A/N: Here's the second chapter! Deepest thanks to all of you out there who took the time to review! I'd like to make a shout out to Kyyhkynen for the AMAZING fanart she did for Rhapsody on a Windy Night. It's beautiful. If you want to see it, go to her tumblr (askmarcoandace. tumblr. com). It's seriously beautiful. So thanks to him/her for that!

Umm...not much else to say.

Oh, I said this in an update on the last chapter, but I think I should say it again to make sure you all see it. I don't own the image I used for the cover of this story. If the original artist wants me to take it down for whatever reason, just PM me or leave a request in a review and I'll take it down. :)

SO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO UPDATE! School swallowed me. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. *cough*andIgotsuperaddictedtoSupern atural*cough**cough*

Alright, here we go!)

~When the day has come~

"Oi, Ace. Wake up." Ace felt someone shaking his shoulder and groaned. He didn't want to wake up. He was warm and comfortable and...well, did anyone really need anything more? The shaking continued.

Ace refused to open his eyes. "What do you want?" Ace opened his eyes just enough to see, squinting at a clock on the wall, trying to make out what it said. "What time even is it? It can't be later than, what, two in the morning?"

"One thirty." Ace's eyes were more adjusted now and he could at least kind of make out large objects in the room.

"What's so important that it can't wait till at least nine?"

"We're at the island. We're going to be docking in a few minutes." Ace's eyes snapped fully open. Oh. That's right. The mission. He'd forgotten. He'd thought he was home. Ace sat up, rubbing his eyes. It's been a while since I was last out in the field. He took a deep breath. Alright. Business time. Focus, Ace.

"I thought we weren't supposed to get there until tomorrow afternoon?" Ace was more fully awake, in the focused mode he got into during work or missions. He saw Thatch shrug.

"I...thought I'd try to expedite the process a little." He patted Ace on the shoulder and Ace could tell he was smiling. "Somebody's got a pretty important day coming up. I'd hate for you to miss it." Ace blinked.

"...Thank you." Thatch scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, well...Marco'd kill me if I didn't, and you're no fun when you're depressed." Thatch was flustered. He didn't really know how to deal with any kind of emotional situation. Always redirected it into humor or otherwise diffused the moment. Ace smiled in the dark and carefully stood from the hammock. Thatch liked to act gruff and callous, but Ace could see right through it.

Ace yawned, stretching his back and shoulders. They'd been off the Moby Dick now for two days. It was supposed to take about 4 to get to the island they were aiming for, but because of Thatch they'd gotten there almost 36 hours ahead of schedule. If they kept up this timeframe, they'd be back before October even started.

Ace walked past Thatch, going up the stairs and heading out onto deck. The sky was still pitch black, the stars as bright and clear as shards of glass. The air was cool on Ace's skin, and he gave a slight shiver at a breeze. They were headed to a fall island, and with the island's climate and the fact that it was late September the nights were beginning to get colder.

The island rose ahead of them, a dark hulking silhouette on the horizon, looming like a sleeping dragon.

They were still a few leagues out, but with the fairly swift tailwind, they'd be there soon. Ace sized up the island in front of them. It was bigger than he'd anticipated. Lights on the shore still twinkled and flickered, looking like a dim reflection of the sky above. Apparently the island's city had grown larger since the last time Ace had been to the island, maybe 10 months ago. Ace scowled in annoyance. The base had probably changed too.

He'd been to this island once before on a scouting mission. The town had been about half the size it was looking to be now, and Ace wouldn't be surprised if the Navy base here had grown as well. The marines would have changed the layout. Probably an entirely different floorplan than it'd been before. It meant they'd have to scout out the base again before they actually broke in with the intention of stealing the fruit. That'd take a few days at least, but Ace wasn't going to take chances by jumping in there without a comprehensive knowledge of how to get out if things got ugly.

"How long until we get there?" Ace said the words distractedly, trying to come up with a way of either getting the blueprints to the base or finding some other way of learning the layout with minimal risk and minimal preparation and execution time.

