Omen
Eleventh Sign
Past lunch and the duo found themselves in front of Maris Dormitory. Naturally, the security lady recognized Ross and easily allowed both men inside. The two haven't talked much after their little chat in the bus, but Ross remained passive.
Walking silently through the entrance, Law observed their surroundings instead of just looking ahead and seeing the lad's back from his periphery. It was a simple establishment, nothing too fancy. There was a lawn just before reaching the main building and was well kept by the staff which were all women. Remembering Elka's description of the place, specifically the 'all-girl's' part made him wonder, his eyes drifting back to the redhead walking ahead of him. Judging from Ross's full name and the establishment's title, he assumed he was the owner's son. Ross practically owned the place as well.
Why all girls if the owner has a son? Law could scarcely fathom the thought. He didn't exactly know if the lad had a sister or something. He also considered that the previous lady he met the first time other than Elka was probably Ross's sibling. All of those were just speculation from his part, and he wondered about the whole setup of things.
"Mister Law, you have Elka's room key, right?" Ross asked, breaking Law's thoughts.
"Yes."
"Go on ahead." Ross paused. He briefly looked at Law and continued, "I'm going to let Mama know I'm here."
"Mama?"
The redhead abruptly turned to a corner, leaving Law stunned. He could only sigh as Ross quickly disappeared from his sight. He could tell the lad was hiding more secrets from him - secrets about himself and his family. Law admitted it didn't involve him, it wouldn't even benefit his search for a way out of that strange world he was in, but his curiosity always gets the better of him. It was rare to come across a person such as Ross and he enjoyed uncovering truths surrounding worthwhile enemies.
Not later, Law found himself standing in front of Elka's room. He recalled how Elka tiredly unlocked the door while dripping wet from the rain the other night. It felt strange when he entered the dim room, suddenly realizing how spacious the place was now that he was alone. He turned on the lights and scanned the whole place, sighing boredly at the thought of how many times he had inspected the place since. Everything seemed orderly except for the upturned calendar over an open notebook sitting on the computer desk. Law remembered Elka left it there before they got ready to go out yesterday, so to start, he checked it out.
There was a time table scribbled on the open page and there were encircled dates on the calendar. Reading her tiny notes, Law figured she was preparing for an upcoming exams that was a week from now. Law somehow felt bad for the girl. Because of her hospitalization, a few days she planned to dedicate for studies were taken up. Although Law didn't exactly went through exams and the like to validate his knowledge and skills, he knew the complexity of Medicine in general. He himself admitted there were a few terms and skills he struggled with in his lifetime but considering he was mostly self-taught, he figured Elka may somehow get through it.
Law was later going through Elka's medical notes and books. He thought it would probably please Elka if he taught her a few of his 'shortcuts' to memorize some things. He also had a few tricks to remember some specifics which might help her out in her exams. Imagining himself teaching made him recall memories of the past he held so dearly, but he immediately pushed those lonely thoughts away. Still, he considered doing it in hopes of convincing the raven to finally accept his invitation. It wouldn't be so bad to have someone he could share his passion for knowledge.
As the dark doctor was rummaging through Elka's medical volumes, he found a few cooking guides and recipe pamphlets mixed within them. They seemed out of place so he attempted to sort them out, and then a lone birthday card fell off. He picked it up to examine it. It was pretty simple: a plain white card with cut out colorful gift box images pasted on the lower part, the words 'Happy Birthday' were written in cursive at the center. He flipped it on the other side and found more gift box images pasted on the same lower part of the card, some edges were dirty probably due to excess glue. Law found himself chuckling as the thought of Elka trying hard to be creative with a birthday card crossed his mind. It wasn't very fancy but just looking at the effort she poured into making one was nice.
Trafalgar Law opened the said card to his astonishment. It was addressed to Ross and not only that, but the date written on the topmost corner amazed him:
6 October 20XX
"We actually share the same birthday." Law mumbled to himself, amused. He then proceeded to read the message that followed:
"Ross, happy birthday!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking time out of your every day to eat breakfast with me. Eating alone in a room filled with empty chairs can be very lonely, so thank you for suddenly showing up that morning. Thank you for filling up one empty spot - just one spot and the whole room felt full! Let's get dinner together some time.
Your future MD, Elka."
Law snorted as he finished reading. It was mawkishly sentimental, but it seemed sincere. He had known loneliness and how awful it can be, and from that alone, he could see how much Elka valued Ross. Based from her message, it seemed to him that the redhead saved her from solitude, and that's a feat nobody can easily shrug off.
