DedicatedFan: It just gets more insane – it will crest, soon. Thanks for the review! :D

: 9 :

Almost at once, the noises stopped. The lingering silence was almost as maddening. He heard the slight whisper of someone's barefeet moving through the hallway, a heavy clink of keys as one was sought. The sound was too far away from his door – Ace pictured Law standing outside of Sanji's room. He stood up to shout at him, but something caused him to drop back down before the action was completed.

"Shh," someone whispered, too close to his ear for him to be comfortable with. But every instinct of his rang out, telling him that retreating was his best option. Not the one he wanted, but one that was necessary. He grit his teeth as he also struggled to ignore the fact that some invisible person was telling him to be quiet.

"As you were promised," he heard Law say, his voice lowered to fit the thick silence of the Second Floor. A set of keys jingled noisily, and Ace furrowed his brow, feeling anger rising from deep within him. Didn't Sanji just deny any involvement with Law? Just minutes previously, he'd denied any sort of involvement with him. "But these won't be needed, anymore."

"Give those to me."

Ace wondered what it was they were negotiating. What had been the cost of leading Akainu to certain death? And how the hell did he miss this clandestine partnership? The two of them were never on friendly terms – but Sanji kept everyone at arm's length, and Law taunted all of them. So how was it the pair of them were speaking so freely to each other when they thought no one was listening?

He heard Sanji mutter darkly, "You fucking bastard."

"Afterward."

"You promised - !"

"Was it me?"

There was such a long stretch of silence that Ace wondered if his earlier theory was right.

"Penguin said you've been storing some things in his room."

"Penguin doesn't talk - !"

"Then…this…?"

There was more stunned silence, and suddenly the sound of a scuffle. Law laughed loudly as Sanji cursed him, the sound of smaller objects – pills, Ace imagined – hitting the floor. There was a hard sound of something hitting the wall, and Law's laughter ceased abruptly. Keys jingled again, the sound suddenly muffled as they hit soft surface.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Here. I promised you these two."

"You promised me," Sanji said roughly, voice tight, shaking with upset. "Please give those back to me."

Ace's forehead furrowed. This mystery just seemed to deepen. Had Sanji just accepted that Penguin could talk? What was he hiding in his room?

"I won't give these to you. Why should you have a peaceful death after the others suffer horribly?"

"Fuck you, I have nothing to do with your vendetta!"

"You have everything to do with it, Vinsmoke-ya! It's only by default that you'll die here, with the others, in the same state as they. I didn't know you'd be in here with him when I arrived. But all of you are batshit crazy, even if yours is only self damaging. After we walk away, we'll find another way to crush your father's cold, ugly heart. There are still three boys and a girl that he happens to cherish more than you – we'll get his eventual apology that way."

"Threatening them does nothing to me. Doing this won't earn you any satisfaction – in the end, he's still dead!"

"Not entirely dead," the boy spoke up cheerfully. "I'm still here. See?"

"…You're a fucking nutcase. Even more so than those other guys!"

Law's voice erupted with impatience. "There's no other way about it but this way, life for a life!"

"That's your own goddamn choice!"

"It's not my fucking choice!"

"It's your own fucking fault you opened that box! This is not something that boy would've approved of! This is not him seeking revenge, it's something else – it has a hold on both of you!"

"Nonsense. Open wide…"

"Get the fuck out. GET OUT!"

"Vinsmoke-ya, stop your blubbering. It doesn't earn sympathy from me. Wipe those eyes, have these two, take a pleasant nap. When morning comes, you'll at least wake up to a brand new day without Akainu making decisions for you. You won't have to go home. Dr Hina will make sure that you're still a helpless victim of your own disorder. Be grateful for that much," Law said, his voice carrying as he began moving for the door.

Ace crammed a clenched fist against his mouth to keep from yelling out. Maybe Sanji wasn't directly involved with the murders, but he definitely contributed, from the sounds of it. Those two were working together. They had some sort of a connection, a past together. Ace was aware that they were from the same island – Sanji's was a large, powerful family. Law came from a similar one. Maybe they'd run in the same circles as children.