"Probably about half an hour." Teach responded. "Should we pull into the main harbor?" Ace shook his head, bringing himself out of future plans and back into the moment.

"No. Pull around the back of the island. If push comes to shove, we don't want the marines locking us in by closing the port. See if you can't find a cove or something on the opposite side of the island."

"Yes, Taichou." He heard Teach's retreating footsteps and brought a hand up to his face, trying to rub the lingering bleariness out of his still-sleepy eyes.

Pulling into the island after that had been a fast process. They found an area on the uninhabited side of the island where they could dock and the ease of long-practice had it done efficiently and without incident.

This side of the island was forested, the island's climate lending itself to maples and oaks. The trees, seemingly as old as the rocks, towered overhead, their wide leaves autumn-stained all the shades of amber, orange, yellow, and scarlet that the human mind could imagine. It was still dark, so the colors were washed out in moonlight, but it wasn't hard to imagine how brilliant they'd look in the sun.

After a few hours of hiking through the woods they'd arrived on the other side of the forest, a good ways above the town. The sky was just beginning to be touched with grey, and it wasn't hard to see that everyone was doing their best not to nod off where they stood. We're going to need somewhere to stay while we're here. There were probably a dozen or more inns in the city, but Ace preferred to be a little more removed than that. He scanned the countryside, looking for anything that might serve their purposes.

The city center was packed with buildings and houses, all crammed as close as they could get to the water and the trade travelling ships must bring, and the further you looked from the town the further apart the houses became. They grew sparser and sparser until finally it was just a spattering on the slopes nearest to the forest, a few right up against it. Ace's eyes caught on those in particular.

Ace knew how to disappear into a crowd, knew how to hide in plain sight, but to be honest he'd always preferred evading a tail in the wilderness. He knew how to survive there, knew how to use every aspect of nature to his advantage. Cities and towns differed from island to island, but nature was always the same. Survival of the fittest. Ace knew how to live by those rules. Knew how in a way many others didn't, which he could easily turn to his advantage.

"Why don't we check out those houses over there? See if we can't find one that's uninhabited or abandoned. Sound good?" Tired assent from the other two, and Ace led the way again. Even Thatch seemed too out of it to question. Well, being awake practically all night and then hiking a freaking mountain with no clearly marked trail did that to you.

The first house they came across was clearly occupied. Meager light, candlelight, slipped through the wooden slats of the shutters, and quiet movement could be heard within. The next house had been promising, but after checking a few windows and finding some people asleep they'd been forced to move on once again. The next house seemed equally promising, no light coming through the shutters or muted conversations within. Ace approached the house warily nonetheless. People awakened by other people fumbling about in their yards tended to be pissed off. And Ace wanted their presence on the island to remain unknown to the marines for as long as possible.

After a few minutes investigation, he waved the others over. "I think this one is going to work. Nobody's been here in a while. And I don't think anyone's planning on coming back any time soon." He whispered.

"How can you tell that?" Ace nodded his head in the direction of the front door.

"Look at those flower beds. Whatever was growing there was dug up a while ago, few months ago I'd say. And the mailbox was very dusty, even on the inside. The hinges on the shutters are starting to get a little rusty from rain, too, which takes a few months at least. The house looks like it's been completely stripped of anything personal, which is what makes me think nobody's really going to come back. You don't take all your stuff with you on a vacation." Thatch still seemed a little reserved.

"And you're sure nobody's in there?" Ace nodded affirmative. Thatch yawned but tried to pass it off as a sigh.

"Well then, I guess it'll do. Can you pick the lock on the door?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"What, lost your skills?" Thatch smacked him in the side of the head.

"No, jerk, I'm just tired after the damn hike." Ace only chuckled, turning away and walking to the door. He crouched in front of it, pulling a set of picks from his pocket and getting to work on the lock. He could still hear Thatch grumbling over his shoulder. "Damn brat. Of course I know how to pick a lock. I've only gotten us into ever place ever." Ace paid him no mind, knowing Thatch wasn't really looking for a response.

