Chapter 18 (Sup guys? Here with the next installment of your daily dosage of tormenting the characters you know and love! Hopefully this chapter will be better than the last. Having reread 17, it wasn't THAT bad, but it still sucked in comparison to chapter 16. Oh well. You win some you lose some. OH IMPORTANT PLEASE READ! In this, there are several parts written in 98% italics. During those parts, anything written in non-italicized type in the middle of a paragraph is someone's THOUGHTS. That is important to know. Also! Calluce is pronounced cal-loo-chay. K? Why? Cuz I made it up and I say so! AND! READ THIS OR I WILL SMITE THEE! This is STILL not yaoi, okay? THERE IS NO YAOI HERE. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION AS THE AUTHOR TO HAVE ANY OF THIS TAKEN AS YAOI.

Wolfgirljess: Thank you! It's good to receive gratitude for the chapter even though it really wasn't anything to scream about. Yes, poor, poor Ace. He's done no wrong (besides killing two marines and being friends with a pirate) and these damn marines are assholes.

E: Hahahahahahaha, ah the dichotomy of good writing. I'm glad the story is addicting. C: I put Ace through a lot. I…suck as a fangirl. X( I'm glad you like it anyway.

Erubell: Poor little baby Ace…I'm so terrible to him… Yeah, his heart was in the right place, but he took the wrong kind of action. Like Serpent said, Thatch could have accidentally fried his, Ace's, Marco's, or Whitebeard's brains. That would not have been good.

Panda Bear: Thank you. Your support makes me feel better about the last chapter. I am proud that I was able to get SOMETHING out before I left for a while. Thank you! I'll try!

TFR: I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's alright! I understand. The internet can be very finicky. Thank you! Yes! THE PLOT THICKENS! I think a lot of people have figured it out at this point. XD Thank you! I hope this is out soon enough for you!

Rio: Sorry it wasn't longer…I just…yeah. Sorry. Yes, that needed to be explained. I will, don't worry! It will be finished! …Eventually.

E: I tried to. Hope this is out soon enough for you!

And those are the anonymous reviews. On with the chapter. Hopefully at least a little better than the last.)

"So, what's wrong with him specifically?" Selma ran a hand through her hair. She paused for a moment.

"I…I don't know where to start. The damage is…extensive. Gashes, bruises, burns. And that's just the beginning. He has 4 broken ribs and another 2 are fractured. And his hands…" She paused for a moment. Her eyes were unfocused, like she was seeing something else. She looked like she was trying not to cry. "All of the fingers in his right hand were broken recently and had really only just begun to heal. They were each broken separately. Do you have any idea what that would feel like? There was…there was a puncture wound through each of his palms, as if they were pinned to something by a knife or other sharp object." She swallowed. She was trembling lightly now. Thatch was staring at her in horror, mouth hanging slack. He had seen it. He had seen the damned bandages on Ace's hands but hadn't understood them. He had seen the signs but failed to recognize them. It all made sense now, all of it. Memories flashed through his mind.

"What happened to your hands?" Ace pulled his hands back as if to hide them. He tried to act nonchalant.

"Nothing. I got a bad rope burn a couple of days ago. The skin is still raw, so it's better to keep it covered."

Thatch lifted a hand to his face.

Ace winced and switched the pencil from his right hand to his left. Thatch blinked. "Is there something wrong with your hand?" Ace stared at him, mouth moving but producing no sound. After a short pause, he finally spoke.

"I…I have a bad habit of holding my pencils too tightly. My hands cramp after a while, so it's better to switch every now and again."

The lies were clear as glass now.

"Marine or pirate?"

Thatch's heart constricted painfully.

Thatch reached down to help Ace stand. Ace flinched back wildly, as if expecting a blow.

Thatch felt tears beginning to form in his own eyes.

Jericho raised his hand. "You little bitch!" Ace's eyes went wide and he pressed back against the table. He looked utterly terrified, breath hitching in his throat.

Thatch clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tightly.

He hadn't been seeing Jericho, though. The details clicked in Thatch's mind. His eyes were too high. He was seeing something from this, from his past, from this hell he had been bound to, the hell he had hidden from us. Thatch's face was tight, his head bowed. The hell he had faced alone.

Marco was completely shocked, and could barely think enough to breathe. This…this didn't happen. Children weren't abducted from their homes and tortured. It just…it just could be true. Marco had always considered himself a realistic man, not naïve enough to believe in a perfect world anymore, but this… This was just wrong. It…couldn't be true. Ace wasn't tortured when he was a 10-year-old kid. Marco blinked.

