Fallen Skies

Zosan

All One Piece characters belong to Oda

The ones who spoke (or ratted-as the institution named it) were placed in small cells, each divided and alone. Their foot chained to the wall, making sure to keep them from escaping. Saga watched as Zoro laid in his cells- the silver haired teen's cell being located across from his. Zoro had been unresponsive since eight days ago. The food the staff brought him neglected, his voice falling on deaf ears as the child across from him seemed to be in another world.

Saga worried what they had done to him to render him like this. All that Sade has done to his green haired companion never left him like this-so lifeless. Saga watched as Zoro lay there, watching as staffs brought him food only to take it back a few hours later untouched. Saga even screamed his lungs raw, some of the other children in their cells also trying to get Zoro to move. But still, no movement came from the small, quickly thinning body.

The door to the room, where the cells were located opened, Sade enters with a gleeful smile on her face.

Saga glared at the woman when she neared his cage, and stopped, effectively blocking his view of Zoro. "Stupid witch, " he murmured under his breath.

Sade crouched down, her eyes going over the small unmoving body in front of her. She couldn't see his face for his back was facing her, but her smile didn't change. "Mr.1 tells me you're unresponsive… That you'll kill yourself at the rate you're going."

"Zoro, I hate seeing you like this. So lifeless, don't you want to get back to me?"

Saga rolled his eyes. He truly wondered if she was trying to help Zoro or make him worse. The teen's eyes narrowed when he saw Sade pull two things from her back pocket. One he recognized quickly, a knife.

"I hope this helps you. Because Zoro-kun, I really miss you and they said they won't take you out until you're better." Sade's smile turned into a sad frown. "All this waiting is making me sad. All the joyous memories we had together…"

Sade gritted her teeth. "Say something you piece of trash. At least look at me when I'm talking to you!" Tighten the knife on her hand, she tried to reach into the bars and cut Zoro, who didn't so much as flinch.

The silver haired child quickly looked away, afraid what Sade might do to Zoro. A Zoro that won't defend himself, that probably won't move if the blade penetrate his skin over and over. Glancing back, Saga was relieved to see Sade only mere inches from Zoro's back, her arm reaching its limit through the bars.

"Zoro!" With frustration in her voice, she flung the knife into Zoro's cell and missed his hand by pure luck.

Looking at the other item on her hand one last time, she slowly passed her hand through the bars and with a flick of her wrist- released it. Satisfied, she stood up from her crouched position, flipped her hair and walked out.

Saga's eyes followed Sade until she disappeared behind the door, and even then his eyes stayed there, only snapping back to Zoro when he finally saw the child move since eight days ago.

The older teen watched as Zoro's hand slowly trembled until touching the item Sade had thrown at him. Sliding it on the floor before picking it up, Saga was able to see it was some kind of paper.

Zoro held the paper closer to his face. His eyes widen when he saw it was a picture. A picture of Usopp as a baby in Banchina's hands in the hospital. Banchina looked pale, and sickly, but she was smiling lovely at her baby, the same smile she would send his way whenever she looked at him. He turned over the picture and read: To Zoro, From Yasopp.

Tears started to soak the picture on his trembling hand. Instead of making him sadder, the picture of Usopp and Banchina made a fire in Zoro spark again.

I'm not going to stay here. I won't stay here!

Zoro pushed his body up with shaking limbs until he was seated. Taking the bandana that was around his arm, he tied it around his ankle, the one tied and chained to the wall, tight.

"Zoro, you're up! Are you ok? Are you hungry, I hid some food for you… Zoro?" Saga stopped his rumble when he saw the determined look in his green eyes. Saga could see Zoro couldn't even hear him at the moment.

"Zoro… what are you?"

His question caught the attention of the other children in the cells, each one of them leaning on the cells, watching Zoro.

Taking the knife Sade had left next to him, Zoro held it with the tip facing down, his hands trembling. He closed his eyes, the room silent, watching Zoro.

"LET GO Of ME!" He brought the blade down into his ankle, blood flying on the floor. Not even hesitating for a second, Zoro brought up the knife and brought it down again, and again, and again, and again, while screaming in pure agony! "Let go! Let go! Let Go!

"Zoro stop!" Saga screamed, but his voice could not be heard with the encouraging shouts from the other kids. Saga held onto the bars, his grip tightening each time the blade entered the small child's flesh, reemerged to then re-penetrate. "Zoro, this is insane, stop!"

The other kids, however, screamed for Zoro go, to get free and go.

With broken tissues and skin and blood soaking his chained ankle, Zoro used the sole of his other foot and pushed against the chain wrapped around his ankle. His nails dug into the ground next to him, a low whine screaming his throat as the nerves in his foot made contact with metal. He was able to forcefully remove his foot from the chain, as it landed with a loud clatter.

However, all that struggle was going to be for nothing, as the cell door swung open, Sade entering in a hurried haste.

"Hurry up you slow, stupid man!" Sade roared as she burst through the door, a chain in hand.