"Did you at least look over that roasted chicken, like I'd asked?" Sanji asked tightly.

Despite himself, Ace felt hungry. His mouth salivated at the thought of eating such a dish. He sucked his lips inward to keep from drooling. For a few moments, Law didn't say anything. Ace imagined him looking back with a disgusted expression, his halting steps taking him just outside Sanji's doorway.

"It was good," another man answered quietly.

"Help us!"

"I've done everything I can to ask God for assistance, but he doesn't seem to be listening to me. I don't know what else to do. Everyone is very enthusiastic about what they've contributed to. I've no choice, and no less of a voice to be heard. This house is too corrupted. God can't get in. That's why they're still trapped here. Those other guys…"

"You can do it. You can stop their rampage."

"Here…"

Ace frowned, hearing the retreat of steps, the creak of the bed. He was utterly confused. This voice was someone he'd never heard, before. Sanji's familiarity with it made him angry – he wanted nothing more to burst out of his room and administer justice to both of them. Sanji was just as much of a murderer as Law was if he'd said nothing about these personalities; actively conspiring with him.

"Take these. Take them. Quick. If you're asleep, he'll leave you alone. The others are safe, right now. That medication Akainu gave them saved them. Tomorrow, if you wake up, think of something to stop them."

"Robin – "

"She's just as bad as they are. Don't trust her. Here. Take it. Please. Please!"

"You have to do this. He's only doing this through you! He only started this once you arrived. With Apoo – "

"God has abandoned me because of this, and no longer speaks to me. I have no more faith in my abilities. Hurry. Take it. Please. Another day! You can make it another day! If your family comes, go with them. Warn them! If they don't believe you, then leave. God will forgive you for this, if you pray enough."

There was such intense silence that Ace felt uncertain as to what was happening – what was being said. Then he heard movement from a distance, and Sanji's bed squeaked slightly as weight was put on it.

"I'm sorry," he heard one of them whisper, but Ace really couldn't tell which one said it. "I'm sorry. I can't help you anymore."

Someone laughed loudly at the end of the hall, and footsteps warned Ace that Law was moving. The door to Sanji's room slammed shut, and the key turned. After a few moments of still silence, Ace blinked heavily, trying to picture the scene outside. He didn't know where the laughter was coming from, or what that sound in the distance was; but he had so much going through his mind at that moment that he wasn't sure where to start.

"You fucking bitch," Law cursed hard. "You fucking little bitch. Goddamn it. Goddamn it!"

"Why are you so angry?" a woman soothed gently, just outside of Ace's door. Even the sound of Law's movement changed, and he was wholly confused. The man obviously had multiple personalities, and when it changed, so did his entire manner.

In fact, it made sense, looking back at things, when Law reacted with confusion when his dominant personality caused trouble for him. It seemed they all retreated when they'd caused damage – but what didn't make sense was how easily they seemed to communicate with each other to a degree. He tensed as the 'woman' walked past his door.

"Akainu is still moving. Let's go have some fun with him."

"Did anybody hear what he said?" Law asked, keys jingling.

"I don't listen to that guy," a boy whined.

"Ha ha! Nothing more or less the usual!" another man commented lightly. His voice had a slight edge to it, a more sinister tone. A chuckle emerged, the same one that Law used when giggling or laughing in the fact of trouble. "Just the same old, same old. Relying on God to make his decision for him. Like God will listen to someone like us."

"It bothers me that I can't hear the things he says, sometimes," Law muttered, stalking past Ace's door. "It just bothers me. I wish I could kill him, too."

"Then kill your fucking self!" Sanji shouted after him.

"You're next! Before any of these drooling idiots, you're next, meat sack!"

The staircase door opened, and Ace heard the labored breathing. He realized that it was Akainu. A man laughed merrily from the end of the hall, and Law paused in mid stalk. This time, Ace pushed against the door, looking through the window. He couldn't see the stairway, but he could see Law standing there, jiggling the keys within one hand. The tension grew, and that vibration, that hot, bubbling sensation of heat began to build, making him blink rapidly.