He circled back to the ship, gaining altitude to maximize his range of visibility. His gaze wandered over the ship and froze. Oh thank God. Relief rose like a tide inside Marco, and he circled lower and landed on deck. Sitting with his back to the port railing, knees pressed tightly against his chest and head bowed, was Ace.

When Marco landed Ace remained in his curled position. Marco approached him slowly, unsure. As Marco drew nearer, he noticed Ace was shivering, his entire body trembling lightly. Marco approached, reaching out with his right hand.

"Ace?" Ace's head jerked up, and he threw himself backwards, away from Marco. His eyes were wide and his breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Don't touch me!" Marco was shocked.

"Ace…" Ace's breathing remained shallow, almost like panting.

"Stay back!" Marco stopped where he was and slowly withdrew his hand. Marco looked into Ace's eyes and saw nothing but panic and fear. He doesn't even recognize me… Marco, moving slowly so as not to startle Ace, quietly sat where he was, facing towards him.

"Ace, calm down. There's nothing to be afraid of." Marco raised both his hands slowly so that Ace could see them clearly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Ace shut his eyes tightly and a shudder passed down his spine. He remained that way for a moment, and when he reopened his eyes they seemed clearer.

"Marco." Ace's voice was choked, the syllable more like a sob than a name. He shut his eyes again. He curled back up, arms wrapped around his legs pulling them close to his chest, forehead resting on his knees. Marco took this as acceptance and slowly moved over to sit next to Ace. He could feel Ace shuddering next to him. He slowly put his arm around Ace. At the contact Ace flinched, but didn't flee. Marco looked down at the boy in concern.

"Ace, what's the matter? Why are you so upset?" Ace's voice came out muffled and thready.

"Because I remember everything. I…I just…During the day it's not so bad, but at night? I can't-…There's no escaping, when I'm asleep." Marco turned away from Selma and the rest, leaning against a wall and pressing a hand against his mouth.

"Oh my God." Ace had told him. Ace had fucking told him and he still hadn't responded. The weight of Marco's guilt nearly brought him to his knees. Marco felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out. I had promised him…I had promised.

"Oi, Marco! Report for you!" Jozu tossed the white envelope through Marco's opened doorway. Marco caught it deftly without looking up from the legitimate piles of paperwork he was currently working on.

"Thanks Jozu." Marco spoke distractedly, automatically. He brought the envelope around to his front and glanced at the return address. 7142 South Molston Road, Calluce Isle. Marco didn't spare the envelope a second glance and tossed it onto one of the nearby piles. He got back to work, completely disregarding the report. Marco yawned hugely. He hadn't slept in about 2 days. Ace is lucky…he can get away with falling asleep any time he wants. Marco snorted thinking of the various incidents Ace's narcolepsy had caused. Marco smiled, thinking of his newest crewmate. Ace…I wonder what he's up to now. When I sent him on that solo mission four days ago, I thought it would only take him about 2… Marco felt a pang of worry and bit his lip. Ace can handle it. He's strong and resourceful, not to mention a freaking genius. I'm sure he's fine. I'm just overreacting. It's his first solo mission, he's probably just taking his time to make sure he does it right. It's not exactly like I gave him a hard assignment, right? I just told him to gather intel on a low-level marine base. He can handle it. Calluce Isle isn't exactly jumping with activity or importance.

…

…Wait.

Calluce.

Marco's eyes landed on the clean white square of paper. "Shit." Marco lunged for the envelope, seizing it roughly, knocking over a stack of papers in the process. He tore it open and his eyes were met by Ace's neat, small handwriting.

Allow me to preface this by saying this was most assuredly not my fault.

The last time Ace had said something wasn't his fault, Marco's hair had been bright purple and most of the crewmembers had been covered in craft glitter for weeks.

Assuming this was delivered to Marco, you're probably remembering the glitter incident.

Marco scowled. The damn kid knew him too well.

Stop scowling. You wouldn't want your face to stick like that, would you?

…Well fuck. Am I really that predictable?

Okay. Now, are you holding anything breakable, are you near anything flammable, are you drinking any liquids, anything like that? If so, set it down and step away.

Marco did not like where this was going. Not. One. Fucking. Bit.

Are we good? Alright. Firstly, I would like to say once more, this is not my fault. Oh, I forgot to ask if you were standing near anything you didn't want to be horrifically disfigured and/or destroyed. No? Good. If yes, step away.

"Get on with it, Ace." Marco's voice was almost a growl.

Alright, alright. Don't get your feathers in a tangle. (Although watching you preen is ridiculously hilarious.)

Marco, with a massive effort of will, resisted the urge to torch the note.

Anyways, before I tell you the actual purpose of this note, I would like to remind you what a decent, wonderful, caring, merciful example of a human being you are. Truly. I mean, you are just an outstanding specimen of human morality, compassion, decency, and forgiveness.

