Omen
Seventeenth Sign
The young lieutenant's striking red hair was a distinguishing brand of war and blood which taught the people of their nation to keep away from. Jack had long since admired the cursed bloodline from the West, and since their fall he had dyed his hair of the similar color. He explained it wasn't a tribute to them nor an act of honoring them, but it was a symbol of his - their pride for subjugating the ruthless lords of warfare. Even though they were enemies, the fact was their name echoed across the lands in both terror and reverence to their power, and this he held closely to his heart.
When the war was over, the late General brought a spawn of the accursed bloodline into their nation and claimed him as his. Jack felt honored upon laying his eyes onto the fearsome Valctovoel, even if it was in the form of a child, bloody and beaten, for he held a remarkable stoicism, the deep, vivid blue of his eyes filled with clarity and his short red hair blazed crimson amid the blinding flashes of cameras.
Jack stood atop a certain building standing half a mile away from the hotel. He observed the young lieutenant through his pocket telescope, and he reveled at the anger sparking within the brat which showed fiercely at his freckled face.
It had been five years, or maybe even longer since the seeds of hate he'd sown for that crimson color burst forth. His admiration was replaced with jealousy, and it eventually devolved into a scorn for the man's ridiculous pride. He hated the man's aloofness, his all-knowing attitude, and he greatly abhorred his disregard of him.
Jack prided himself in his ability to gather intelligence, whether vital or mundane, there was no question he'd be the first to obtain it before anyone else. He believed information was the greatest weapon anyone could ever wield, and through him even the most useless person can become powerful in the mere possession of the particulars he offered.
Despite it all, Ross simply turned the other cheek, as if the feat was something too ordinary to even consider. Jack had forgotten why he even bothered to gain his favor. He didn't want to relieve that damnable past either.
"You allowed them to escape, I'm sure," he said then, a static rang from the earpiece stuck on his right earlobe.
He waited, and after a while he figured he was never going to get a response, a stubborn man as the ginger was, and it drew a smirk on his mouth. "I'll take your silence as a yes."
"Just sit tight and watch," a surprisingly immediate reply, harsh and unrefined.
The sound prickled on his ear, but he relished at the thought of successfully getting under his skin.
"I am." Jack answered, "I believe you are only given 24 hours to work with."
Again, he was left waiting for a response. Jack didn't consider himself impatient, but when it came to the ginger his tolerance had always faded more quickly than he'd like to admit.
Peering through his telescope, he saw the young lieutenant working on his firearm, perhaps in preparation for the continuation of that spectacular battle he had previously witnessed. Jack watched them attentively and he felt a mix of emotions as he followed the whole scene unfold before the puny view his telescope provided. At one hand, he was appalled at the disturbingly psychic-like ability the man demonstrated, and on another he was enthralled at the versatility of the strange power he wielded.
However, it was apparent to him how the young lieutenant cornered the man. In the end, the fugitive was forced down to his knees, making Jack rethink the value of the raven-haired man. Ross clearly had no hidden special powers besides his prowess and experience in combat, and yet he successfully pinned down a man wielding an otherworldly ability.
They are in cahoots.
The thought struck him like a thunderbolt flashing above his red-dyed perm. No sane man would be able to gather their wits as quick as ginger did in the face of an unknown being masquerading as a human, unless he had known beforehand. Ross knew how to counter the man's ability, in that Jack had no doubt, and it all connected when he recalled how the bastard ginger kept insisting his ignorance upon the matter.
But it bugged him, how this crucial information slipped his radar. An unworldly power, hidden from his watchful eyes and ears, and to think he had all kinds of connections yet this one particular guy eluded him. Perhaps it was the reason for Ross's lack of interest in his abilities, because he was a much better broker of information compared to him. A talented being, certainly more monstrous than the fugitive they hunted.
The thought sat like a jagged rock in his chest, and Jack refused to acknowledge the conclusion he arrived with.
"No matter. Whether you capture him or not, death remains your punishment, ginger. I'll make sure of that."
=/=
Snipers.
The way they kill people was personal despite the thousands of meter distance they were positioned. They watched their prey through their scopes, saw their faces and the expressions they held, observed every single movement, and once the bullet was fired they saw them bleed.