From his position Saga saw Sade enter the room, chain in hand, his eyes returned towards Zoro, who seemed to be in too much pain to move. "Zoro, if you're going to make a run for it, do it now!" His voice almost being drowned by the others shouts.

Zoro glanced from Saga to Sade who was about halfway to his cell. Standing up and forcing his foot to support his weight, Zoro limped towards the window with bars.

Zoro didn't know what divine power was helping him, but he was able to see a dent on the bars, most likely from someone before him trying to get free, the bent bar was just big enough for his small frame to pass through. It would be a tight fit, but big enough for him to pass.

Placing both hands on the window, Zoro lifted his body up, easing himself out the window, not wanting to fall from a two-story window. He had to turn his body, so he could fit through, but his thin body allowed him to pass. He was fully out by the time Sade reached, but remembering Saga made Zoro hesitate and that was all Sade needed.

"No you don't!" She screamed over the others in the cells- she opened the cell door as she threw her trusty chain. "I don't miss when I really want something!" She roared in anger.

"Zoro, Forget about me!"

Zoro flinched away from the chain, causing him to lose his bearing and fall. However, true to her statement, the chain Sade threw wrapped around his throat and practically hanged him outside the window. His body was yanked back, and he hit his back with the building wall.

Zoro felt his world blank for a second when his weight was added to the chain, the only thing holding him from his fall to freedom. Zoro tried to scream, but the chain was blocking any noise, including his much-needed oxygen. He kicked and flails his arms, trying to get free and breathe.

With a smile on her face, Sade started to pull on the chain- pulling what she caught back up.

Snaking his hands around the chain hanging him, Zoro grabbed onto the chain, and yanked it as hard his muscles allowed him to.

"You thought you can get away from me? When I get my hands on y-" Her speech was stopped when she felt her body hit the floor when the chain she was holding gave a hard jolt, her grip releasing. Sade's mouth hanged open, watching as the chain dragged across the floor, and fell out the window.

Instantly Zoro fell to the floor, landing on his right side, the chain still around his neck, but no longer tight. Standing up on his two feet, Zoro and made a run for it. He could hear the frantic cries of Sade, but he didn't dare look back.

Sade turned around and snarled. "Tell Crocodile we have one that escaped!"

"You mean he got away?" One of the staff asked.

Sade slapped the man. "Did you not hear me!?"

Her anger was fueled more with all the cheering and shouts coming from the cells. "You're lucky I have no time for all of you right now!" Sade screamed. She exited the room, with the other staff behind her.

Saga felt like he could breathe again, he didn't notice he had even held his breath. "Please make it out ok, Zoro." Saga whispered, looking at the blood on the floor.

Zoro kept running, he wasn't sure for how long. But his body screamed at him to stop, his feet felt sore, his heart thundering painfully and his lungs dry. Not being able to run anymore Zoro started to slow down, but he didn't stop moving. He was tired, he wasn't even sure he was still moving, the sun had start to set a few hours ago, and it was getting dark.

Seeing a small playground, Zoro slowly started to stop his running. His left foot, the one he stabbed now blazing with agonizing pain. Stumbling on the slide, Zoro laid down, his vision blurring. The sound of the night crickets starting to fade slowly as his eyes took longer and longer to open after each blink.

His lips moved, his mind blank. "I… I give up… I give up… I… give…" His eyes slowly closed.

/

"Be careful now, you just got out the hospital two weeks ago, and you still shouldn't over do it."

The small boy nodded, a small smile taking his lips as he slowly walked to the swings, tightening his scruff because of the cold. The small boy stopped when he heard a small whimper. Looking at the slide, the little boy made his way towards it, his steps light with caution.

Rounding the slide, the boy's eyes widen. "Dad!"

/

Bonney stopped abruptly when she saw Sanji's eyes widen. "Sanji, you ok?"

Placing a hand on his head Sanji ruffled his own hair. "I remember now…" He whispered, his shoulder starting to shake. "I found him…That was me."

Bonney's eyes widen with realizing. "It can't be… Sanji?"

"I still wasn't myself after my accident, and my memory was blurring at that time… but it's coming back to me now… There was a chain… around his neck."

/

Sanji smiled at his dad, Zeff, before walking slowly towards the swings, wrapping his red scarf tighter, the cold starting to settle in. His body was still not ready for anything too vigorous, one of the reason Zeff brought him to the playground at night, so no other children can accidentally hurt him. The small boy stopped when he heard a small whine. Thinking it was a wounded animal, Sanji went to where he heard it. He stopped behind the slide, slowly peaking around it. Only for his eyes to widen.

There was a boy, with dark hair, sleeping (It was too dark to tell) on the slide. What caught his attention was the chain hanging tightly around his neck. The child's body looked battered; he was heavily bandaged around his hands, especially around his wrist almost touching his elbows. One of his ankles was bleeding badly, and the small child's body covered in dirt.

Not knowing what to do, Sanji called for his father. For the first time calling him "DAD!"