Initially, Law thought Elka had a lot of friends judging from her personality. She was really open and easily read, and from his experience, those kinds of people were the easiest to get along as you always know what goes through their head, yet it seemed she was a loner and that Ross was the only person who managed to break through her shell. Law clicked his tongue in annoyance. Realizing the two must be closer than he thought, he knew breaking Elka's ties to her world could prove to be more problematic than finding a way to return to his own world. In the end, he rearranged his plans and prepared to accept the possibility of returning without any trophy.
But Trafalgar Law was a stubborn man. Arguing that he endured a lot already, it was fair he claim a reward for his hard work. He didn't know the reason for him arriving to such a world so he figured he could just formulate one: finding priceless treasure that was Elka. Law firmly believed that knowledge can be more powerful than actual weapons, and Elka was the embodiment of the knowledge he sought. The fact that Elka knew about the hidden scheme of Admiral Akainu during the Battle of Marineford, and that Ross knew the mechanics of his ability proved to be invaluable, he can't just give it up.
"Don't leave the door open."
Law was startled when a voice echoed behind him. In a hurry, he shoved the birthday card in his pocket. He turned his head towards the source of the voice and found Ross closing the door behind him.
"The girls might think you're a burglar. Not everyone here knows you." Ross explained as he moved to a corner where Elka placed the boxes of her broken figurine collection. He began searching through them, sparing a quick glance at the Warlord but didn't bother to comment at Law's startled expression.
Silence could have been overwhelming if it weren't for the rustling noises of papers and boxes. The two kept to themselves as they randomly searched through Elka's belongings. Ross didn't really know what he was searching for but he had a hint, isolating a few things he assumed to be related to Law and the One Piece series among Elka's collection. Law, on the other hand, really had no idea what he was even doing. He was only acting, trying to avoid eye contact or a conversation with Ross. He felt odd after obtaining personal information about him. Of course it wasn't anything significant, it wouldn't even benefit his current goal but he felt somehow pleased at the discovery. To Law, it was frustrating knowing very little about the redhead while he knew almost all crucial parts about himself.
"Mister Law." Ross suddenly called, making Law almost jump.
Almost.
Ross didn't miss that tiny misstep on Law's part, making the young lad let out a short chortle. "You seem nervous, mister Law. I wonder why."
Law blinked. "I was thinking."
Ross waited but Law only turned away from him. "About what?"
Your birthday. It wasn't anything disturbing, only, Law was quite surprised and it weighed heavily on his mind. Taking a second look at Elka's calendar, the fifth and sixth days of October didn't have marks on them. Meaning, she put those days aside to prepare and celebrate Ross's birthday.
The words felt stuck in his throat. Law didn't even understand why he was thinking about it. It wouldn't even impact on his search to return to his own world, nor would it even help him convince Elka to go with him. It didn't make sense, why was he so concerned with it?
"You're frowning." Ross stated, a smug smirk plastered on his face.
Law's face immediately turned to indifference. "It wasn't anything important. Let's get back to work."
"Can I take a guess?" Ross offered, smiling.
Law only glanced at Ross, but chose to ignore him. He knew it wouldn't be good if he spoke more, the kid was keen, everything should be kept minimum if he wanted to avoid his watchful gaze.
Ross stared curiously at the Warlord before uttering, "It's about me, isn't it?"
Law inwardly groaned, almost gritting his teeth in frustration. Was he that easy to read? He sighed and looked intently at the redhead. "And why would you think that?" he asked, overbearingly.
"You sounded curious earlier." Ross pointed out. "You know, about Mama."
He actually heard that? Law thought, remaining silent.
Ross stared at him for a while. "So... Aren't you going to deny it?"
Law quietly stared at the young lad, making those blue orbs grow in shock.
"No way, you're truly interested? It won't contribute to your search to return back to your world though." Ross contended, turning away from the man. He felt stupid, it wasn't the outcome he was aiming for. Law openly accepting his accusation left a bad taste in his mouth.
Law could see the frustration from the redhead's face. Ross's smile fell, but he masked it with indifference. He must have done something unexpected from the young lad's perspective and it backfired, making him distressed, although it would seem he still held good composure.
Ross eventually got bored with the direction their conversation was taking. Knowing better, he was bound to answer Law's questions about him - a blatant invasion of privacy. He didn't really mind, but he liked it better if he could get useful information in exchange. He wasn't very keen to giving out information about himself without any benefit.
True, Ross could just ask about Law in return, but he already knew the dark doctor's past, or at least, the first bit of it. He disliked overly dramatic, tragic pasts about a character to sum up how he/she became in the present. It just didn't appeal to him so, he sort of skipped those pages(chapters) when he tried to read the Manga as Elka suggested. To put it simply, Ross wasn't very curious about Law. To him, the only worthwhile stuff he'd like to get around with was his devil fruit ability.
"Forget it." Ross finally spoke, turning back to the boxes he was previously scavenging from. "You should focus on your portal or whatever it is to get you out of this world. The sooner, the better." he added when he caught Law still staring at him.