And this sense of closeness made Cloud feel like he had the front row seat witnessing the man's strange powers. It shocked him, almost terrified him had he not seen his captain step in with guns blazing. Since joining the zero unit, he admired the young lieutenant, for he was pragmatic and fearless. His age didn't bar him from accomplishing feats reserved for the veterans, and from then on he had considered Ross superior.
It had been four minutes since the young lieutenant issued a new command - the blond soldier made sure to count the time. He had promptly obeyed the order and sent his men to the location he was given. With his right eye stuck behind his sniper rifle's scope, Cloud kept a close watch at the two figures running across the gloomy parts of El city. They seemed to have gotten themselves lost in the alleyways, yet they kept advancing towards the south, a direction leading to the bustling Night Market.
"They are trying to reach a crowded area to the south, just as you predicted, sir," he spoke through the black transmission device that was sitting under the bipod stand of his rifle.
"What's their current position?" a voice from the other line inquired.
"Approximately 2.7 kilometers to the south of 101building and currently traversing behind Goso hotel. They have entered my firing range, sir."
"And the woman?"
"The man keeps her close to his person at all times. They've yet to separate more than a meter from each other."
There was a brief click of the tongue, followed by a slightly miffed voice that said, "Change of plans, shoot the man once they do separate. Aim at your own discretion."
Sea green orbs balled in shock for a moment, because it sounded like his captain was, for once, annoyed at their situation. The two figures remained within his sight, the mark on his scope now pointed at the head of the fugitive.
"Is that a permission to kill him?"
Laughter fell then, loud and abrupt, such a genuinely startling sound, especially coming from the aloof redhead, "Hah! I like that," the voice offered, with a wryness that held more amusement than the usual contempt he exhibited in the battlefield, "Go ahead and try."
The other line was then cut and to the clicking sound, Cloud huffed, even as his smile lurked along the curve of his mouth. He heard the challenge oozing from his captain's tone loud and clear, and it spoke volumes of the sort of man, no, being they were up against. The mission entailed capturing the fugitive alive, yet it seemed the only concern their lieutenant had was the possibility of actually killing the guy. If the lord of warfare held doubts to claiming the life of their opponent, then surely he must be someone to be feared.
Unaware of the eyes keeping tabs of their movements, Trafalgar Law and Elka hid behind a dumpster situated by the edge of a narrow alleyway. They found themselves meeting a dead end more than twice since they left the dark alley which served their temporary respite and they were nearing exhaustion, both physically and mentally. The night had grown deep, and after their conversation, Law allowed Elka to be on her own feet. They made it an unspoken decree to stay close with one another - the Warlord's discernible caution to the snipers he'd yet to locate.
This was Ross they were obeying, and Law confidently wagered his own life he would never let them take their shot as long as Elka's safety was not secured.
He admitted his observation haki wasn't anything to boast about, but it wasn't something so small that anyone could ignore it either. However, the fact remained that he had yet to spot at least one of the snipers' position, and being aware of the limits and range of his own haki, it was enough to put him on edge more than usual.
Still, Law had the option to summon his room. With the range of at least 50 kilometers wide radius he's able to create in his current level, he was certain he'd be able to cover the snipers' location.
But then what next?
Even if he cut through the buildings, the destruction won't qualify as confirmation that they were indeed incapacitated. It was similar to blindly hitting a target where he could either miss or be dodged. There was the option of swapping himself and a random sniper, but then it'll cause him to separate from Elka. She'd end up captured, he believed with a staggering certainty, and he'd have to chase after them to save her, a much more difficult and undesirable situation. The whole feat would also cause him to expend more energy than necessary, ultimately resulting to his exhaustion, and as it would also reveal their current location to the one man he frankly had no time to be dealing with, he determined it was not a risk worth taking.
So he decided, no, they decided to stay low and leave the area as soon as they physically could, and the most ideal place to escape to was a crowded area, in which case Elka had pointed out the existence of a night market to the south.
Only one more road to cross and they were out of the gloomy parts of El city, away from Ross's grips.
Taking a quick peek, Law confirmed what he had seen through his observation haki - two men, armed with firearms and the like, were situated at the area.
Two.
Trafalgar Law was a cautious man. He had kept the presence of Ross's snipers just below the surface of his thoughts. Though the place was a concrete jungle, and perhaps the towering buildings pasted together provided a cover from the snipers' line of sight, Law figured it was stupid to recklessly take his chances. However, he figured it'd be quicker to put down the soldiers guarding their route if he went alone, and as the redhead's face flashed momentarily in his mind, he determined time was of the essence.