Click.

The lock opened fairly easily, and Ace didn't hesitate to twist the knob and send the door swinging in. The hinges squeaked a small protest, but they gave way easily enough. Ace stepped into the house quietly, still being cautious. He was almost certain that there wasn't anyone in the house, but there was no good in being overly reckless. He'd promised to avoid doing that, after all. A small smile came to his face, thinking of Marco's face, of the tension in his shoulders. He always worried. No matter what Ace said or did he always worried. But Ace's promise had seemed to ease that at least a little.

After a quick room-by-room check, it was clear there was nobody in the house and there hadn't been for quite a while. Once sufficiently satisfied that they were alone, they agreed that there was nothing more to be done in one night, and had headed off to sleep. Well...two of the three did. They agreed that someone should keep watch, and Teach had volunteered first. They'd trade off in about 3 hours.

The couch Ace had selected as his resting place of choice was quite comfortable, and paired with the down comforter he'd found in a closet, it was just about heaven. He'd been asleep in nanoseconds.

Thatch was on the very cusp of sleep, just about to drift off into that wonderful, welcoming black when a creaking floorboard snapped him back into full wakefulness. He would have been annoyed if it hadn't instantly put him on edge. Was Ace wrong? Is there someone still in the house? I didn't see anyone when we were looking around, but I could have missed something... Thatch stood from bed, senses on high alert. He grabbed his sword from where it'd been leaning against the wall, quickly and silently strapping it to his waist before easing himself across the floor to the door.

He opened it slowly, just enough for him to peer through to the room beyond. At first he couldn't see anything and had to wait for his eyes to adjust. It probably took about thirty seconds, but to Thatch it felt like an eternity. That was thirty seconds he couldn't see a threat. Not to mention Ace was sleeping in that room. If there really was some kind of adversary in there, either it hadn't woken Ace up, which meant it was damn sneaky (Ace only ever slept deeply on the Moby Dick or when he knew someone else was on watch), or...Thatch didn't allow himself to follow that train of thought. His eyes finally adjusted enough for Thatch to see and they widened in surprise before narrowing. Oh hell no.

Thatch crossed the room in an instant, seizing Teach by the collar of his shirt and dragging him out the front door, into the cool night air beyond. He ignored Teach's spluttering and choking until they were outside. Thatch spun Teach around so they were face to face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I-" Thatch raised a hand.

"Never mind, I don't think I want to know what you think you were doing. What I saw you doing was fucking creepy. You're watching him sleep? What the fuck is up with that?"

"It's-"

"It was fucking rhetorical." Thatch felt the growing urge to punch Teach across the face. Maybe knock out a few more teeth. "All I know is that you're a fucking creeper. You listen to me and you listen very carefully. You are here for one reason and one reason only: to learn how to not fuck up your job because Ace is considerate enough to teach you. You serve no useful purpose on this mission, and I will not hesitate to send you back to the Moby Dick in a fucking rowboat if I think you are in any way inhibiting the completion of this mission. That includes mental and emotional strain on both Ace and I. Rage fits quite nicely into the 'emotional strain' category, so you've already fucked up with me. If you want to continue to be a part of this you will back the fuck off Ace and if I ever see you do something that might be considered anything one hair beyond absolutely fucking normal, I will kick your fat ass all the way back home, assuming I don't kill you first. Ace isn't interested in you. Never has been, never will be. He's in a steady relationship with Marco and the two of them are happier than I've ever seen either of them before. You will not fuck that up. I will not let you screw up my best friends' happiness. Am I understood?" Teach made no response, and after a moment, Thatch threw him away in disgust. "Why don't you do your fucking job and keep watch." Thatch headed back towards the house, pausing at the door to turn and look at Teach one last time. "You lay one finger on Ace and you're a dead man, you hear me? Dead."

