, shaking him harder than is necessary.
"Release the prisoner and put your hands in the air," one of the guards shouts. Straw Hat barely looks at him. "We'll shoot!"
"Now would be a good time to leave," Fire Fist says and Straw Hat laughs. Several guards turn toward him, guns raised and safety off. Fire Fist doesn't even flinch because, guns, really? They're going to need a whole lot more than that if they wanted to catch the two of them.
"Don't move!"
"Let's go!" Straw Hat says, all grins despite the fact that he has a man squirming in his grasp. He jumps off the table and rushes past the guards. Fire Fist takes off after him, but not after sticking his tongue out at the guards.
"Fire!"
Bullets come at them from behind, but neither even glance back. The bullets pass through Fire Fist harmlessly, hurting no worse than a tickle, while Straw Hat sends them back towards the guards with more force than they had originally.
"Th-they're monsters!"
Fire Fist rushes down the halls, laughing. This is the most fun he's had in months. Between Thatch's death and hunting down Blackbeard, Fire Fire never really had time to relax and be himself. Now, Blackbeard is defeated, he doesn't have to worry about being caught, and he's causing chaos with his little brother. It's just like old times, back when they were just little kids who ruled Grey Terminal.
"Stop them!" Guards come flooding in the halls and Fire Fist skids to a stop, Straw Hat right behind him. The raise their guns, prepared to shoot. Fire Fist grins and Straw Hat laughs.
"Looks like we're going to have to take a shortcut," Fire Fist says before blasting a giant hole through the wall. All the guards gasp (some even scream) and Fire Fist uses the distraction to slip away.
As Fire Fist jumps the second fence that surrounds the prison, he glances back. There's smoke coming from a (rather large) hole in the side. Sirens wail and dogs bark. People are out, running around (probably trying to unsuccessfully search for them) with guns. Fire Fist can hear more sirens in the distance.
Stealthy indeed, Fire Fist thinks before shrugging.
Hopefully Ace won't be too mad.
BREAKING NEWS, reports are flooding in of another attack on Impel Down. Police are still investigating who or what might have caused this. So far, no suspects have been named, however—
Ace stares at the TV in horror. Beside him, Thatch snakes his head and Marco sighs. Luffy is laughing, the only one enjoying watching the news that the moment. Seems they were right; the pirates can't go a single god damn place without destroying something.
"We're back!" A voice shouts and Ace turns, glaring. Fire Fist enters the living room, no worse for wear. He looks like he just went out for a simple evening stroll and didn't just destroy a world-renowned prison.
"And we got Teach!" Straw Hat bounds in after him, rubber arms wrapped around the unconscious form of Marshal D. Teach. Ace would almost feel pity for the man if he hadn't had the same face as the bastard that attacked his brother.
The TV is still blaring in the background and Ace points at it furiously.
"Is that your definition of sneaky?"
Straw Hat glances at it before grinning and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly (Ace notices he doesn't seem at all sorry). He drops Teach on the living room floor and his arms snap back to normal proportions.
"Oops."
"No one saw us!" Fire Fist says quickly before muttering, "It's not like these guys can track us down anyways…"
"Right," Thatch says. He looks at the form of Marshal D. Teach and sighs. "So now we have two unconscious people in this house. What do we do?"
"Usopp said that if we want to go home," Straw Hat says. "Then Blackbeard and whatever is holding him here have to be touching so…"
"Just put him on top of Blackbeard and maybe that'll work," Thatch suggests.
Fire Fist looks around the room in confusion, "Where is Blackbeard anyways? He wasn't in the entrance hallway."
"We were not just going to leave a body in the hallway," Marco hisses and pinches the bridge of his nose. "He locked him in the bathroom, he should be in there."
Thatch goes to grab Blackbeard, giving a wide girth to Teach who lays on the ground motionless. Ace catches Fire Fist looking at him with both hatred and hope. He misses his family, Ace realizes, and he's so close to seeing them again.
Ace places a hand on his double's shoulder and smiles, "Soon."
"Soon" Fire Fist agrees.
only two more chapters... damn...
hhhhHMMMM i wonder whats gonna happen next. hhmmmm