"Listen, Elka-ya, I'm going to make a path for us. Run when I tell you to."
"Got it."
The Warlord did not expect an immediate reply, more so an agreeable one to come out from the apparently pale-as-ghost Elka. Her hands were trembling, her body stiff and she was sweating so much that he could see the color of the fabric underneath her now-damp uniform. It took him a moment of simply staring at the young woman, mouth parted with his surprise, before he was able to collect his thoughts.
"You say that yet seeing you now, I'm not sure if you can even walk straight."
Elka didn't understand, or perhaps the comprehension part of her brain wasn't functioning at the time. Law's words failed to register in her mind. All she did was clasp her hands together in a prayer while her eyes were trained unto the path before them.
She felt a palm curving over the round of her shoulder then, and when he gently tugged she followed. Their gazes locked, and somehow she felt her shoulders relax even though he'd yet to say a word.
"Oi, Elka-ya, Calm down." Law said then, in that familiar, deep baritone, and the breath she'd been obliviously holding rushed out of her.
Heat flushed her cheeks, realization of their current proximity finally dawning on her, making her inwardly curse at the sudden awareness of the noise coming from her chest. It wasn't the time nor the place to be fluttering in infatuation, but embarrassment warred with anger directed at her own unbecoming, snapping in a foolhardy attempt to cover up the pathetic images she conjured.
"Yes! I'm calm! I'll run away as fast as I can," it was almost a shout, and the rise of her voice prompted Law to cover her mouth.
A stir then, and Law pulled her deeper into the alley, leaving his ears open to the sound of footfalls threatening to close in on them. It took her longer than it should to gather her wits enough to realize what she had done, and her hands clenched at her side, both in remorse and in preparation for what's to come.
"Once I release you, run to your left. I'll take the right side," he whispered to the curve of her ear, his eyes never leaving the crack of space between the wall of the building and the edge of the dumpster. "Don't look back. Just run to the night market and find shelter."
Elka wanted to ask, what about you, but the warm palm pressing against her mouth forbade her to do so. She tilted her head, a gesture to somehow convey her desire to be allowed to speak, yet Law seemed to have not taken notice, or perhaps he deliberately ignored it.
No sooner than a small shadow forming on his periphery, Law released Elka and jumped at the dumpster, the loud clang not only alerted the figures approaching them but also shook his company awake from her seemingly dazed state, prompting her to steady her knees and to start running.
They pointed their guns, but they allowed the woman to run past them, not giving signs of any interest to pursue. That simple action eased Law, and before they could even pull their trigger at him, he had drawn his nodachi and sliced off the barrel of their guns. He followed up with a kick to their chest and stomach, spinning to his right to sprint off, but a leg kick tripped him.
He rolled away, just in case, and upon lifting his face he saw one of the soldiers moving towards him, a knife held on one hand. Law quickly got up, fluidly dodging a jab directed his way, and immediately proceeded to grab his opponent's arm but was instead pulled down, and what came next was a hit to his abdomen.
Law then acknowledged that they were no ordinary men - soldiers, and there was a whole different meaning when he recalled they were led by a difficult redhead. He coated his arm with armament haki, responding with an elbow to the arm he'd yet to release followed by a quick punch to their masked face.
His opponent visibly felt the pain of his blows, dropping the knife they held while staggering back on their feet. They retreated, yet they held an awareness to counterattack, spinning in a semicircular motion, striking with the back of their leg aimed at the Warlord's back.
The two engaged in a close combat fight, constantly exchanging blows if they weren't dodging or blocking. Law had Ross to thank for the improvement of his martial arts, a ghost of a smirk lingering at the edges of his lips as he recalled their previous brawls.
A gunshot abruptly broke them apart, and the Warlord was surprised when he realized the other soldier had the gall to shoot at them when there was a chance of hitting one of his own.
The whole scene seemed to pause, the silence getting heavier as his sharp gaze remained on the two. It made him wonder, for his opponents suddenly stopped and stood still, acting like they were observing him, as if waiting for something.
And Law knew there was something he should be expecting.