"I take it you don't want to talk about it?" Law asked.
"More like there's no point talking about it." Ross quickly answered. "I don't particularly mind. You can ask but, it would be better if I get something out of you in return." Ross was humming to himself when he came into a sudden realization, making him jolt in shock. "Your sword! Did you have your sword with you?"
Law raised his eyebrows in surprise. "The Kikoku? Of course it's with me." he plainly answered, his tone implying it was supposed to be out of the question.
Ross ran up to him and asked rather excitedly. "Oh yeah? Can I see it? Can I?"
Law was amused by the sudden change in Ross's attitude. "Then I take it you'd be willing to answer any question." he smirked.
Ross nodded. "In exchange, I get to inspect your weapon. The..Kikoku, right? That's its name, right?"
Law smiled, gesturing towards Elka's bookshelf. From the space between it and the closet, he pulled out his Kikoku - Law's large cursed blade. It was as tall as Law, towering over Ross's size. The redhead stared at it in awe, his voice cracking as he asked permission to touch it.
"Wow, it has weight... It's seriously real..." Ross mumbled to himself as he held it on his hands. Due to its length, he settled on placing it over Elka's bed as he inspected it.
Law silently watched the young lad from the side. He had to suppress a chuckle when Ross gingerly ran his fingers over the scabbard's intricate ornaments. It was refreshing to see such a sly man looking all giddy and nervous. To think such a thing would make him let all his guards down, Law wondered if the people in that world could be moved by the simplest, silliest thing imaginable.
"It's..actually soft. Is this real fur?" Ross asked, fiddling over the trimmed white fur by the hilt.
Law only nodded his head in response, marveling at the awkward noise Ross produced from that simple fact. He looked really pleased it made the Warlord see him as a silly child drooling over a piece of candy.
"You know, I'm suddenly curious. How and when did you obtain this thing?" Ross thought aloud, looking intently at the man in question.
Law kept quiet for a while. He had to argue in his head whether it was okay to disclose such personal matter. The sword was very important to him, not only because it was his key weapon but because it was the object that let him meet his most faithful companion, Bepo.
"It was when I wandered around North Blue." Law began, his eyes floating back to the said weapon. "There was this talking polar bear who led me to its previous owner."
Ross hesitated. "...And you just took it? From the owner?"
"Of course I took it. Why else is it in my possession?" Law solemnly answered.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Ross looked dumbfounded, rendering himself speechless for a while before suddenly bursting in laughter. "Hahahaha! That's great! Real great! So awesome!"
"You seem pleased." Law wondered. It somehow surprised him to see the lad laugh.
"Yes, of course I'm pleased! I thought I was going to hear the cliched 'given by a very important person', I'm so glad it wasn't." Ross explained in between laughs. "Ah, mister Law, you're already changing my perspective about you. You're an interesting fellow, no wonder Elka likes you a lot." his laughter gradually subsided, wiping off the tears that carelessly dropped on his cheeks. "I could have liked you if you didn't harm her." Ross stated in monotone, avoiding Law's gaze. He still wanted to eliminate the dark doctor, but despite it he decided to call a truce between them. As much as he would like to give Law his hammer of judgment, keeping Elka satisfied weighed even more.
Besides, Law proved to be fairly interesting. It was enough to keep him entertained without initiating battle.
Law sighed. "I don't really mind. I'm not here to please anyone." he then looked over to Ross and asked, "You're not going to look at the blade?"
"I know this is a cursed blade. I can't carelessly unsheathe it." Ross replied, staring holes into the weapon. "Your devil fruit ability stayed true in this realm, your sword's curse should as well." he glanced at the Warlord and smiled, "Though I can be a bit reckless, I can't afford to die now."
Law wondered. "And why is that?"
Ross glared at him. "Because I don't want to leave Elka alone."
"You're a soldier." Law sneered.
"I know." Ross quickly replied. "That's why I train, to get stronger. That's why I climb up the ranks, to gain authority." he heaved a sigh and slightly smiled at himself, thinking how hilarious his declaration was. It sounded too noble, and he knew in himself it was only an excuse. The battlefield was practically a graveyard for most people but to him, it was a playground. In every encounter, he could lose his life but the exhilaration it offered was phenomenal. In every mission, he was bound to be caught off guard but the challenge it presented was exceptional. He loved war but he admitted he was still afraid of death - game over, as he interpreted it, and getting one in real life meant he was never going to have a 'retry' to experience more.
"Anyway, I just don't want to upset Elka. That's basically why I want to stay alive." Ross said, smiling at the dark doctor.
