Memory Trap
Chapter Six: An Official Member

A/N: Hi guys! So I added a short scene or two to the last chapter. (Nothing big, really. Just thought I'd let you know.) So I've decided to add things from Law's POV and stuff in this chapter. What do you guys think? Lemme know, please? I'm kinda depending on you guys to steer me though this. ^^; XD Still working on the Straw Hats reactions though. ^^;

Mayday, mayday; this ship is slowly sinking
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling

Law ran. He ran faster than he'd ever run before. He had heard of Doflamingo's powers, which had been the main reason he went to the young master than any other pirate crew, so he had a faint idea just how terrible this Skewer Torture really was. After all, Doflamingo hand't become well known for his kindness or mercy. He was unrelenting against his enemies, and Law knew that when the young master found out his brother had been killed, Law would enter a world of horrendous pain if the man got a hold of him.

He quickly turned the corner, the harbor suddenly within sight. A dark smirk played at his features before he felt a twinge of anger that bit at the back of his mind. Corazon had been the absolute clumsiest person Law had ever saw, how had he survived for so long as a pirate? Why should he have lived while his family perished for no reason? Why should anyone care that piece of filth pirate died? The world hadn't cared for his family, for his friends, for his people.

"He's never going to make it to the harbor," Zoro suddenly spoke up, his eyes focused on something over to the side. Luffy, too, had his eyes where his swordsman was looking.

"What makes you say that?" Brook asked, looking for anything out of the ordinary on the street they were running on.

"Marimo's right," Sanji sighed, wishing he had a cigarette. The stress of watching Law's memories really made his fingers itch to hold a stick of nicotine. "Two family members are already closing in on Law."

"Eh?" Nami asked, looking around. She didn't see anyone's face that she recognized from the family dinner earlier. "I don't see any…" It was as Law took another step did two shadows easily intercept him from an alley. The child had nowhere to go and no time to react when the two adults grabbed his arms and lifted him off the ground. Usopp recognized the woman, Jora as Doflamingo had called her. Franky recognized the other man, who towered over Jora and had a large, muscular body.

"And where do you think you're going?" Jora asked. Law didn't answer as he struggled against their hold, but it was useless. Their grips were too strong to break. "The young master has asked to see you. Let's not keep him waiting."

"They found out about Corazon fast." Usopp furrowed his brows. "Too fast, really. And they don't look upset at all."

"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head to the side a little. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think Doflamingo sent them after Law because of what he did to Corazon," Usopp explained. "I think this is for a completely different reason, and he has yet to hear about what happened to his brother."

Law continued to struggle as the two family members brought him closer to the base, and he threw a kick that would have hit Jora right in the knee if she hadn't moved out of the way. In retaliation, she tightened her grip on his arm, making him grit his teeth. It was no use, he couldn't free himself from their grasp. Every step the adults took brought Law closer to what he knew what his slow and painful death.

As Jora opened a familiar looking door, Law bared his teeth. He'd come to the Donquixote family to learn to kill and destroy, not to become one of their victims. He silently cursed himself for letting his emotions get the best of him, he should have just turned the other cheek when it came to Corazon.

But he couldn't turn the other cheek. The man had thrown him out a fucking window. Had he been another kid, that fall could have killed him if he had landed wrong. And the very idea that he could have died after just escaping Frevance and its horrors made his blood boil. He did not survive that massacre just to die by the hand of some clumsy bastard…!

"The boy's suddenly so determined to run away," Jora spoke as they entered the room.

"He ran all the way to the port-iin!" Off to the side sat Buffalo and Baby5; Buffalo licking the ice cream Law had bought him and Baby5 looking as if she had tears in her eyes. The second sight disgusted him, he didn't want her tears or pity. Then Law's picked up on something just beside Doflamingo. He felt his eyes widen for a split second.

"Heart guy!" Luffy smiled, his eyes landing on where Law was looking.

'Corazon?! Damn it, he's not dead! I'll die for nothing! I thought I'd bribed Buffalo with ice cream, though… Corazon blabbed to his brother then! That bastard! But he knife went right through him, yet he's acting as if it hadn't happened!'

"He's right," Franky spoke up. "The guy's acting as if he hadn't been stabbed at all."

"Maybe…" Usopp rubbed his chin in thought for a moment, his brows furrowed in the slightest. "Maybe he doesn't want Law to get killed."

"But hasn't he been tossing Law out windows?" Chopper asked, tilting his head a little.