With the help of his observation haki, he identified an unsurprisingly fast bullet flying towards him, the trajectory seemingly aimed precisely at his heart.
"And he said he was supposed to capture me alive," he muttered to himself as he stayed still, ready to meet the rushing bullet against his skin.
Law knew simply dodging won't stop his enemy from trying and sniping him again, so he chose the bolder choice of showing them that ordinary bullets simply couldn't hurt him if he so choose.
Underneath his shirt was skin clad in black armor created by his armament haki. They couldn't see it, they couldn't tell either. All they saw was the bullet rebounding off his chest, and the sniper who kept a close watch of the man he intended to kill found it peculiar, for he was certain he had hurt the man earlier with the same bullet, and yet now it seemed it was only an illusion.
Or perhaps, they simply couldn't distract him enough just as their captain did.
He smirked, and that provoked both soldiers present, inciting them into action. The soldier with a gun was easily neutralized, but the other seemed adept with close quarters combat that Law found himself unable to finish their battle as quick and efficient as he'd like.
One minute and he suddenly felt a sense of familiarity to the the moves his opponent delivered, more accurate and deadly, and when a gloved hand aimed at his neck, understanding befell him.
Law parried, countering with a blackened fist to the soldier's epigastrium. A cough of blood and they backed away, a hand resting over the area suffering the blow.
"You're his master."
The words rolled off his tongue, bordering between a question and a statement, but it hung dry as silence was the only response he received, at least if not for a grunt escaping his opponent's lips. They then pulled out another knife from the lower pocket of their pants and assumed a stance once more.
If he didn't know better, he would have bitten their bait. Ross was his real opponent, and they were distractions, merely stalling time. He threw a glance to the direction in which Elka went, and oddly enough her presence was missed. But he had no time to entertain his feelings, he had taken notice of another bullet coming from his left side, and by then he had a rough grasp of the sniper's position.
He must have been getting rusty, taking him a couple of minutes before realizing what Ross had in store for him. He got overly preoccupied by the fact that eleven men were in hiding, aiming to snipe him when in reality, there must only be one man left. If all eleven men were snipers, then there would be lesser options for changes in planning and implementation, and Ross struck him as the type of man who liked adapting to situations, where certain adjustments required flexible men.
At most, he should have only three snipers. But at that moment, the dark doctor was certain there was only one.
Law immediately summoned his room, and perhaps Ross said something about his ability to his men, judging from the way his opponent reacted upon seeing the light blue aura appear below his palm. He then stepped aside, deftly evading the incoming bullet while at the same time, preparing a roundhouse kick before muttering the words shambles, finally striking the unknown figure abruptly appearing in place of his previous opponent.
The fall of his foot landed at the back of the blond man's neck, abruptly rendering him unconscious. The sniper rifle he still clutched seemed to fold under the force of Law's leg as it got caught between them, and the heavy thud of the body against solid ground was the last sound heard within their vicinity.
On the other hand, the soldier who previously locked the fugitive into a hand-to-hand combat stood idly by the empty bipod stand, baffled at the sudden change of scenery, such an unexplainable occurrence.
Not later, a voice mixed with buzzing sounds fizzled below them, "What's the status? Report immediately."
It took the soldier a moment before they decided to pick up the radio lying on the ground, pulling down the baclava that covered the lower half of their face so the words they spoke could be heard clearly and audibly.
"...It's Lumiere, captain."
"Lumi?"
"Yes sir," a voice of a female, a dulcet tone yet hardened. When she spoke next, there was an underlying consternation, "I…don't know what happened, sir. I can see sir Cloud's bipod stand but he and his rifle are absent."
There was a long pause, then a small huff of breath, "I understand," the voice was leveled, a sort of knowing laced within it, "And your position before that?"
"Road 3, behind the Night Market's Elinia shop," the firmness in her tone suggested her previous panic was now gone, her composure regained after the knowledge of her captain's comprehension to the mysterious event she experienced. "I have fought the fugitive there until approximately one minute and twenty-eight seconds ago."
"Good work," was the brief reply before the connection was cut off.
Lumiere idled for a moment, the last two words echoing in her brain. The lieutenant rarely gave them praises, yet at least this time it sounded to her as one, though curt. She lifted her face then, staring blankly at the landscape before her, where little lights flickered across the long stretch of pitch-black, and to the south the brilliant sparkles of night life. A cool breeze caressed her bruised face, ignoring the slight stings as she allowed herself to admire the sight before her. Snipers have it nice, she thought, but she figured they never even spared time to appreciate the view.