Law snorted, slightly perplexed at the lad's devotion to said woman, but he didn't want to dwell on it so he set it aside and took his Kikoku. He examined it for a while before finally pulling out the blade from its scabbard. Its silver sharp edge almost shining under the light, its ebony back exquisitely complementing the ivory. Ross gaped at Law's display, his blue eyes sparkling in delight. It was a decent blade, no, a beautiful blade - the most beautiful he'd ever seen. No replicas in their world could even compare to it and Ross was proud to have been given the opportunity to lay his eyes on such a majestic blade.
Satisfied with the lad's look, Law sheathed it back, ultimately holding it over his shoulder as a habit and pulling up the computer chair to take a seat.
"My turn." Law began. "To start, tell me about Elka-ya."
Ross blinked twice. "Elka? Not me?" he tilted his head in wonder. "So I was wrong. You were thinking about her, huh?"
Law only closed his eyes in resignation.
Ross took a moment to organize his thoughts. "I think it'd be easier if you ask me specific questions. But frankly, I'm not very comfortable telling anything about Elka behind her back. You should just ask her in person."
"Then..." Law paused for a moment before continuing, "You're this building's owner's son, correct?"
Ross was astonished at the question. "Uh, why does it matter?"
"I remember Elka-ya telling me this establishment is for 'girls' alone." Law stated.
"And?"
Law stared at the lad for a moment before continuing, "If you're the owner's son, why make an 'all-girls' institution?"
"Huh? Of course they can build any sort of institution they want. It's not like there are family-oriented legal terms to establish an all-girls dormitory. No one cares about the owners' children." Ross stated in a matter-of-factly way that slightly irked Law, making the lad giggle at the dark doctor's frown.
Ross found that getting on the Warlord's nerves was a lot of fun. He thought it was a nice payback for literally taking his heart. Law might have the upper hand, but his current situation limited his options and Ross wasn't going to let those small opportunities slip by untapped. Once he had enough of the glare that followed, he spoke again. "Right. I get it. On a serious note, you see, Mama wanted a daughter. Turns out she was infertile and couldn't conceive a child."
"What about you then? Aren't you her child?"
Ross smiled. "Oh, I am her child." he sighed and went back to his previous agenda. "At least on paper."
Law had a vague understanding of what the redhead meant but it was obvious to him that Ross was saying he was adopted. Still, it baffled him that the mother wanted a daughter, yet she took a son instead.
"Listen, I understand you're curious about me but it won't help your search progress." Ross stated, taking a handful of boxes and broken statues in his arms. "But if you want to keep this up, then at least check these things. I'm not sure what they can do for you though."
Ross placed the objects over Elka's bed. There was the box Elka previously showed Law, and there were other boxes printed with his image but in different clothes, stance and sizes. There were also some broken parts of statues likened to himself, and tiny replicas of his weapon. Law decided to look into them while Ross went next to Elka's bookshelf.
"By the way, do you want to read this?" Ross asked, pulling out one volume of the One Piece series.
"No." was the quick reply from the Warlord. He was not interested and never will be.
Ross chuckled. "Right, I suppose you don't want to see it." he placed the volume back and instead went through Elka's key chain collection lined up at the bottom of the shelf.
"Ross-ya, what about your father?" Law raised as he examined the boxes laid before him first. "You only ever talk about your mother."
"He's dead." was Ross's plain reply.
Grey eyes darted over Ross the instant he heard the lad's reply, but he saw nothing. Nothing changed on his face. Ross wore the same bored expression, making the Warlord wonder how Ross saw his father.
"...Did you hate him?"
"No."
Law waited, but Ross didn't say anymore. His answers were straight but felt too short. He knew he was too invading at that point so he decided to stop there, shifting his focus back to the objects that were right in front of him.
"...Papa was the one who picked me up and took me in." Ross suddenly announced. "He was a high-ranking official in the army and..he taught me a lot of stuff."
Law was surprised. "Why are you telling me this?"
"You asked." Ross simply replied, keeping his gaze over Elka's toy display.
Law fell silent. He grudgingly admitted that Ross was hard to decipher. The lad looked so nonchalant about the topic, he was unsure whether the boy was lying or not. There wasn't any point in all of it, true, but Law liked satisfying his curiosity.
"What else, you may ask." Ross glanced at Law over his shoulder, finding the dark doctor looking ever so slightly troubled. The sight made Ross grin. "I'm not as skilled with a knife compared with a gun." he announced rather proudly.
Law narrowed his eyes on the redhead. He was suspicious about the lad's statement. "You're..good with close combat, I reckon."
Ross shrugged his shoulders. "I'm still better with guns." he gave Law a condescending smile. "You'll know when I decide to face you with one."
"Interesting." Law smirked. "But let me give you a friendly reminder: I have a variety of ways to hurt." his tone cold.