Ace sat out on the back porch of the house, listening to the wind sigh through the branches. He'd always loved that sound. Ace closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting the wind hit his face more fully and taking a deep breath of the maple-scented air. Fall had always been his favorite season. He heard approaching footsteps and turned his head, still smiling.

Thatch approached, two mugs of a steaming liquid in his hands. Ace accepted the mug offered him and took a sip. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both content to watch the trees.

"So...any idea how we're going to get into the base?" Thatch said. Ace inclined his head.

"I've got an idea...but we're going to have to wait a little before we can start."

"Mind sharing?" Ace chuckled.

"Wouldn't you rather it was a surprise?" Thatch gave him a flat look. "Listen, I promise nobody's going to get hurt. This plan is practically bulletproof. I could even pull it off on my own if you're that opposed. Trust me. If/When this all goes according to plan, we'll come out on the other side with at least two uniforms and identities that'll get us through navy security and into the building. We'll have easy access to the blueprints and I can redraw them later. Then we'll have a layout of the building and we can make a plan on how to actually get in, get the fruit, and get out."

"...Okay." They fell back into silence again, Thatch left wondering what exactly Ace had planned. After a few minutes Ace moved, pulling an object from beside him on the porch. Thatch's eyes caught on it for the first time and he raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you brought your guitar." Ace turned and flashed Thatch a smile, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well...with Marco and my anniversary coming up I thought I'd write us a song." Ace was blushing lightly. "I don't have the whole thing written yet, only the first verse and chorus. I've been recording it in a tone dial so I don't forget. Writing sheet music is too much of a pain." Thatch smiled.

"That's a good idea. What's it called?" Ace had resumed tuning the guitar.

"Well...I don't have a definite title yet, but I'll find something in the lyrics that works." Thatch nodded and stood.

"I guess I'll leave you alone, then. Come and get me when it's time to head out to complete this plan of yours." He grabbed the empty mugs and headed back into the house, but stopped just inside the door, listening carefully. After a few moments he heard the click of a tone dial, then the first notes of the guitar, and, after that, Ace's voice.

"I am thinking it's a sign

that the freckles in our eyes

are mirror images and

when we kiss they're perfectly aligned

and I have to speculate

that God himself did make us into

corresponding

shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay.

True it may seem like a stretch

but it's thoughts like this that

catch my troubled head

when we're away

when I am missing you to death.

They will see us waving from such great heights

"come down now!" They'll say

but everything looks perfect from far away

"come down now!" But we'll stay." The last note faded off and again Thatch heard the click of the tone dial. Ace then began experimenting with the accompaniment, messing with the chord arrangements of the next verse. Thatch, smiling, walked further inside the house, dumping the dishes in the sink. Ace always did give the best gifts.

"Umm...what the hell are we doing here?" Thatch glanced around the street they were currently walking down before his eyes settled on Ace, looking at him like he thought he'd gone entirely crazy.

"It's all part of the plan. Just give me a minute." Ace was scanning the sides of the street like he was looking for someone in particular.

"Coming to a red light district is part of your plan?" Ace still wasn't really paying Thatch any attention.

"Yeah, it is. If this is going to work we're going to need some help." His eyes seemed to catch on someone in particular and he crossed the street, coming to a stop before a building, window boxes overflowing with roses. A woman, her low-necked dress not hiding much, approached, sultry smile on her face.

"Hey there, honey. What can I do for you?" Ace tried not to sneeze at the purfume billowing off her in waves. He forced a smile.

"I've got a special job I'm going to need some help with. Any way I can speak to your boss?" She straightened, as she'd leaned forward slightly, the lewd smile falling off her face.

"Oh." A different kind of smile came to her face, this one a touch more cunning. "A 'special job' huh? What kind?" She beckoned for them to follow her and opened the door to the building, leading them inside. "Depending on what it is you want done you're going to have to speak with the boss. She handles all the 'special's." After walking through the main room and down a hallway, the woman opened another door, stepping aside to let them pass.