And then a voice rang at the back of her mind, you're his master, it said, and she couldn't suppress a smile from surfacing along the thin line of her lips. "Master, huh," she mumbled, almost mocking the term itself, and then a snort before turning to leave, "What a silly joke."
=/=
Trafalgar Law emerged from the alley and found himself standing in a busy sidewalk. There were clamors of various sounds such as the trivial chattering, the mechanical noises of cars and even the clashing music booming from the stereos of a few stores across each other. Though he liked silence, after what he'd gone through on that night, the lively streets of Night Market came to be such a welcoming sight.
To his surprise, people didn't seem to be too bothered by his presence, what with the condition his clothes were in, tattered and bloodied, though a few did react and stayed away from him when they did notice, but overall, causing panic seemed unlikely at the time. Some would look at him strangely, while others ogled him like he was some sort of freak show, but they didn't do anything regardless, be it approach him or call some authorities to deal with him. All they did was simply stare - hell, they were gawking at him but easily lost interest once he was out of their field of vision.
It amused the Warlord. It felt so similar to his world, where the powerless would only look at the beaten, seemingly dumbfounded, unable to act until finally settling on feigning ignorance.
There was nothing wrong with it, he thought, after all, if anyone wanted to preserve their own lives, it was best to simply keep to themselves.
Law continued to walk. He had to find Elka first, and knowing which direction she took he had an idea where to find her.
But then a man in uniform stood in front of him, obviously an attempt to block his way. "You!"
He halted, grey eyes glaring downwards as to meet the shorter man's gaze. Law didn't bother concealing his hostility from the guy, not when he was already feeling fatigued.
"Why are you in such a mess? Was there a fight?"
Law raised a brow at that, "Does it concern you?"
"But of course! I'm with the police," the man grabbed something out of his pocket and showed a card, in which a name and a crest was printed on it. "I patrol these streets tonight," he patiently explained as he then put away his ID. "I am a friend, sir, understand I only want to help."
He frowned. If he was going to get help from the authorities, he might as well be telling the redhead he surrenders. However -
"There was a fight," he said then, gesturing over his shoulder, "I got caught in it," he had to pause, he stared at the man in search of even the tiniest hint of suspicion before he continued, "They think I'm with the guys they beat so they're after me too."
"Is that so," the officer leaned to the side, straining his eyes to see if there truly were people coming after the 'civilian' before him, "Then may I offer you to come to the police station for now? We'll shelter you there until we find your offender, sir."
"I was hoping you can help me treat my wounds."
The police officer looked surprised at that, leaving him stunned for a second before replying, "Well, we do have people with medical expertise at the station."
"If it isn't obvious yet, I'm a doctor." Law deadpanned, pointing at the name embroidered over the white coat he was wearing. Although it was tattered and some blood stained the name, the letters M.D. was still visible, and readable.
"...We have bandages and a first aid kit back at the station," the man offered then, understanding evident from his expression. "Please do follow me, sir."
And when they arrived at the place, the dark doctor wasn't even the least bit surprised when he found Elka seating on one chair across the table of a lady officer, who seemed to be giving her baseless reassurances as one other officer helped tend to her bruises.
It was one of the reasons why he allowed the officer to take him, for he knew the first thing Elka would go for was the authorities. Of course, Law argued it was the dumbest thing to do since the military was after them. As long as they were affiliated with the law, they would not think twice about handing over some injured stranger to soldiers.
But then, there was nowhere else to go.
Law knew this, and understood how Elka would act on the situation, and somehow it brought him a silly sense of pride, that he knew the young woman better then.
Soon their eyes met, yet none of them seemed willing to make a move. Elka sat still on the chair, but kept her eyes on him, obsidian like the back of his blade, and the worry he expected her to wear was gone. It amused him, it seemed he judged the lady officer a bit too hasty. Perhaps her assurances weren't baseless, for they seemed to have worked their magic on her, making the aspiring doctor calm, and the shaking leaf that was with him at that dark alley was nowhere to be found.