Ross remembered their fight back on Chicken Kitchen. He felt goosebumps when Law exuded strong killing intent. Ross knew by then Law was going to kill him. Still, it amused him. Despite his offer to lend a hand, and even with the possibility of Elka rebelling against Law in case he did kill him off, the dark doctor was more than happy to take his life, giving little concern over the consequences that may follow.
And Ross highly admired him for it.
"Still, though I seem so weak compared to you due to your world's circumstance," Ross paused for a moment, looking intensely towards the Warlord. "I've honed a particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a decade that makes me a nightmare for criminals like you."
There was a long pause as the two held their gazes on each other, but Ross's eyes didn't burn as much compared to their first encounter. He looked solemn and calm, no hatred or arrogance or judgment, just pure sincerity. It seemed it was a warning - a dutiful warning, no tricks or hidden agendas.
Soon, Ross broke eye contact and chuckled lightly. "Not too intimidating, am I?" he thought aloud. He scratched the back of his head and added, "Man, it could have sounded cool if you didn't have my heart."
"...Why do you hate criminals?"
Ross frowned. "Because they are criminals."
Law didn't respond.
"I highly respect law." Ross paused for a moment, looking shocked as if he just said something weird. "Not you, but the law. It's basically something people must obey."
Law smirked at the clarification. He liked the sound of Ross saying he 'highly respect' him, though he already knew the lad wasn't referring to him. "I know."
Ross continued. "I don't really 'hate' criminals. The law was made for a good reason and I think those who break it just don't deserve to breathe." he looked back at the shelf and picked up a particular keychain to show Law. "Besides, getting rid of criminals meant getting Elka away from harm." he let the object dangle under his fingers, making Law widen his eyes in shock.
"You..know what it looks like?"
"I'm pretty sure a book of devil fruits actually exists in your world." Ross quickly answered, handing over the keychain to the Warlord.
Law took it and inspected it. He was surprised at the great detail put into it despite its size. He knew about the book's existence but he thought since his devil fruit was dubbed 'the ultimate devil fruit' due to its great uniqueness and extreme value, it wouldn't have any precise illustration. It was so over-sought that he assumed fakes should have overshadowed valid ones.
"They even made a replica of it in its actual size, though of course, it was inedible." Ross explained as he watched Law carefully examining the object. "Not to mention, your Kikoku has replicas as well. But of course, nothing beats the original. It looks really amazing in reality."
Law stared blankly at Ross. "Your world is quite...incredible, I must say..." it was indeed astonishing to Law, as the world he was in seemed to know overboard. He couldn't say he was terrified of it, but he could say he was impressed with the amount of information and accuracy they presented.
"I've gathered most things I think should at least help you out. I hope you find something among them, well, useful." Ross offered, gesturing towards the edge of the bed. "Also, I can tell you more if you want."
Law grew interested at the knowledge Ross was willing to offer him. Anything about his world's secrets was welcome to him, except, of course, the knowledge in regards to 'his future'. "Can you tell me anything particular about the World Government?"
Ross's eyes flashed when he recalled Law's association with a certain blonde Warlord. He hesitated, but the thought of the huge change that may happen drove his curiosity to its ceiling. "Sure. Any specifics?"
Law thought for a moment. "I'll be blunt. I want to know their weakness. Anything that may drop them to ruin."
Ross hummed. "And what will you do after this..conversation?"
"Simple." Law calmly smiled. "Destroy them."
=/=
"Your vitals seem stable. You can pretty much be discharged by tomorrow." Elka's attending physician announced after going through her records. "Still, I advice that you stay for another day to rest. Your stitches should be good but you'll have to avoid strenuous activities just to make sure they don't open." he explained.
Elka politely shook her head. "I have class tomorrow, doctor. I'd like to leave as soon as possible."
The doctor sighed. "It's true you're recovering at an unusually fast rate but please don't overdo it. Are you certain you'll be fine if we release you tomorrow?"
"Yes." Elka smiled. "I will have plenty of rest today anyway." she assured, making her attending physician smile in return.
"All right. I will be issuing your discharge tomorrow." he rose from his seat and wrote something on his paper. "I'd like you to control your meals for one whole day before going back to your usual diet. Don't carry anything too heavy and avoid running if you can."
"I will." Elka replied.
The doctor smiled. "Well then, please do follow my advice. It's just for a day, I'm sure you can."
Before the doctor left, Elka expressed her gratitude. Her attending physician graciously accepted, wishing her the best on her journey to Medicine until finally leaving.
Elka quickly pulled up her cell and dialed Ross's number once she was left alone in the room. It was almost three in the afternoon yet Ross hadn't messaged her since, making her worry. She couldn't really say nothing bad happened to the redhead, after all, she knew Ross could take a hit or two. She also believed, quite forcefully, that Law won't harm the young lad unnecessarily.