A woman sat behind the desk, a petite brunette with curly hair and grey-green eyes. Her dress was much more modestly cut than the previous woman's. She had been working with what looked to Ace to be an expenses ledger when they'd been let in. She looked up on their entry, instantly looking them up and down and the look in her eyes told Ace it was more of a threat assessment than anything. Their previous guide ushered them inside before addressing the brunette.

"They're here for a 'special'." The brunette nodded.

"Thank you, Patricia. Do me a favor and make sure nobody comes this way, would you?"

"Yes ma'am." 'Patricia' closed the door behind her, obvious respect in her tone. The brunette looked between the two of them again, not rising from the desk. She waited a moment before speaking, probably until she was sure Patricia was making sure nobody was listening.

"Hello Thatch and Portgas D. Ace, second and fourth division commanders of the Whitebeard pirates. What can I do for you?" Ace tried not to show surprise. She knew who they were? Who else knew? Ace caught the look in her eyes, that same assessing cool that had been there when she'd looked them up and down before. He steadied. It was a test. She wanted to see what we'd do if she made it clear she knew exactly who we were. She wants us to know she has cards too. Ace smiled. He liked this woman.

"Hello. I'm impressed you knew who we were." She smiled at him almost patronizingly.

"A disguise can only do so much. I memorize more than just the surface when I look at bounty posters. You can't change your bone structure." She gestured to two chairs in front of her desk. "Please, sit down." They sat and she regarded them for a moment in silence before extending a hand. "I suppose it's rude of me to address you by your names and not let you address me by one of mine. You can call me Eve." Ace shook her hand first, then Thatch. Ace raised an eyebrow.

""One of?"" She smiled coolly.

"It's better not to go by your real name when you do what I do and have the enemies I have." Ace nodded.

"I can accept that. Though I hope you don't consider us your enemies." She waved a hand at him.

"Enough of this pointless politician's nonsense. Tell me what you're really here for. We'll see if I'll help." Ace glanced at Thatch who nodded.

"You know who we are, so you've doubtless deduced that we're here on a mission." She nodded and Ace continued. "Our current immediate goal is to get into the marine base and gain access to a floor plan. After that we-" She raised a hand and he stopped.

"I don't want to know the details. I can't be arrested as an accessory to whatever it is you're here for it you never told it to me." She took a breath. "Body count?"

"What do you mean?"

"If me and my girls help you, how many people are going to die? And who?" She was looking at him seriously.

"If everything goes according to plan, nobody." Her eyes were hard.

"Things very rarely go 'according to plan' with you people." Ace sighed.

"If something goes wrong, we're going to have to blow out of that base. It's why we need a floor plan. If we aren't stumbling around blindly we can find a quicker exit and less people would have to die or be hurt."

"And civilians?"

"We'd never involve civilians in a fight that isn't theirs." Thatch said. "Marines know the risk, but those people aren't related. They'll be left entirely out of it." She nodded. She fell silent for a while, closing her eyes, seemingly thinking. Ace waited in silence. After a few minutes she opened her eyes, but didn't address them, instead pulling a few blank sheets of paper from her desk and reaching for a pen.

The pen fairly flew over the paper, and it was only another minute in a half before she pushed three sheets of paper across her desk towards them. Ace's eyes widened and he lifted one labeled 'first floor'. If he was impressed before, he was awed now.

"And this is accurate?" His voice was hushed. He could feel her eyes resting on him.

"Yes. Perfectly. Down to the last broom cupboard." Ace was still staring at the drawings in wonder.

"How did you even get this?"

"Where do you think the marines take the girls when they hire them? I made the original sketch based on their descriptions." Ace's eyes snapped up at this.

"Listen, this is helpful but I need more than the word of a few possibly drugged girls before I break into a navy base." Eve scoffed.