Alright. Who the hell gave Ace a thesaurus for his birthday?

As such, I'm sure that a person of such breathtaking and humbling character will find it in their heart not to rupture all my internal organs when we next meet.

Marco felt his body tense. This isn't good. Marco knew that whatever came next was just going to make. His. Fucking. Day.

I want you to promise me something, alright? Don't freak out. Really. It's not that bad. There's really nothing to worry about here. Just relax. Sit down, maybe. Take some deep breaths. Meditate. Ponder. Contemplate. Mull over. Reflect. Consider. Deliberate. Go into zen-mode. Whatever you need to do to not cause the ship to explode.

Marco could almost hear Ace taking a deep breath.

…I've been captured by marines.

…And it'd probably be good if someone got here before they execute me.

Marco stared at the note. He blinked at it a few times. The words didn't change. The black ink still sat on the page staring up at him. Marco stared at the words. The words stared at him. Their meaning finally clicked in Marco's brain.

"Holy shit!" Marco leapt from his chair. It fell to the floor with a wooden bang. He transformed into his bird form in the blink of an eye and launched himself out the window. Behind him, the stacks of paper whirled in the sudden air current from his wings, scattering all about the room, some even following him out the window and into the sea below.

"Ace you son of a bitch, when I get there, you are in such deep shit." Marco was pissed at Ace for getting his idiot self captured, but more than that anger he felt panic and terror for his friend rising in him. "Don't you dare…don't you even fucking think about dying."

Ace sat in a small, badly lit cell. As far as interrogation chambers went, this one seemed fairly stereotypical. Ace was chained to a wall. The seastone shackles binding him had already rubbed his wrists and ankles to the point of bleeding. Ace was pretty sure they were going to get infected soon, but seeing as he was currently chained to a wall in a base full of people who hated him, there wasn't much he could do about it.

Ace closed his eyes and listened intently. He could hear footsteps on the floor above him, what sounded like a group of maybe 20 or more people moving around. The sounds of joviality and the general ruckus of a large group of people seeped through the floorboards, and Ace assumed that it was probably the dining hall above him. Ace felt hunger raise its head and protest its existence.

He had been here for 4 days now. He had been able to break out long enough to send the letter back to the Moby Dick, but after that they had raised the security around him and he hadn't been able to escape again. That was 3 days ago. Marco? Thatch? Anyone? Is anyone even coming? Maybe my letter was lost, or the bird couldn't find the ship, or maybe something happened back on the ship and they can't come, or maybe- Ace cut off his own train of thought harshly.

Damn it Ace, pull yourself together. I'm sure your letter got there. Help is on the way. You're not alone here. Ace looked around his cell. It was similar…it was so damned similar. Ace felt dreadful familiarity arc down his spine. He shut his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. No. This is different. You're not ten years old. You're not powerless anymore. All the same, Ace felt a knot of fear tighten in his stomach. Footsteps came down the hall.

"How's our little dipshit pirate doing today?" Ace heard the door to his cell open on unoiled hinges. Footsteps came across the cell. Ace left his eyes closed, trying to force down the memories that were crawling through his mind. The footsteps stopped about a foot away from Ace. "What's the mater? You seem a little tense." Ace could practically hear the smile on the man's face. "Are you afraid?" Yes, but not of you. Ace took a deep breath and shoved his fear back, forcing a wry smile.

"What? Of you?" Ace snorted. "Sorry, but it'll take more than a little girl playing dress-up to scare me." The man grabbed a fistful of Ace's hair and yanked his head up so he was looking at him. He was smiling coldly.

"I've got an idea. Today we're going to play a game. It's quite simple, really. I call it Truth or Die. You're going to answer my questions with truth and nothing but the truth, and I won't tear you apart piece by fucking piece. How does that sound?" Ace faked a yawn. The man scowled and slammed Ace's head into the wall. Ace's vision flashed white and it was a struggle not to lose consciousness. Once his vision returned to normal, he smiled up at the man.

"Oh, dear me. I think you've given me amnesia. I'm not sure how much fun this game of yours is going to be now." The man took a step back, smiling cruelly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we're going to have a very good time." He stepped back further and nodded. Several marines closed around Ace. He scowled up at them, snarling insults and threats. The marines actually paused for a moment. Ace may not be able to use his devil fruit right now thanks to the damned seastone, but he could still be dangerous. He had broken the necks of the guards to the cell area when he had escaped. He had needed to. There had been no other way to get by. Ace didn't revel in the death he knew he could and had caused, but that didn't mean he was afraid of killing people. Death was necessary, sometimes. Ace believed that many people truly did deserve death, but very, very few in this life deserved to suffer. Every time he took a life, he did it as quickly and painlessly as possible. He had been told that people feared death, but he didn't. Those people didn't know the meaning of true fear. That fear is the fear to live another moment because it would be infinitely worse than anything death could possibly hold. Ace had known this fear intimately, and yet it still terrified him just as much as it had the first time he felt it. Ace could hear the officer laughing at the hesitating marines.