"Yes, he has," Robin answered. "However, that does not mean he wishes to see the child die. He hits Baby5 and Buffalo too, but there doesn't seem to be actual malice behind the attacks." She gave a small smile. "It's as Luffy said, he's quite similar to Garp in a few ways."

"Law," Doflamingo spoke, cutting off anymore talk of the Straw Hats. "I've called you here for one reason. I intend to make you an official member of the Donquixote family." Law looked surprised, obviously not expecting such a statement. He thought he was going to be given the Skewer Torture, this was the complete opposite of just that. "The sort of terrible glare birthed in those that have faced the most horrible of experiences…. You have potential!"

"So that's the reason he took Law in? Was because of what he went through in Frevance?" Franky asked.

"Ohohoho! You've been deemed worthy!" Jory laughed, resting her hand on Law's hatted head. "Well done! The young master has his hopes set on you."

Law, for the most part, ignored the woman's praise as he focused his eyes solely on the mute male smoking next to Doflamingo. He didn't understand. 'Does he…not know about Corazon? How?! Corazon could have just wrote a report down on a piece of paper, right? What's going on…?!'

"I guess Doflamingo's brother really didn't want to see Law die," Brook summed up. "Still, I wonder how he'll explain how he got the wound."

"He could probably always blame his clumsiness," Zoro suggested.

"You have a point there."

"Worthy or not," Law started, focusing his attention back to Doflamingo. "I'm still going to die in three years."

"Fufufu! That depends on your luck! My specialty is black market business. Among other things, I deal in Devil Fruit trading. The power of these fruits sometimes exceeds human knowledge. Who knows, there may be a power out there than can heal even your illness."

"Devil Fruits…" Law had heard stories of Devil Fruits from some visitors who stopped by Frevance. Tales of how terrifying their powers were, or how bizarre and useful they could be. He heard how there were people out in the Grand Line that could control fire, cause tsunamis and earthquakes, and create sandstorms with just a flick of their wrist. The stories intrigued him, but he never knew what to make of them; were they real, or were they fake? He found it hard to believe that someone in the world had the ability to turn to turn to smoke without moving a muscle.

"If you're lucky, in the that three year limit of yours, a fruit might come by, one that could save you. And I'll train you for ten years to be my right-hand man!"

"Right-hand man?" Nami asked. "He's putting a lot of faith in Law even though he's only been around for a week!"

"Something's not right." Zoro slightly furrowed his brows. "He must have some ulterior motive."

"I agree," Sanji spoke. "I got a bad feeling about it, too."

The occupants of the room began to disperse, going back about their business now that Doflamingo was done talking to Law. The child's eyes focused on the clumsy blond once more, watching how he got up to leave. His movement was a little slower than usual, and he was careful not to trip. Curious, Law followed him. He was pretty sure he'd stabbed the man, so why hadn't Corazon told his brother about the incident.

Corazon entered his room, forgetting to close the door, and sat down on the nearest wooden chair. He then began to take off his feathered coat and shirt, placing them off to the side. Law's eyes slightly narrowed as he saw the fresh wound covered in blood-stained bandages. His eyes also traveled over the blond's back, taking in the many scars that littered his body.

He knew just by looking that many of the scars were most likely from his clumsiness.

Others, however, were far too deep and thick to be from merely falling down and lighting oneself on fire. They were battle wounds, he guessed. But he couldn't help but notice just how many of those scars there were there. If Doflamingo had made him an executive, he was no doubt strong and able to hold his ground in a fight. Yet there were so many signs that he'd been deeply injured. And quite a few of those scars looked old. Very old.

Corazon began to pull at the bandages, probably to take them off to change them. The child didn't fail to notice how the man slightly shook as he did this. "Chopper, how bad is the wound?"

The little reindeer was quiet a moment. "Not too bad. As long as he keeps it clean and doesn't irritate it, it should heal fine. Though I do hope he has someone take a look at it later. He'll also have to take it easy for a few days. These other scars though… He must have gotten them when he was much younger."

"But aren't those scars from pretty bad injuries?" Luffy asked. Some of the scars looked pretty…bad. They weren't simple little scars, they were wide and deep. How could a child get such wounds?

"Law." The voice had Law snapping his attention to the other approaching blond who had his hands in his pockets. Doflamingo noticed just what room Law was peeking into and couldn't help but glance inside. "Hm? Corazon. What happened? What's that wound from?" Actual concern laced the young master's voice as he asked the question.

"Well at least he actually cares about his brother. Though Law looks like he's about to make a break for it," Usopp commented. Corazon pulled out a slip of paper and began writing something down.