"Please. My girls are professionals. If anyone was drugged it was the marines. And I've verified the information myself. I trust my girls, but there's no harm in certainty. After I had a sketch I sent Patricia to one of the architects. And if a copy of the blueprints went missing? Well, there was no proof anyone could find. That sketch is accurate."

"You're sure you perfectly retained the information? I didn't see you use a reference image." Eve smiled at him.

"Don't patronize me. I have a photographic memory. The information is accurate. I could walk through that building backwards based on those images." Ace finally relented, the seriousness leaving his eyes.

"Well this speeds things up for us. I was going to ask you to have some of your girls steal some navy uniforms so we could find a floorplan ourselves, but if this is as accurate as you say that won't be necessary." He leaned forward. "So tell me, how much will this cost?"

"One life." Ace blinked.

"I beg your pardon?" Eve smiled.

"We're not going to be exchanging money. I did you a favor, now you're going to do me one." Her eyes went hard. "There's a marine, an officer, by the name of rear-admiral James White. He sleeps in the room I circled on the second floor. He's a threat to my business."

"What do you mean by-"

"I mean my girls are coming back with bruises." Eve snapped. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "They're coming back with bruises and too scared to work again for another three months. It has to stop. That son of a bitch deserves to die." Ace was silent. Eve still looked angry. "Still don't believe me? Fine!" She moved then, but she didn't stand. As she came around the desk Ace's eyes widened.

Eve was in a wheelchair.

She snarled at Ace, bitter loss clear in her voice. "That son of a bitch was drunk to hell when he hired me. I was eighteen years old at the time. Barely more than a girl. It was my first time working the job. He took me back to the base like they always do. He fucked me until I bled and then he beat me half to death for wanting to leave. When I tried to run he broke my leg. It was only because some of the other girls in the building heard me screaming and came to get me that I'm even alive. They took me to a doctor where I remained in critical condition for nearly two weeks. My leg that had been broken was badly mutilated and there was no saving it. The doctor had to amputate. I haven't been able to run for nearly ten years now, and I'll never be able to again. I'll never be able to dance. I'll never be able to walk. I was offered no compensation, neither from the navy or from him. He didn't even pay for sleeping with me." Her gaze was practically burning into Ace. "And in the last ten years he's done the same to others. Two weeks ago a girl died. And nobody seems to care. I won't let it happen again. Never. Again. So either you'll take the information I've given you and kill him, or you'll get the hell out of my office and I will." Ace met her eyes, his expression sad.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"Tch. The past is the past. There's no changing it, so why don't you do what you can to change the future." Ace met her eyes for another moment before reaching out and taking the drawings from her desk. Thatch blinked at him.

"Ace, is this really-"

"This is the price of the information. I think it's fair." The anger had faded from Eve's face and voice.

"Leave no evidence. Nothing to link it to either of us." Ace stood and Thatch followed suit.

"Don't patronize me. We're professionals too, you know." She smiled.

"I wouldn't have hired any less."

Ace sat at his desk, studying the sketches. He'd been working for about three hours, and he still had a good way to go. He tapped a pen against his lip, raising his other hand to rub his forehead. He sighed, turning back to the notes he'd been working on.

"Got a plan yet?" Ace turned his head as Teach entered. He smiled wearily.

"Still working on it. I've found a good entry point and a possible route, but timing is going to be everything. Is Thatch still out watching their patrol patterns?"

"Yeah. He said he'd be back by midnight." Ace groaned and rubbed his forehead again, trying to stave off the slowly encroaching headache.

"Well, that information will be helpful. Or a ridiculous pain in the ass." Teach raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Well, I think I've figured out a route we can take to get to the fruit, but if there's a million patrols that way I'm going to have to map out an entirely different route. Avoiding raising the alarm is everything. If they know we're here they'll guard the fruit a lot more carefully. We have to act soon, though."

"Why's that?" Ace sighed.