"Now, now. He can't hurt you. The seastone keeps him from using his devil fruit and the shackles keep him from attacking you. He's powerless!" Ace heard the word and his fear returned. Oh he hated that word. Powerless. He'd been powerless once before, and knew exactly how much that one word could mean. The marines closed around Ace and seized him roughly, bringing him to his feet and hauling him across the room. It took Ace a moment to see where they were going, but once he did, he felt a chill shoot through him. It was a chair. A simple metal chair. Ace's struggling grew more desperate. The marines overpowered him though and hauled him onto the chill surface.

Leather straps were put in place over Ace, binding his torso and arms to the cold object. Ace's fear tripled. He knew this chair. Or one just like it, at any rate. The marine in front of Ace turned around and suddenly Ace was ten years old again, strapped to a metal chair, blood flowing from his body as the scalpel cut, cut, cut! But never deep enough…never deep enough! Never to bring the one release Ace knew he could still have. Death. Death was his only way out. Ace blinked, and the memory faded.

But the fear didn't.

The marine in front of Ace approached, a cocky smile on his face. In his hands he was holding a pair of pincers. Clenched between the pincer's jaws was a glowing red coal.

"I have a deep appreciation for irony. This is truly perfect, yes?" The man walked closer and Ace's eyes remained fixed on the coal. "Now, the next time you open your mouth, you're going to tell me the exact coordinates of Whitebeard's ship, which divisions are currently stationed aboard it, and any weaknesses Whitebeard or the commanders have. This, or you'll never speak again. Hot coals really do terrible things to the vocal chords when you swallow them, you know." And Ace did know. He knew exactly how much this would hurt. He had tried to scream, last time, but all that had come up was blood. Ace took a deep breath. I must not fear, fear is the mind-killer. I must face my fear and I must stand against it and it will pass through me, then there will be nothing left. Only I will remain. Ace shoved his fear aside, trying to be confident. Ace looked up at the marine and smiled.

"Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice." The marine scowled and punched Ace hard across the face. Ace's lip split and he tasted blood. He took a deep breath, then grinned up at the marine. "Not a fan of Frost, are we? I must say, I always preferred Eliot myself." The officer scowled, then looked to the other marines.

"Open his mouth."

Marco flew wildly. For the past 2 days he had been making a beeline for Calluce Isle. He knew he was taking too long, that Ace needed his help now, but there was nothing he could do to make himself go any faster. Hold on, Ace. I'm coming. Just a little longer. I'm almost there. Marco raised his eyes to the horizon and blinked. A small, nearly invisible black smudge was slowly growing on the horizon. He felt relief wash over him. He grinned mentally. Yes. There it is. I'm almost there, Ace. Marco flew towards the approaching island with renewed vigor, diving lower towards the water to increase his speed.

After what felt like an eternity to Marco, he was finally over land instead of water. Calluce was a fairly small island, unimportant by anyone's standards. The marine base here was overly large for such a small island, used mainly for training new recruits. Before now, Marco hadn't considered the island important enough to send anyone to investigate, but the base had shown recent activity, particularly around several islands in the area under Whitebeard's control. Marco had sent Ace in because if the marines were actually stupid enough to try to pull something on one of their islands, Marco wanted to know how to hit them hard.

Marco regained altitude, flying high above the marine base so as to blend in with the sky. He quickly surveyed the outside of the place. Marco had never sent anyone in there besides Ace, so he had no idea what the layout of the place was like. Marco clenched his jaw. Damn it. I have no idea where the cellblock is on this place. Marco's eyes scanned over the building once more. It was a small, squat building. Fairly unassuming, it's only notable feature being a large parade grounds. Based on the size, the prison is probably underground. Marco surveyed the place for a moment longer. …Screw it.

Marco dove, body almost perpendicular to the ground, wings tucked flat against his body. He was aiming to land in the parade grounds. There was some kind of drill going on, but Marco didn't think he could bring himself to give less of a shit. Marco hurtled towards the ground, quickly reaching terminal velocity. The wind rushed by, deafening him and tugging at his feathers. About 100 feet above the ground, Marco flipped over so he was upright and half-transformed back to a human. He left the wings, though. He spread them to their fullest, slowing his breakneck descent. One of the marines apparently looked up and cried out because suddenly all the faces turned up to Marco.