He acknowledged the woman's intention, and he was the first to break their gaze. It was way faster to just tend to his wounds and get over it rather than having him to explain how the two of them knew each other or were related. After all, they might have conflicting stories to tell, and suspicion was the last thing they needed to earn from the police officers.
The dark doctor worked quickly on his injuries, removing the bullets buried on his arm and thigh, bandaging them and the few cuts he sustained from stray bullets. And as he worked he felt the tender scrutiny of the young woman, dark and fierce, and it felt so uncanny that a part of him recoiled violently. Perhaps it was the stress, and she was unconsciously lashing out on him in her own little way. But he never expected her silent stare could cut that deep, and for the first time he felt a bit excited by the small discovery of her character.
Later, he felt the sting on his thigh, the only deep wound he sustained, the sniper bullet he failed to swap, or even dodge. The thought of being outsmarted was something that irked the Warlord more than he expected himself to be, because it wasn't even anything special, just some ordinary bullet fired by an ordinary sniper headed by an ordinary man -
A non-devil fruit user.
In his world, there were men just as strong, or even stronger despite having no devil fruit abilities, but Ross was unlike them. He had no haki - no, perhaps he did have it, just couldn't or didn't know how to use it.
A non-devil fruit and a non-haki user outsmarted him, defeated him, and there was nothing more humiliating to him than that.
Upon finishing the last bandage over his arm, Law felt the ominous presence of a couple of men in military uniform entering the place. And instinctively, he grabbed his nodachi and took Elka by the arm, but the woman made a gesture to shush and pulled him behind the cubicle that was where the lady officer she previously spoke to.
Law was about to throw her a query but stopped himself when he saw the lady officer handing him some papers.
"Officer Van told me your story. You should narrate everything in writing for record, and then you may leave, doctor."
He glanced at the paper and then at Elka, and it seemed she wanted him to take it and -
Hide, was the word she mouthed at him and Law, for once, obeyed without argument.
He took the papers and sat down behind the desk, and Elka followed. As he wrote lies on the paper, he kept his ears open at the conversation taking place between the military men and the police, all the while searching for a way to escape the whole place without attracting unwanted attention.
But hiding was never a viable option, and as he anticipated, footsteps seemed to grow louder just as the voices.
Law immediately got up from his chair and grabbed Elka, "This is Ross-ya we're up against. We can't hide," he hissed low, creating his room and swapping himself with a random person outside the police station.
Although Elka was unaffected by his devil fruit ability, he never really tried if it could work indirectly, and the answer he got was the worse, standing in the middle of the crowded streets of Night Market, alone.
There was no way he'd leave Elka, so he swapped again, and by then he found himself face to face with the military personnel visiting the police station. The unfamiliar face, and the dark brown color of his hair made him breathe in relief. Even though it was still considered unfortunate to cross his men, at least he himself was not around, and Law decided that was fortunate enough.
They were obviously caught off guard, so startled that they were unable to act before Law had knocked them out by the hilt of his blade. He then grabbed Elka, who in turn looked just as startled as the men he had beaten. Nonetheless, he dragged her out of the station.
The Night Market remained uncaring for their dilemma, even when four other men in military uniform, who were situated a little ways from the station, hurried to follow their trail as soon as they took notice.
It was a game of tag, a rabbit hunt, and Law was sure as hell prepared to show the arrogant redhead who between them was the rabbit.
A/N: Hello dear readers!
Okay so, life has been quite the challenge for me this past semester (it's our brief sem break now, yay) so I couldn't update. BUT! For some reason, I struggled writing the action scenes in my head for quite some time. I had some drawings of the scenes and it really took me a while to actually translate them into words. I don't know if I delivered but at the very least, I hope the way I wrote the action scenes could instill a picture in your minds. If not, well, I guess I just need to improve more, yes?
Also, I know it took me like, several months (sorry I lost count) to finally continue this and I even had the audacity to start a new fanfic in a different anime/manga so I understand if you all are tired and angry at me. Please, I'll accept it. You have all rights, especially when I realize this is way shorter than usual. Anyway, I only want to thank you for your patience with me and for your continued support and for the time you invest in reading this fic of mine. I know I ain't the best but please be assured I pour my best when I do write! I do read and appreciate your reviews/comments and I'm sorry if I don't reply to them. I just don't know what to say... Again, many thanks and I hope you enjoyed this update!