Unfortunately, Elka couldn't reach Ross's phone. She kept getting the same voice over notice and was forced to leave a message instead.
"Ross, if you hear this, please call me back asap." she muttered after the beep, rather worryingly.
Elka heaved a huge sigh as she let her hands fall on top of her lap. Although glaring at her cell won't do anything, she did anyway until her eyes were strained. She knew there was no use worrying over the two of them, both were good fighters anyway but the problem lies at their personalities. Honestly, Elka couldn't imagine them getting along. On the bright side, Law preferred looking at things objectively, especially if there was a benefit involved and Ross was pretty much the same. Still, for some reason, she couldn't shake off a strange feeling. The silence in her room was uncanny, it was as if the calm before a storm. Elka was once again faced with her utter weakness, someone who couldn't accomplish anything except waiting, and praying for the best.
=/=
Trafalgar Law was both shocked and devastated by what Ross had told him. He couldn't fathom how the most hateful man in his universe held something so valuable.
"Ross-ya, I swear, if this is a lie-"
"Hey, I only gave you a hint." Ross casually replied, cutting off the Warlord's frantic statement. "It's not like he's the only who knows their 'secret'."
"Then who else?!" Law almost snarled, his temper clearly running out.
Ross shrugged, "Don't know. Maybe you can grab some random Celestial Dragon and ask-"
Law grabbed Ross by the collar, yanking him over the mattress. He forced the hilt of his sword against the redhead's neck. "I'm not in the mood for jokes."
Ross smiled wryly at him. "For once, you look genuinely terrified mister Law."
"Keep talking nonsense and I'll give you a slow, painful death." Law hissed, gradually pushing down his weapon over Ross's throat.
Ross immediately grabbed the hilt when his airway felt like it was shrinking. It seemed Law wasn't really trying to subdue him as he easily lifted the object, making him smirk at the thought. He shoved the weapon aside and rolled over to the other side of the bed.
Law didn't bother to go after the young lad, instead, he took out Ross's heart and gradually applied pressure on it, eliciting a grunt of pain from the redhead.
"It would be best to avoid provoking me. I can only hold my patience for so long." he declared, finally giving a more forceful squeeze on the organ in his hand.
Ross almost screamed at the pain. He almost fell over when a sharp pain shot up to his chest, only managing to support his body against the wall. Seconds later, the pain subsided but it left him almost breathless.
Law sat back over the mattress. "Feel like talking now?"
"Look, I'm not certain what this 'national treasure' is." Ross rasped. "All I know is that flamingo knows it because he attacked ships transporting tributes for the World Government."
Law's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I thought you knew everything about our world."
"I never said that." Ross replied, catching his breath. "There were still a few things about your world that's unclear, and that thing is one of them."
Law had to take a moment, rather, a long while to compose himself and organize his thoughts. Doflamingo was the one man he most desired to see dead, yet at present, it's revealed to him that the devil himself held the knowledge he needed to destroy the World Government. He never knew about 'joker' attacking World Noble's ships, and it never crossed him that such secret existed.
"Did you know? That blonde flamingo you hate so much knows about the World Government's little secret: 'the National Treasure of Mariejois'. Maybe you two could talk about it over tea."
Ross's voice played on repeat inside his head. With that mere statement, more questions were raised. If Doflamingo knew about it, why was he still a Warlord? Or, is it because the World Government was unaware that Doflamingo knew about their 'treasure'? And why isn't Doflamingo doing anything about it? If he had such knowledge, why isn't he making a move on the World Nobles? Why is he still playing pirate? Does that mean this secret isn't anything big? Law may never know the answers to these questions.
Suddenly, Ross jumped when he felt a strong vibration over his chest. He couldn't remember when he switched his phone to 'vibrate' mode. He gestured at Law for a ceasefire, to which the Warlord unexpectedly accepted.
When Ross pulled his phone out of his jacket's inner pocket, he found on its screen displayed a name 'Jack'. If that shitty hacker was calling him, it must be urgent.
"Yes, this is Ross Maris speaking." Ross immediately answered.
"Lieutenant, where are you right now?" a male voice from the other end replied.
Ross hesitated. "...Outside. Why?"
"I managed to crack the code from these gasoline purchases and found the potential hideout of the terrorists behind the GreemBills bombing. I'm sending you the coordinates. Check it out if you will."
The news pleased the redhead. "Have you told anyone yet?"
"Nope. I contacted you first, ginger." there was a brief noise of clicking keys before the voice continued, "And I'm preparing to send out the coordinates to your 'men'. You can thank me later."
"Hold on, weren't you told? We're not supposed to-"
"Yeah." was the immediate reply, curtly cutting off the redhead. "But I know you. You can't sit still so I figured, might as well lead you."
Ross smiled. "The place is probably deserted by now. We're up against smart guys for a change."
