Chapter 7
Hawke stood on the ravaged steps of Shiki's palace and surveyed the grounds before her. Most of the animals were inside the building, and it looked like the Sunny had been untouched. But to be sure, she flared out her wings and took off.
This wind is getting stronger, she thought as she rode a gust down and landed in the deck.
After doing a quick once-over, Hawke determined that their Sunny was safe and there was no current threat to him.
She then turned her attention back to the palace as a crashing sound broke the silence. She let out a gasp when she saw Shiki hovering in the air above one of the outer buildings. Familiar screams were carried to her ears by the wind.
"Usopp! Chopper!" Hawke let out a cry and sprung up into the air.
As she approached Shiki from behind, she saw huge lion heads made of air suddenly appear, surrounding her friends. Hawke saw that Chopper was holding Nami and felt fear fill her gut when she saw their navigators face covered in hard green splotches and seemed to be unconscious.
"But they've got her," she muttered as she took out her knives.
Just then, the lions roared and charged forward.
Damn, I'm too slow! Hawke flew faster, trying desperately to get close enough to get a clear shot. But pain seared across her back and she couldn't increase her speed.
But as the lions closed in, she saw a flash of red out of the corner if her eye. Then there was a swishing sound as the giant heads were suddenly dispersed.
"Luffy!" Hawke gasped in relief as her brother faced off with Shiki.
He caught sight of her and shouted out.
"Hawke! Come down from there and help Nami!"
The scout nodded and quickly dove down, skimming the ground until she was in front of Usopp.
"How's she doing?" she asked fearfully as she saw the extent of Nami's condition.
Chopper frowned.
"We need to get the antidote for Daft Green," he said, "it's the same sickness that the people in the village had."
Hawke nodded as a gust of air whipped her hair into her eyes. She turned to see Luffy letting off steam from his gear second.
"Nami," their captain said over his shoulder, "I'll beat that guy ad we'll go back together."
Hawke saw the navigators eyes open for a moment before closing again.
"Luffy," her faint whisper was almost lost in the wind.
Then the rubberboy turned his attention to Hawke.
"Leave this place to me," he said, "Get Nami to safety."
Hawke nodded and motioned to Chopper.
"Got it!" Usopp took off and they followed.
"Fight hard, Luffy!" Chopper called over his shoulder.
The trio ran back into Shiki's palace and began searching through the many rooms.
"Where do you think the antidote would be?" Usopp panted as they made their way through the palace.
"Probably in their laboratory," Chopper replied, adjusting Nami on his back.
Hawke felt a shiver pass through her body.
Their laboratory? She bit her lip as fear began stirring in her chest.
They pushed through a large set of oak doors and came into what looked like a green house. Hawke saw raise beds on both sides filled with plants and the windows covering the walls let in enough moonlight to see by.
"What is this place?" Usopp muttered as he looked into the flower beds.
Chopper leaned in over his shoulder.
"They're all IQ plants," he panted.
Hawke looked up to the windows.
"So they're using moonlight to grow them?" she asked.
Chopper nodded then stiffened.
"I smell medicine," he said and began running to the end of the room, making his way up a staircase and a door at the top.
Hawke followed after him, a feeling of dread building in her stomach as she crested the steps. When she reached the top, Usopp and Chopper had already opened the doors and were moving around inside the room beyond. Hawke took a few trembling steps forward and put her hand on the doorframe.
It's the lab!
She felt her stomach clenched as her eyes moved over the beakers and bottles, the half-dissected plant that lay on the tray on a desk, the smooth, steel table that occupied one corner and the stool full of needles beside it. Panic began taking hold and unwanted memories began to resurface.
"I… I…," Hawke tried to call out to her friends, but her throat had become so dry that it felt like no air was getting into her lungs.
"This is where the IQ research is carried out," Chopper was saying.
Usopp ran over to a table and began picking up bottles and flasks. Hawke flinched as each clinking sound pierced the silence, feeling as if the sounds were knives stabbing into her back.
"G…guys," her voice came out in a trembling whisper and was lost on her friends as they rummaged through the contents of the lab.
There was a soft noise from behind her and Hawke whirled around… too late. A clink and a snap, and something closed around her wrist.