Marco hit the ground, coming to rest in a kneeling position. All around him, the marines were staring in shock and awe. Marco looked up and the ones in front of him flinched back, fear keen on their faces. Marco smirked.

"Boo!" He moved as if going to run towards them, and instantly half of them bolted, dropping their weapons and running for the exit. The officer present tried to call them back, but none stopped or slowed. Marco looked between the faces of the remaining marines. Most of them were fairly young and looked terrified. Marco's gaze was cool, and as he regarded them, he saw none to few of them tremble. He sighed.

"I don't like beating on kids, so I'll make you a deal." His eyes moved smoothly over the group. "Tell me where my friend is being kept and there won't be any need for violence." The officer seemed to shake himself awake.

"Don't be fooled, men! He's a pirate! He'll just kill you anyway-" Marco flew to him in an instant, planting a kick into the man's side. Beneath his foot he felt the crunch of breaking bones. The man went flying, slamming into a nearby wall. The other marines stared after him in shock. Marco landed, wings reverting to arms. His face was dark.

"That wasn't an answer to my question." Marco's voice was hard. He might not like hurting fools who didn't know what the hell they were doing, but Ace's welfare was infinitely more important to him. He had killed idiots like these before, and even if he didn't enjoy it, would be willing to do it again. His gaze was no longer calm as it swept over the marines. They stared at him in utter terror. Finally one of the youngest ones there stepped forward. Marco's eyes focused on him, his blue eyes boring into the man's green ones. The man swallowed.

"He-he's being kept in the prison block." Marco's gaze didn't lighten.

"I assumed as much, thank you. Now if you're done playing stupid games I'd like details on where that is." The man seemed frozen in fear again, mouth slightly open. Marco took several strides towards the man and he stumbled back a few steps, trying to maintain distance between them. He tripped and fell, landing on his back. He struggled to stand, but Marco was faster. He grabbed the front of the man's shirt and half-lifted him so they were face to face. Marco's eyes were cold and his other hand was raised in preparation to strike, engulfed in blue flames.

"Where. Is. My. Friend?" The man lifted his hands to shield his face.

"I-I don't know! He's somewhere on sublevel 5, but I don't know what wing they're keeping him in!" The man was truly shaking, trembling in terror. Marco knew that if the man had known anything else he would have spoken at that point. Marco sighted and lifted the man to his feet. As soon as he released him the man ran back a few steps, merging back into the crowd. Marco addressed all of the remaining marines.

"Unless you intend to fight me, get out now. I'm going to be breaking my friend out of this place, so unless you want to be involved in any…messiness that follows, leave." The group remained standing there, staring at him. Marco took a threatening step towards them and instantly they took off, dropping weapons, some raising their hands in the air as a sign of surrender. After he was sure they were gone, Marco turned back towards the building. He engulfed his arms in blue flames, deep scowl on his face.

"It's time to teach you fucktards a lesson on just who you decide to mess with."

Ace struggled desperately. He pressed his head back against the metal of the chair. For the last 10 minutes, the marines had been struggling to get Ace to open his mouth. Ace, though, with adrenaline pumping through him like electricity, had proved to be more of a challenge than they thought. One of the men was holding Ace's head still, and another reached for his mouth. Ace waited until the man's hand was covering his mouth, then moved.

Ace's teeth snapped shut around the man's hand. Ace bit down as hard as he could, jaws aching with the effort. The man screamed and pulled his hand away. He stared at the bleeding appendage in horror, as if he couldn't believe it was his own. He looked up from the pumping blood back to Ace. Ace grinned at him and spat out the two fingers he had managed to bite off, as well as the mess of blood that had come with them. The man stared at him for a moment longer, then took some hesitant steps back, eyes still locked on Ace's own.

"Holy shit." The man looked between his mutilated, bleeding hand and Ace's red-stained face. Ace continued to grin toothily at him, and after a moment the man turned and sprinted out of the cell. "K-Keep him away from me! Keep that demon away!" The other marines stared at Ace in shock. Ace glared between them.

"Well? Who's next?" The officer sighed and turned away, picking something else up. He turned back around and Ace tracked his movements back towards him. The marine checked the pistol's cartridge, turning it about in the light.

"Honestly you all are useless." His voice was nonchalant and disinterested. He turned back to Ace, pressing the pistol against Ace's shoulder and pulling the trigger. Ace gasped as bright, radiating pain flared into existence. As soon as he did, though, something cold and hard was shoved into his mouth, prying it open wider. Ace's eyes widened and he stared about the room with renewed terror. His shoulder hurt like a bitch, hot blood trickling down his side, but he knew that that pain would very soon seem like nothing but a minor annoyance.