"Eh, you're still going, right?"
Ross remained silent.
"Of course you are. Dumb question."
The response tugged Ross's lips into a wry smile. "...I'll call you back later."
"Don't make too much mess!" Jack forewarned.
Ross smiled. "You know, you're gonna get yourself fired."
"Of course I'm dragging you with me." Jack quipped. "Don't accidentally get killed, ginger."
Ross let out a short laugh as he ended the call.
"Who was that?" Law inquired.
"Someone you don't know." Ross plainly replied, deciding it wasn't worth explaining to the dark doctor.
"If we're done here, where to next?" Law asked.
Ross was quite surprised with Law's question. "I thought Elka only asked you to search her room. Was there any place-" he stopped himself when he took a second glance over his phone.
There was a voice mail from Elka.
Ross immediately dialed her number without even bothering hearing her voice mail. He can already imagine the wrinkles on the girl's forehead, extremely worried being unable to reach him.
Right after the first ring, Elka picked up.
"Ross! Are you okay!?" Elka almost shouted over the phone, leaving Ross no room to speak his usual line.
"Elka, I'm sorry if you've been trying to reach me. I was just talking to someone on the phone." Ross looked at Law and mouthed the words: 'talk to her'.
Law was surprised, he couldn't believe it when Ross held out his phone towards his direction. Obviously, Law hesitated, leaving the young lad's hand hanging.
"Ross? Is everything okay? What about doctor?"
Elka's voice streamed from the phone, making Law flinch. He looked at Ross once more, and with a firm nod, took the phone off the lad's hand. He carefully placed it over his ear and spoke, "Elka-ya, it's me."
"Doctor?"
Elka's voice seemed to have soothed Law's nerves. "Yes. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. What about you? And Ross? What happened? Are you two okay? Did anything happen? Anything at all? Where are you right now? How is the search coming along?"
Elka bombarded the dark doctor questions seemingly hard to answer at present, not only because he was confused with the redhead suddenly hurrying out of the room but also because he was shaken by the information he got from the same person.
"Doctor? Are you still there? Can you hear me?"
Law sighed. He figured he had to set his disarrayed thoughts aside for the meantime. "...Calm down, Elka-ya. One question at a time."
Elka paused for a moment. "Doctor, did you hurt Ross?"
Law felt his eyes widen in shock. The girl's intuition was spot on. He wasn't sure what to tell her, but he knew it was best to keep their fight secret. "No."
Elka waited until she realized it was Law, a man of few words - 'no' was the only answer she'll ever get. "...Did you two fight?"
"No."
"Can I talk to him?"
Law hummed. Ross just left the room. Although the lad did gesture he was going to return, he didn't really know what he was up to. "I think something came up. He just left and gave me this..device I'm using to talk with you right now."
Elka frowned. "So..where are you right now?"
"Your room."
"And how was your search?" Elka asked.
"Not good. I didn't get anything out of your things."
"...I'm sorry to hear that." Elka sighed. "Are you..coming back here?"
"There's no other place I can go to at the moment." Law simply replied, pausing when Ross finally came back wearing a long, seemingly heavy tan coat. "Oh-"
"Keep talking to her." Ross hissed low, putting his index finger over his lips.
Law raised his eyebrows in both surprise and wonder, remaining quiet as he didn't know what to say next.
"Doctor?"
"It's nothing." Law cleared his throat. "So, uh, there's something I want to ask you when we meet again." he stuttered. It was hard to think of any topic to stall time.
"Huh? Can't you just ask me now?" Elka didn't understand why Law was being vague at the moment. She knew he was a blunt man, and she found it suspicious with him acting strangely opposite of his character.
"...It's something I want to hear from you in person." Law almost cursed after hearing his own words. It sounded weird and sappy and inappropriate he wanted to slap himself in the face.
Elka blushed. She didn't really know how to interpret it but she could only think of something, well, romantic and/or dramatic if people talked about something 'hearing in person', be it a negative or positive thing. "Um, okay."
Not later, Ross seemed to have finished his business and asked Law to hand over the phone. Without further delay, Law returned it and quietly observed the young lad as he conversed with the woman on the other line. He was curious of why Ross changed suit and the black cloth he was carrying while he spoke with Elka on the phone.
"Hello, it's Ross speaking." Ross began.
"Oh, Ross. So, how did the search go? And are you all right?"
"Yes. I'm fine." he glanced at Law. "Both of us are fine but, it seems mister Law didn't find anything. I'm sorry, Elka."
"That's okay." Elka replied. "You did everything you can. Thanks for helping out, Ross."
"Anytime." he walked through the door and beckoned Law. "I'll send mister Law back to the hospital. I still have something to do so I can't see you today. I'm sorry."
"Please stop apologizing. It's not your fault."