"Law's beginning to sweat. If Corazon writes down Law's name, there's no way he can get away with Doflamingo standing right there."

"Nah, Heart guy's too nice for that," Luffy suddenly said. "He'll probably lie about the wound."

When Corazon held up the piece of paper for his brother to see what he wrote, the crew read the single word on the paper.

Enemy

"I shouldn't be surprised Luffy was right," Usopp started. "But I still kind of am." It wasn't a secret that the crew knew how well Luffy was at reading people. If he said they could trust someone, then they knew right then and there they could rely on that person to pull through till the end. There was only one time where Luffy's instincts had been wrong, and that had been when CP9 were disguised as shipwrights in Water 7.

Doflamingo frowned at the word, his brows pulled together in both worry and confusion. "He hurt you pretty bad, it looks really deep. I hope you've gotten rid of him once and for all." Corazon wrote down something else and raised the paper. Doflamingo's shoulders relaxed a little at seeing the I took care of him written on the new slip. "I see. Be careful, and take care of yourself." The older blond then turned to Law. If he noticed the child mildly sweating, he didn't say anything about it. "Come, Law."

As Law began to follow Doflamingo, he couldn't help but glance at Corazon one last time. 'He…protected me? What is he thinking? I don't understand that idiot at all!'

When Law was shown to his room, he couldn't help but notice a few medical textbooks resting on the table against the wall. "I heard your parents were doctors," Doflamingo started. "And I haven't missed how you tend to the wounds you sustain. You plan on becoming a doctor too one day, correct?" Law merely nodded. "These are a few of the medical books we currently have. If you need anymore, let me know." He gently pushed the boy more into the room with a small laugh before turning to leave to attend to some minor business he had.

Law looked as if he wanted to say something but quickly dismissed it, turning his attention back to the medical books on the table. His dream of becoming a surgeon hadn't died out. He highly doubted they would find a Devil Fruit that would be able to heal his illness, but until his death actually came, Law had no intention of simply wasting his time.

He would study to become a surgeon while taking his revenge on the world.

He headed for the table and sat himself down, picking up the book on the top of the pile and began his studying.

The scene suddenly began to blur, and colors began to merge and twist until it looked like an abstract painting. The sight had Usopp letting out a small sound of awe. "Okay, so if Law's still alive, that means Doflamingo gave him the Ope Ope no Mi, right?"

"It's definitely looking like that."

"If so, then when does he have sights set on Doflamingo so badly? You'd think he'd be grateful to the man for finding a Devil Fruit that could cure his illness."

"Not only that, he seems to dislike the entire family now. Did you see how back on Punk Hazard he didn't hesitate to call Baby5 and Buffalo enemies. They seemed to really like him and couldn't believe he betrayed them."

"Whatever the reason, we're most likely going to see it," Sanji bit out.

Nami sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple. "You're probably right." She wished she didn't have to watch their ally's memories – hell, all the Straw Hats wished they didn't have to watch them – but since they had no choice of the matter, she figured they could at least use the opportunity to study their opponents and their fighting styles. That they could have the upper-hand when they reached Dressrosa. She opened her eyes and brought her hand away from her temple. "I think–" The words died in her throat when she noticed a new scene had appeared.

A red sky above mixed with clouds of smoke. The sounds of guns going off and distant screams reached their ears. The giant gated building before them was up in bright orange and red flames.

They were back in Frevance.

A shiver ran down a few of the Straw Hats' spines at being amongst the chaos once more. "Wh-What are we doing back here? Wasn't Law just in his room?"

Movement in the corner of their eyes had everyone looking to the side. There sat Law, his blank eyes staring at the hospital that was up in flames. Silent tears ran down his dirtied cheeks, wiping away the grime as they fell. "Lamy," he murmurs, her name rolling off his lips in the quietest voice. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears staining his cheeks. His hands were still covered in his parents' blood, and the red liquid was smeared over his face. Whether he noticed this or cared, the Straw hats didn't know as he showed no signs of reacting to it.

He pushed himself onto his feet and, finally, turned away from the burning building; his eyes lingering on the fire only a moment more. But as he began to run, a voice echoed through the air. "Brother!" Law stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he turned towards the hospital once more. "Brother! H-Help me!"

The small boy took a small step back at realizing who it was that was calling out for him. "L-Lamy…?"

"Brother! It's so hot! Help me! Please, Law! I-I'm scared!" Law was trembling where he stood, more tears running down his cheeks as he listened to her call for him. "Brother! Please!"