The officer picked up the pincers again, grabbing a fresh coal from a nearby brazier. Ace's pulse was pounding in his ears, thudding deafeningly loud. His eyes focused on the coal, which was growing closer at an alarming rate. His heart rate quickened, as did his breathing. Ace's fear grew stronger and stronger the closer the coal came. Ace struggled desperately, writhing against the bindings and the man holding his head still. Ace's pulse pounded louder still, and Ace was sure if it was any louder it would beat out of his chest. Ace's mind was playing tricks on him. He kept seeing flashes of his old cell, and a different face was painted on the marine officer. Several times near the walls or in corners of the room he thought he saw the White Rabbit or one of Wonderland's other inhabitants. Ace looked back to the officer and he was no longer human. He was the Jabberwocky.

A wide, dog-like mouth dribbled sticky saliva, a single row of large, canine teeth gleaming behind the hanging lips. The head was composed entirely of the mouth. After the mouth ended, the head simply sloped directly back into the neck. It had no eyes, no nose. The body was hunched over. Bipedal, yet contorted. The arms were those of a lizard with deadly claws. One leg was that of a bird, but the foot was balled up. Its own talons pierced through the meat of its foot, poking out through the top. The other foot was that of a goat, the cloven hoof sharp and precise. It had a long neck, but it currently had its head close to its torso. It inhaled once, then shrieked at Ace. Its voice was the squeal of the dying rabbit and the triumphant screech of the raptor killing it. The thing flared its wings. They were grisly appendages, made of the wings of countless birds smashed together and forced to be one object. Each individual wing fluttered on its own, as if seeking freedom from the monstrosity. The entire mass was covered in pink, wrinkled skin like that of a hairless cat. Behind it trailed the tail of a rat, moving separately as if the appendage was its own being. It raised one of its hands and between its fingers Ace saw it was holding a bright, ripe cherry.

"Come back to us, Ace. We've missed you dearly." The voice was a combination of every inhabitant of Wonderland, yet as they came out of the Jabberwocky's throat, they were indistinct, neither fully individual nor mashed together. Ace watched as the Jabberwocky grew closer with the cherry. Wonderland…I wonder what you're like now. Ace felt his curiosity as well as the instinctive fear of the torment he knew was still coming. Part of Ace's mind beat against him. No! You fool! Escape? To where? Deeper madness still? And yet that voice wasn't enough because it was the Jabberwocky that had come.

Because it had one last advantage.

The Jabberwocky's mouth was still open and its tongue danced out from between its jaws. Ace's eyes were focused solely on that. The Jabberwocky's tongue was a human arm. Its hand moved slowly, as if conducting music. Ace's eyes remained fixed on the hand-tongue and in his mind he heard the music it commanded.

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear damned one,

Happy birthday to you.

The music in Ace's mind was loud, drowning out any thought he might have had. Ace heard the music and its effects began taking hold. That cherry couldn't be anything dangerous, it was his birthday present. Nobody gave anyone anything dangerous on their birthday. Ace felt a smile tug the edge of his mouth. Why not go to Wonderland? Everyone was waiting to celebrate his birthday. It's July 18th. The tiny thought slipped through the song and Ace paused, confusion growing inside of him. But then…then it wouldn't be my birthday… Ace shook his head. The music was taking over again. That voice is a lie. It must be. Why would the Jabberwocky lie to me? It wouldn't. The only lie in Wonderland is the lie I tell myself.

"And what lie would that be?" Ace heard the familiar voice and looked for its source. He couldn't find it, though, and addressed the room at large.

"The lie of Wonderland itself, of course." Ace saw a large, white-toothed grin floating in midair.

"Still just as good as ever, Ace." Ace looked at the grin.

"Can you tell me what the date is?" The grin widened.

"How many times must I tell you? I don't answer questions. By the by, I don't think it'll be necessary."

A low boom sounded from above. The whole room shook minutely, dust raining down from the ceiling. Ace jerked as the sound shattered through the Jabberwocky's song and Ace thought he heard someone chuckle as the surreal images faded, the Jabberwocky replaced by the officer, the mid-air grin dissipating to nothing. Ace looked up, as did the others, trying to locate the source of the sound. A second boom followed the first. Then another. Then another. The booms stopped, and for a moment the room fell to silence. A voice, muted by distance and interfering objects shouted.

"Marco!" Ace felt hope surge inside his chest. With a massive effort he spat out the wedge holding his mouth open. He took a deep breath.

"Polo!" Ace shouted the word as loud as he could. A moment later another boom followed, nearer than the last.

"Marco!" Ace was grinning now.

"Polo!" The marines were staring around in confusion. The officer looked to Ace with dawning realization.

"Shut him up!"