"You shouldn't be any trouble now," the clown in the lab coat leered down at her and Hawke sank to the floor, unable to cope with this sudden event.
Behind her, Usopp and Chopper were still looking around, oblivious.
"Which one should we give her?" Usopp was holding up a blue container in one hand and a flask of green liquid in the other.
The clown jumped into a handstand position and vaulted himself up to the upper level of the lab. Hawke turned and saw him sitting on the rail above her friends. She lifted her arm and saw a pair of hand cuffs dangling from her wrist.
Well these won't do anything, she thought, But he'll get them!
Hawke moved to stand, only to have her legs freeze up on her as soon as she thought of going into that room… I can't go in there…
Her eyes locked onto the bubbling apparatus' and the whirring equipment. They traveled over the knives and scalpels and the instruments that glinted in the eerie light of the lab.
A dull, throbbing ache began on her back where her wings met her skin and Hawke tried hard to keep down the bile that was rising in her throat.
"Us- Usopp!" she whimpered.
"Eh?" the sniper turned and glanced over his shoulder.
At the same time, the clown's shoe slipped and hit the rail, making a farting noise.
The two Straw Hat's stiffened and looked upwards.
"Ah!" they cried in unison, "An enemy!"
The clown let out a chuckle.
"He smells like medicine," Chopper said, sniffing the air, "Are you a scientist?"
Hawke stiffened.
He smells like medicine…
"Yeah," the clown replied, "And an excellent one at that."
Hawke clenched her fists and forced her legs to push her up. She gripped the doorframe tightly.
"Oi, Hawke," Usopp turned to look over his shoulder, "Why didn't you warn us!"
The sniper caught sight of her face and immediately looked concerned.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, splitting his attention between the clown scientist and Hawke, "Did this guy do something to you?"
"Piru, piru, piru," the clown laughed, "I just put some sea-prism hand cuffs on her. She's probably not feeling up for a fight at the moment."
"What?" Usopp gave the clown a confused stare, "Those won't do anything to her."
Chopper glanced back at Hawke and then to the scientist.
"She doesn't have devil fruit powers," the reindeer almost shouted, "What did you do to her?!"
At their words, the clown leaned forwards.
"Oh?" he surveyed Hawke's trembling form as she clutched the doorframe, "No devil fruit powers? I don't believe it."
Hawke wasn't really listening to them, she was busy talking to herself.
He's got it, she thought, he's got the antidote that'll save Nami. You have to go in there and take it from him. You can do it.
No! another voice cried out, I can't! I can't go in there! It's just like his lab, I can't go in there again! Think of all the pain he put you through!
Hawke grit her teeth and felt another shiver run through her body.
But you have to save Nami! She argued, and defeating him is the only way! You can do it.
She dragged her foot across the threshold. Her mind fighting with itself and against her body's movements.
That's it, she encouraged herself, see, it's easy.
Her other foot slowly moved across the floor, then her hand slowly began loosening its grip on the doorframe.
Do it for Nami, she was chanting, do it for Nami, for Nami.
"Hand over the cure for Daft!" her voice shook, but at the same time, was deadly serious.
"Ah!" the clown leapt back, almost falling off his seat, "How can you be moving around like that with those cuffs on?!"
Hawke's eyes were hooded as she lifted them to see the figure in a lab coat standing above her.
"A scientist like you would know," she muttered through clenched teeth, feeling sweat coating her forehead.
Stay calm, she told herself, this is a completely different place. They used this lab for flower research… just flowers.
Her eyes moved to the steel table and a tremor moved through her body.
"So you aren't a devil fruit eater," the clown leapt down from the second level and landed in front of Hawke.
She tried to move back, but her feet were glued to the spot and it was taking all her strength and courage to stay standing.
"A scientist would know?" he smiled as he walked around her, inspecting her wings, "Are you an experiment?"
His voice was full of excitement. Hawke's eyes widened and she felt tears stinging her cheeks. She was being looked over like some prize horse at a fair, like she was a science experiment!
Like the science experiment that you are, her mind told her.
"A modified human!" The clown almost shouted, "And a successful merging of two creatures? No… the wings sprout from the back like they belong to the same organism…"
Hawke trembled as the clown came around to face her once again.