"Because while getting a devil fruit is a massive snag in their gigantic bureaucracy, it won't take them forever to figure out who to give it to. We need to get it before anyone eats it." Ace stretched his shoulders, feeling tension ease from them. "What time is it now?"

"It's about 9:30." Ace nodded.

"Thatch'll probably start back in about two hours." Ace looked back at the assorted papers on his desk and sighed. "I need to take a break from this or my head's going to explode. I'll keep watch for a few hours, you can go ahead and get some sleep." Ace leaned his elbows on the table and cradled his head in his hands. The headache was getting worse, and it was starting to slow Ace's thought process. He dimly registered approaching footsteps.

"You're the one who needs some sleep, Ace. You've been working on this all day, surely it can wait until morning." Sleep did sound appealing. Maybe it would rid him of this thrice-damned headache. "You need to relax, you're overworking yourself." Again, Ace only dimly registered that the voice was closer than before. Ace felt like he was on the very edge of one of his narcolepsy attacks, somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. He couldn't think. Warm hands settled on his shoulders.

This time the voice was a mere whisper, breath hot on Ace's neck and ear. "...Of course, there are other ways of relaxing." Ace's eyes snapped open, instantly coming back to full wakefulness.

He threw an elbow back, catching Teach hard in the stomach, and followed by grabbing one of Teach's wrists. He spun as he stood from the chair, twisting the arm behind Teach's back. He swept Teach's feet out from under him and gravity carried the two of them to the floor. With his other hand he drew the knife from his belt, holding the tip of it just above the skin where skull met vertebra, where the spinal cord was most vulnerable. He was left kneeling on Teach's back, one knee digging harshly into Teach's spine between the shoulder blades, other knee on the floor for balance. His left arm was employed twisting Teach's arm behind him at a painful angle, his right hand holding the blade where he could kill Teach in an instant. Ace allowed a moment of silence to pass, that Teach might fully recognize exactly how dead he could be. After that moment, he twisted Teach's arm further, listening to the gasp of pain. Ace's voice was deadly.

"You listen to me and you listen very carefully. The next limb of yours that comes into contact with me will be permanently disconnected from your body. Stay the hell off me." Ace released Teach, turning away and leaving the room. He headed through the living room and out the front door, only pausing to grab his blanket.

Ace took several large lungfuls of the cool night air. His pounding heart was only just beginning to settle. He could at least tolerate Teach looking at him more than was strictly speaking necessary, but this had been way the hell out of what Ace was willing to deal with. In the moment, Ace had actually momentarily considered killing Teach. Ace shivered, thinking of Teach's hands on his shoulders. Fucking creeper. Ace had been focusing all his energy on the upcoming break in and had let his guard down. It would not happen again.

As time passed, Ace began to calm back down. The autumn air had a soothing effect on him, and being wrapped in the fluffy blanket was calming. He watched the stars and listened to the wind and began to feel equilibrium return.

Seeing Thatch come up the hill was a relief as well.

As he approached Ace actually found himself smiling. When Thatch reached him, he stopped and sat down next to Ace. "Hey, man. I think I've got everything you needed." Thatch blinked, seeming to see Ace's face for the first time. "Whoa. Dude, you okay? You look like hell." Ace gave a tired sigh and rubbed at his face.

"Just a bit tired. And, well..." Ace trailed off. Thatch's eyes sharpened.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Ace forced a smile.

"No. I'm just a little homesick." Thatch seemed to relax and only as he removed it did Ace notice his hand had settled unobtrusively on his sword. "So, what did you find out?"

"It's actually good news. They have a very simple patrol path all the way around the outer wall of the base, but once you're inside that, the patrols thin out. This place is freaking huge too, so they're spread pretty thin even where they're more regular. It shouldn't be a problem to slip by them and over the wall. The parade grounds are practically unpatrolled, and there are a ton of low windows. There are only a few actual doors. The main entrance, a fairly large side door, and a small door in back, probably for food delivery. I didn't get a close look, but it wouldn't surprise me if that door's pickable. The other two are a little too visible for my taste, and like I said, there's a bunch of low windows if that looks to be a better option. I didn't get a look at the interior obviously, but based on the number of people they're using to patrol the outer wall and the few on the parade grounds, it wouldn't surprise me if that's the majority of their security." Ace chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Oh, and there's something else too." Ace looked back at Thatch once more.