"Marco!" One of the marines struck Ace across the face but Ace clung to consciousness.

"Polo!" A series of booms, much closer than the last, followed. Ace heard something on their floor crumble or collapse in a loud rumble, followed by another shout.

"Marco!" Ace could have laughed from relief at this point.

"Polo!" The officer turned to his men.

"Go out there! Stop him!" The marines looked at him in horror. "Go!" The marines left the cell, but Ace noticed with a smirk they were heading for the stairs, not the fast approaching voice.

"Marco!" The voice was close now, very close. The officer was looking around for an exit or some excuse, but found only incriminating evidence all around him. He looked to Ace. He's my only ticket out of here. Ace lifted his voice again.

"Polo!" Footsteps could be heard approaching now. A figure came running around the corner, finally coming into sight. Ace's grin widened. "Marco!" Said pirate turned to Ace and an equally large smile formed on his face. He chuckled.

"Polo." Ace laughed for a moment, relief and joy washing over him. He cut off suddenly as something pushed against his forehead with a click.

"Stop right there, if you please." Ace looked up and saw the officer. He was holding the pistol directly against Ace's head, standing in front of Ace and facing Marco. Marco stopped, grin leaving his face and a truly deadly look coming into his eyes. He neither moved nor spoke, though. The officer smiled, knowing his advantage.

"Here's how this is going to work. I'm going to be leaving here with him. You'll be coming with us." He tossed a pair of seastone shackles to Marco. "Put those on, if you please." Marco glared at the man. "Oh, now that's a scary face. I'm not sure if I altogether like it." He moved the gun, pressing it against Ace's thigh and firing. Ace gasped and grit his teeth, biting back a yell. Marco looked to his friend, deep concern on his face.

"Ace!" Ace took some deep breaths.

"M'alright." The marine grinned at Marco's distress.

"The handcuffs, please. I'm not a very patient man." Marco grit his teeth and locked the seastone bands around one wrist, moving slowly, delaying putting it over the other. The marine laughed then moved again, unstrapping Ace's legs from the chair. Once Ace's legs were completely free, Ace looked to Marco, meeting his eyes. He moved his mouth silently, not actually speaking. Three, two, one.

Once he finished the countdown, he lashed out with his right foot. His kick caught the marine in the side of the knee, and with a painful crunch the man's knee bent horribly to the left. The man screamed, taking his eyes off Marco. Marco crossed the room in an instant, kicking the man hard across the jaw. There was the sound of more cracking as the man's head spun past its natural limit and he was sent flying into a wall. He didn't move again. Marco turned back to Ace, taking in his bruised and bleeding appearance for the first time.

"Holy shit! What the hell'd they do to you?" Marco bent down, unstrapping Ace's arms and torso. He looked around the room and saw the discarded pincers, still holding the smoldering coal. He turned to Ace in horror, but Ace saw the underlying guilt. "Oh my god, did they really-"

"No, Marco. They didn't." He smiled at the blonde, forcing back a shudder as he looked at the coal. "You got here in time." He looked about the room for something to use as a crutch, but didn't find anything. He blinked and looked back to Marco. He was standing facing towards Ace, hand outstretched. Ace smiled and, with Marco's help, stood, leaning on his shoulder, keeping the weight off his injured leg.

Progress out of the base was slow, stairs being particularly difficult. Marco would have just flown the two of them out, but thanks to the cuff around one of his wrists, that wasn't an option. Ace wasn't really thinking about the journey or the pain in his leg and shoulder though. After another moment of deliberation, he finally spoke up.

"Marco…why did you do it? I mean, for a moment there you were actually about to give yourself up. It wouldn't have changed anything, it would have just meant you dying too. So why?" They had stopped walking. Marco smiled quietly.

"What kind of a person would abandon their otouto when there was something they could do to help?" Ace blinked.

"Otouto…" Marco nodded gently.

"That's right. You're family. Seeing you in pain…I can't do it. I can't just standby and watch." Ace swallowed thickly, feeling tears threatening. Family…I have a family. How long has it been just Luffy and me? But now…

Now I have an older brother.

Several hours later, the two were aboard Ace's boat. They were several miles offshore, Calluce fading to no more than an indistinct smudge once more. It was night now and the stars were shining brilliantly. Ace had managed to pick the locks on the shackles and Marco was perched in full bird form on the mast of the small boat. Below him, Ace was sleeping on deck, curled up under a blanket. Marco smiled down at the gently snoring teen. Yes, Ace. You are my little brother. That's why, as long as there's so much as a speck of strength left in me, I'll never let you suffer again. You'll never be alone again.

I promise.