Dr Akainu's breathing was heavily labored, laced with pain and struggle. His movement was too heavy, too off – he was badly wounded, Ace figured. He wished he knew where Luffy and the others were. He wished he could get to them.

"Trafalgar," Dr Akainu snarled, his voice laced with agony. "You. Penguin. Both of you. You want to kill a man? You make sure of it! I'm not that easily defeated!"

That evil laugh erupted from Law. "Look at you struggling! Fascinating. Holding your guts in one hand, like livestock struggling on the hook! What a load of work staff has in the morning!"

"Buggy the Clown was a former patient of mine, yes – it's unfortunate that my procedure didn't work. But that doesn't mean you follow in his footsteps! You're only flattering his memory with carrying on his work!" Dr Akainu paused to give a clenched growl of effort, his footsteps heavy as he leaned against the wall. "But this time, I will succeed with you. Come here!"

"Oh, right away," Law said, snickering. "Right away, sir!"

"We must eliminate them all," Ace heard from further down the hall. This voice was quiet, the air made hotter.

Amidst some labored breathing, Dr Akainu growled low, "You're the main culprit. What's your real name, son? What's your family's real name?"

"Don't give him any more attention," Law interrupted.

"Are you the fucking devil?" Dr Akainu asked, his voice directed away from them. "That's what this is? This strength? Gifted with the devil's power?"

"Admittedly, it was only years later when our silent but deadly friend here developed some interesting abilities. We don't know if it were the trauma of seeing our friend torn apart, still alive, I might add, that awakened them, or the spirit board we used later to try and rouse him," Law mused. "Whichever, it's only come in handy. I don't know if it's truly him inside that unmoving shell, or if it's that someone else we awakened."

"Sorcery. Devil's play. And you…which one are you?"

"We get confused, sometimes, too. Is it me speaking, or is it him? As long as we're together, we're just a pair of naughty little boys up to no good. Unfortunately, even God has His hands too full to decide which of us is the main aggressor. Which is why Rosinante tried to separate us. Sengoku was unaware of how far gone we actually were – another day, he would've realized who we were. But Rosinante didn't tell him very much about us. He was…ashamed. Scared to admit we were out of his control."

"What's your name? At least tell me who you really are!"

"I'm Law."

"I'm Robin."

"I'm Shachi!"

"I'm Shiliew."

"There's one more!" Sanji shouted from his room. "There's one more, but they won't let him talk!"

"Shut up, you! Enough with that mouth!" Law shouted back at him.

"You knew of this? And said nothing?" Dr Akainu snarled, then coughed, sputtering heavily. Heavy movement suggested him moving, and Ace pushed hard against the window to see him, making his way towards the hall, risking his safety as Law took a step to the side to let him pass. "You said nothing of this demonic creature? You're as much to blame as they are for their transgressions! You'll rot in Hell alongside with them!"

"I don't care," Ace heard Sanji mutter. "I don't care."

"Shh," Ace heard again as he opened his mouth to say something, and it frustrated him to listen. To slip out of sight again, crouched against the door. His entire body trembled with effort hearing Dr Akainu make his way towards the room.

"Not ah," Law said, and Dr Akainu gave a loud shout, a struggle insuring. Wild laughter left Law at that moment, and the shriek of pain left the doctor. Ace couldn't imagine what it was that made him scream that way. Law cackled – no, not Law; it was one of his personalities – and a heavy thump sounded out.

"That's our prey for tomorrow," Law said lightly. "He's going to get it good for this. As for you! To the medical ward with you! Let's try to put you back together again. Draw it out. We're having too much fun for you. Let us demonstrate on you what we saw Buggy do to our friend. It might be healing therapy, for us."

There was a strangled cry of pain, and a large scrape of sound – Dr Akainu was being dragged from the hall, and he could only release those cries of agony. Law followed along behind him, giggling in that mad way he had. The sound of Dr Akainu's voice faded once they reached the medical ward, and Ace sat there in silence, listening to the rest of it.

"Use it," that same voice whispered to Ace, close to his ear. "Use it."