"I can take mister Law to the second bus stop. I'll contact you when we part ways."
"Okay." was the only word Elka could reply. Ross suddenly seemed to be in a bit of rush, and although she was worried, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
Ross caught on, prompting him to add, "Stop worrying. It's nothing serious."
But you always say that. Elka thought. Ross had had the habit of speaking that line every time she worried about him. It wasn't like she didn't believe him, there were times that she did worry over something so trivial. But the redhead also said the same thing whenever he's called on the Special Forces Headquarters, and even when he got hurt yesterday due to a 'punishment' as he claimed.
"...Just stay safe, both of you." she then ended the call.
Ross was frozen for a whole minute, letting her weak voice linger on his ear. He understood her worry, and it pained him. Elka had a sharp intuition, that's one reason he couldn't let anything slip if he wanted to hide something from the girl, if he wanted to avoid upsetting her.
"We'll part ways, huh?" Law thought aloud, breaking Ross's thoughts.
"No." Ross replied, making Law look warily at him. "Come with me for a while. Though I hate to ask, I'm..going to need your assistance."
Law was interested. "Assistance for?"
"You'll know when we get there. Also," Ross unfolded the black silk cloth he brought. It was a sword bag case, fairly long but only enough to cover the length of Law's Kikoku to its scabbard, leaving the hilt visible. "Bring along your blade. Use this to cover it, even if the hilt's visible, people will think it's fake."
Law was pleased. He wasn't very comfortable walking around such unfamiliar territory without the weapon he's most familiar with. It also amused him, to think Ross would allow him to carry his weapon, it proved that the redhead cared little about peace, nor for his well-being - he could very well use the weapon to end his life, yet the lad chose to let him carry it.
Soon, the two reached the garage situated by the building entrance where a slick, black motorcycle was parked. Conveniently, there were two motorcycle helmets for them to use. Law was not familiar with it so he asked, to which Ross simplified as 'a bicycle with an engine'.
"The place isn't too far. We'll get there under an hour if the traffic's good." Ross announced as he hopped onto his bike. He taught Law how to wear the helmet as he wore his and instructed the Warlord to keep still or he might get thrown off.
"I assume we're going to fight." Law stated, he sounded confident.
"Maybe. Maybe not." Ross answered.
"Does Elka-ya know?"
Ross fired the engine and they took off, leaving the question unanswered.
=/=
The ride wasn't very long, in fact, it only took them half an hour to reach their destination. Ross stopped by at a junk shop, a fair distance from a certain run-down building just across the street. He parked his bike behind a stack of old tires and plastic bottles that was left by the shop's entrance.
"Mister Law, I'd like you to wait out here for the time being." Ross told Law when they both removed their helmets. He looked at the Warlord and added, "If you hear two consecutive gunshots, use your ability to teleport inside the building."
"You plan to use me as a distraction?" Law's tone was laced with displeasure.
"Not quite." Ross replied, gesturing for Law to hop off the bike. "I told you, I need assistance. And by assistance, I mean someone who can look out for escapees."
Law lightly hummed. "Escapees, huh?" he got off the vehicle and observed the vicinity. It was practically deserted, and the buildings around seemed neglected, but he still detected a few souls present at the area.
"This place is..the potential hideout of the people who bombed the place you and Elka were previously in." Ross explained. "Initially, I just want you to take care of anyone who comes out from the building, but if the situation gets hairy, I'll fire two consecutive shots. That's when you enter the building as well."
"...Which building, exactly?"
Ross gazed at a certain wide, long building that looked to be an unfinished factory. Law followed his gaze and scrutinized the establishment.
"So I'm just going to stay here?"
"This might be a trap as well so it's better if only one of us bites." Ross looked over to his phone and smiled. "Two of my men will be here soon so, it's good to leave someone out here to greet them."
"You're going in alone?" Law asked as he watched Ross take out a pair of black gloves from one of the many pockets on his tan coat and wore them on.
"Why not?"
A/N: Finals are over! Yay! It's my Semestral break (which is practically my Christmas break as well), um, yay! Anyway, I don't even know what I'm doing right now. My drafts seemed fine when I first made them but now I began rewriting them like what am I doing? I've rewritten this chapter a hundred times until I came to this..development. My initial premise is still there but meh, I don't even know what. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry for the delay, this isn't even probably worth the wait, haha.
P.S. I'd like everyone to know that yes, I do read reviews from time to time and it makes me happy to know that people are reading this stuff. Just knowing someone took their time to read what I wrote is already rewarding, to be honest, and your reviews are just added bonus. I do like knowing what you think about my writing, my story and if there's anything you want me to improve. I'm essentially a beginner trying to be as good as the next writer so, feel free to comment whatever the fuck you want. To sum it all up, thank you very much for your time and for reading!