And what a damn fine job you've done at keeping that promise, Marco. Ace has been suffering this whole time and what did you do? Nothing. That's right. Absolutely nothing. A tear slid down Marco's face. How could I have let him face this alone? What kind of failure am I, that I can't even tell when my own brother needs me?

Selma glanced between the three. "And that's not all. Ace…Whoever did this to him really didn't want him going anywhere." She took a deep breath, pausing for a moment. "Both of his legs were broken. Just…snapped. The bones had only just begun to heal. With the shape his legs are in now…Ace could barely walk. It's nothing short of a miracle they weren't re-broken when he was struggling against Jozu's men." She trailed off for a moment, and finally a tear did escape from her eye. "He must have been in so much pain…" Her voice was quiet, only audible because of the silence of the room. Whitebeard's eyes were closed, his jaw set. His voice too was very quiet.

"Who did this to him?" His voice was full of rage and anguish. Ace had needed them, had needed his family's help, and they hadn't been there for him. He had been in pain, and they hadn't realized it. True he had hidden his injuries, but somehow, someway, they should have known what he was going through. Guilt and pain tightened like a noose around Whitebeard's heart. His jaw tightened. And he's still in pain. The image of Ace running towards the mirror flashed through Whitebeard's mind. He's lying on that bed terrified while his own mind tears him apart. Selma continued looking at the floor.

"I…I don't know. I mean, who could be capable of doing this to a human being, much less a child?" The room fell silent, each sinking into their own personal despair. Selma took a deep breath. "I'm going back in to finish my examination now. Hopefully it won't take as long, but I make no promises." Whitebeard nodded, and Selma, setting her shoulders, walked back into the infirmary.

Marco stared at the floor without really seeing it. Guilt lay like poison in Marco's stomach. Marco shook his head. I don't have time for this now. What's done is done. I can't atone for my mistake yet, but I can-I will. What's important now is helping Ace. Marco glanced at the infirmary door. But who could have possibly done this? Marco furrowed his brows, closing his eyes.

"My name's Sabo."

"SABO!" Ace was shouting now, Marco fighting desperately to keep him from falling off the bed. Ace was thrashing wildly, limbs tangled in his blankets. A moment later tears began falling from Ace's eyes. "Sabo…"

"Onboard the ship was a boy, about my age, named Sabo. Sabo and I became friends and I began to see him as another member of my family. But…" Again Ace trailed off, closing his eyes. "…But the marines got in a fight with a pirate crew. Not Shanks' thank god, but Sabo was killed in the battle. I'd had to bury another member of my family. I didn't have his body, but he damn well deserved more of a funeral than the marines gave him."

Marco knew now that at least part of that was a lie. Sabo hadn't been a marine; he had been a prisoner like Ace. And the officer…? Marco's eyes shot open.

"You son of a bitch!"

"I barely recognized you."

"You don't know what he's done, he deserves to die!"

"Not gonna have any more fuckin' nightmares."

"Nothing in this entire world is worse than helplessness."

Marco's breathing was uneven. His eyes were wide. "My god…"

Hare smiled. "How's Sabo doing?"

(A/N: Yeah this chapter's pretty damn badass, if I do say so myself. Almost 8000 words. Sorry for the uber slow update! Like I said, I was gone for 2 weeks, and then I was busy all weekend, so…yeah. I hope the whole italics-normal type thing wasn't too confusing. Stuff in Italics was flashbacks when in its own separate paragraph. Stuff in normal type was present or, when in the middle of a flashback, thoughts. Does that make sense? So what did you all think? Was it at least acceptable? I liked it, so if you don't, sorry, but that's the way it goes. Today's dessert food is homemade blueberry pie! My mom made one and it's freakin' DELICIOUS. I'm tempted not to give it to you it's so good. Not to mention blueberry is my favorite kind of pie. I'm blathering. I'll shut up now. Anyways, please review! I will send you some of this awesome pie! Review so I write faster so Ace doesn't have to be in creeptastic Wonderland any longer than necessary. ALSO! CHALLENGE TIME! This is probably the easiest challenge in the history of the world, but whatever. It's just to see who's actually been paying attention. The first question!

Who's smile was that that Ace saw "hanging in midair"?

The second!

Why did the Jabberwocky offer Ace a cherry?

The first question isn't really fair, since I haven't given any hint as to who it may be, but everyone's seen Alice in Wonderland or read the book, right? Shouldn't be too hard. The second requires a little thought and there is a legitimate answer. First person to get it gets extra whipped cream on their pie!

Finally I'd like to make a shout out to my friend roo17! Roo, for those of you who don't know, was the one who actually convinced me to write this. Without roo's support, this fic would have never even gotten started, much less as far as it is now. Thanks roo! For all your help!

Thanks for listening everyone! Bye y'all! ~Mountain97)