"I want to study you," he leered down at her.
Hawke took a step back.
No!
Her hand groped for her knives.
Not again!
"G-give us the cure!" she stammered, still stumbling backwards.
The beakers and scalpels seemed to shine out and rise from their tables, threatening to burn her and cut into her again.
"N-no!" she whimpered and sank to the floor, unable to keep herself up anymore, "No more… no more…"
"Oi, Hawke!" Usopp and Chopper suddenly ran into the space between her and the clown, "We'll get the cure, you should get out of here!"
The scientist let out a menacing laugh.
"This is what you want right?" he cackled, holding out a small pink vial, "I've always been carrying it with me for an emergency. Hand over the girl and you can have it."
"Well that makes it simple."
Hawke started and felt a strange, warm sensation move through her chest. The lab returned to its normal appearance as she looked over her shoulder, tears still staining her cheeks.
"All I need to do is take it from that guy," Zoro stepped through the doorway and came up behind Hawke, "And beat your ass for making her cry."
"Zoro," Hawke let out a faint gasp.
His face was murderous as he advanced.
"Back off," the swordsman moved past her, "I'll chop him to pieces."
"Zoro!" Chopper and Usopp both looked extremely happy at the first mate's appearance, "Take care of him, we need the cure and he's got it."
"Looks like you've chased me to this place as well," the clown sounded unimpressed.
Chopper carried Nami out of the room and Usopp helped Hawke to her feet and supported her as they moved out onto a balcony.
"Come on, Hawke," the sniper muttered in her ear as they walked, "I forgot about your past experiences with scientists… that must've been hard for you."
As they moved out into the fresh air, Hawke managed to clear her head and control her emotions. She shook off Usopp's helping hand and straightened.
"Sorry about that," she bowed her head, ashamed, "I… I just didn't expect that to happen… I couldn't get a hold of myself."
There was a loud crash and the wall behind them exploded. The clown was blasted out onto a roof adjacent to them, closely followed by Zoro.
Hawke looked on as the two fought. The clown launched balls of chemicals at the swordsman and engulfed him in explosion after explosion.
"Ha!" the scientist shouted, "How'd you like my chemical juggling?"
Then he turned and saw the group standing nearby.
"There you are," he grinned at Hawke, "Now let's see what's inside you."
The scout backed up so fast that she hit the wall behind her and knocked the air out of her lungs, a feeling of helplessness overpowering her once more.
"You bastard!" Zoro's voice growled from the cloud of smoke that surrounded him.
Hawke blinked and rubbed her eyes. It looked like there were three of him.
"If you lay a hand on her," the swordsman bent forward and splayed nine swords, "You'll meet a fate worse than death!"
He began his charge at the clown, who threw another chemical ball at him, but that was easily deflected by the swordsman.
There was a sudden flash, and then the clown was flying through the air, landing with a thud on the roof behind Zoro before exploding.
Hawke watched the flames and felt her fear dying in her chest.
He's gone, her eyes found Zoro, who still had his swords splayed, Zoro beat him.
"Zoro is super cool," Chopper said in awe.
"Is he invincible?" Usopp muttered.
"Chopper!" Zoro called, throwing the pink vial over.
The doctor caught it and smiled.
"We've got the cure," he said.
Hawke stepped up to the rail and leaned out across the gap between them.
"Zoro!" she called.
The swordsman met her gaze.
Hawke felt tears coming once again to her eyes. She spread her wings and launched herself over the rail. It only took one wingbeat to take her straight into the swordsman's chest.
"Thank you!" she sobbed into his shirt.
She felt Zoro's hand resting on her head and looked up. A frown was on his lips as he lifted her up.
"He made you cry," the swordsman muttered.
Hawke felt her cheeks flush and she took a step back.
"W-well," she rubbed her arm, "He's gone now… thanks to you."
Zoro sent her a smirk and nodded his head.
"I'm heading back now," he called over to Chopper and Usopp, "Take care of Nami."
Hawke smiled and began to follow after him.
"Wait, Zoro!" she sighed, grabbing his hand, "It's this way!"
"Eh?!"