"What is it?" Thatch grinned and reached into his bag. Ace outright gasped in shock as he withdrew it.

It was a devil fruit.

"What the actual hell?! Where the did you get that?"

"It's not real. It was a gift from Eve. She says they actually check on the fruit to make sure it's still there every so often. This, according to her, looks just like the real thing. When we grab it we can put this in its place and nobody will be the wiser until someone tries eating it and nothing happens." Ace blinked.

"...Smart." A moment of silence passed.

"How's it looking on your end? You think you've got us a route to get to it?" Ace nodded firmly.

"Based on what you told me, I think I've got something very usable. There's just one thing, though. Something I don't think you're going to like." Thatch looked wary.

"What is it?" Ace took a deep breath.

"In order to get both the fruit and the rear-admiral, we're going to have to split up about halfway into the base."

"What?!"

"We have to keep our deal with Eve and we have to fulfill Oyaji's orders. The safest way of doing it is by splitting up. The fruit's in the basement, below ground level, and the rear-admiral sleeps in a room on the second floor." He eyed Thatch's face. "I knew you wouldn't like this idea."

"You're right. I don't. Find another way." Ace sighed.

"There is no other way. I mean, theoretically yes we could go together to both objectives, but that'll lengthen the amount of time we have to spend in there and the number of marines we'll probably come across. The less time we spend in there the better. This really is the safest way."

"...You shouldn't have agreed to Eve's price for the information."

"Doesn't matter now. Now that I know what he's done in the past, even I think he deserves to die. If I'd found out what he'd done and Eve hadn't asked us to kill him I'd probably have gone to kill him on my own. This bastard deserves it and I won't let him hurt anyone else." Thatch met Ace's eyes evenly and they stared each other down for a moment. Thatch finally sighed and looked away.

"You're really set on this?"

"Yes."

"Fine. But if you're not at wherever we choose for a rendezvous point within three minutes of our selected time, I'm coming after your ass." Ace smiled.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

The next day was spent in preparation. Ace painstakingly memorized every twist and turn of every corridor on the map, and had given them to Thatch that he might either memorize them or take them with him if he needed. They'd chosen the gear they'd need and had packed it according to the order they'd need it on the mission.

Ace pulled on the somewhat baggy mottled grey and black shirt, matching in pattern and looseness with his pants. The mottled greys blended better in darkness than pure black, and the looseness of the fabric made for a less human silhouette. Ace had a short, curved blade strapped to his back, his dagger at his waist, a blade strapped to the underside of his left arm if he needed it, and, for a worst-case scenario, a dagger in his boot. He pulled on the backpack with the grappling hooks, throwing knives, and a few other odds and ends Ace thought might be helpful. The backpack sat in such a way that it hid the majority of the sheath on Ace's back, but the handle of the blade was still very reachable.

Ace stood in front of a mirror, studying his appearance. It'd been a while since he'd done something like this. Ace reached into a bowl to his right, scooping out a quantity of the paste within. It was a mixture of ash and oil, dark grey in color. Ace smeared the somewhat gritty paste on his face and neck, ensuring all of his skin was covered, even his ears and eyelids. His hands were next, the sticky mixture covering his skin. Ace opened his eyes after applying a last coating to his face. He took a deep breath.

Showtime.

(A/N: End chapter 2. Enjoyed it? It was actually pretty fun to write. :) I don't really have anything of value to say down here, so I'll let you be on your way. All I wanted was to implore you all to review. You really make me happy when you do, and it motivates me to write. :) see you next time, guys!

-Stuff'nStuff)