Nami covered her mouth as tears began to build in her eyes. Lamy's voice was filled with fear, and the navigator could only imagine how terrified she must have been to awake to flames and smoke filling her room. She wanted her brother, the brother who said he'd protect. The brother that said he'd be by her side always.

Usopp couldn't bear it, he covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly. He had already seen and heard many other children die earlier, he couldn't handle this. He loved children, to witness the death of so many was too much for his heart.

Sanji found it hard to block out Lamy's voice. He tried to remind himself that this was only a memory, that it was already past and there was nothing he could do to help save the little girl. He turned his back to the burning building and tried to focus his mind on something, anything else.

Franky curled his fists, wanting nothing more than to rush into the building to help Lamy. But he couldn't. He grit his teeth and tried not to let the girl's voice get to him. He looked off to the side and released a thick breath. Franky had hated Honbee before when he was forced to watch his crew members fall apart at watching their worst memories, but the fact he was now watching this from Law's past only worsened his anger toward his enemy.

Luffy grit his teeth. Lamy's calls were getting to him, they reminded him of when he was younger; how he'd call out to Ace or Sabo when he was scared and needed help. No matter what danger he was in, his brothers were always there to save him, no matter what. The fact that Law couldn't go save his sister as she called out for him… His hands curled into tight fists that shook. He didn't want to hear or see this.

Robin looked away from the scene, it reminded her of her past on Ohara. How she sat in the book Aokiji had given her as she watched her home island go up in flames. How she had wanted to go back and be with her mother who she had just been reunited with. She had been powerless to save her island and any of its inhabitants. Just as Law was powerless to save his sister from burning to death.

Chopper covered his ears with his hooves, desperate to block out the little girl's terrified voice. He sniffled, unable to hold back his tears. Burning to death was a horrible way to die, and he didn't want to even think about the fact that it was a child who was dying in such a terrible way. But despite the fact he covered his ears, he could still hear her cries. He shook his head, refusing to hear anymore of Lamy's shouts for help.

Brook knew that if he still had a heart, it would have broke upon hearing little Lamy crying out to her brother to be saved. After experiencing something to traumatizing, he could not blame Law for being so cold and apathetic. He doubted anyone could live through such a thing and come out unaffected. He turned his head, unable to look at the burning building where the little girl was trapped.

Zoro's grip on his crossed arms were tight and his teeth clenched until he felt a dull ache in his jaw. The fact that a little girl would suffer so much because of the World Government was unbearable. Countless lives lost and one child traumatized for life, all for the sake of money. It was despicable. How could people actually put their faith in such people? The World Government did not uphold justice, it did what was best for itself. Fuck everyone and thing else. Zoro knew that no matter what, Lamy's cries were one of the few things he'd never be able to erase from his mind.

"L-Lamy…" Law clenched his eyes shut, holding his head in his hands. He wanted to help her, wanted to hold her close and keep her safe from the horrors of the world. But he couldn't. He couldn't save her. "I'm so sorry…!"

"Law! Law! Please, Law! Brother!" Her pain-filled screams suddenly echoed through the air, and Law couldn't take them. He collapsed to his knees, placing his hands over his ears and pressing his forehead into the ground as he desperately tried to block out her screams. "Help me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Law sobbed, repeating the apology over and over. "I'm sorry Lamy, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…!" As soon as her screams began to die down, he pushed himself to his feet once more and turned away, running away as fast as he little legs could carry him. Tears blurred his vision and he stumbled several times over rubble and bodies. "I'm sorry, Lamy, I'm sorry."

"I hate this," Nami whispered, holding back her own sob as she wiped away the tears that rolled down her eyes. "I hate this so much."

Law didn't know how long he ran, but he knew his legs ached and that the only sounds he could hear were fires crackling and soldiers communicating with each other. He had to get out of Frevance. He couldn't let anyone spot him or he'd be killed too. His eyes landed on a cart filled with dead bodies and only hoped that it would take him across the border. If it didn't, then he figured the soldiers would burn the carcasses. But it was the only shot he had of surviving, so he ran to the cart and dug his way under the bodies until he was hidden from view. The stench of blood and death hit his nose but he payed no mind to it.

He waited, for how long exactly he wasn't sure. But then the cart started to move, and the sound of muffled voices reached his ears. As long as he wasn't found, he'd live. He'd survive. He'd make it out of Frevance and live out his remaining years taking revenge on the world. He would–

"Law."

The small boy suddenly tensed. Slowly, he turned his head to the side. He was met with his father's face. The man's glasses were missing and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth and from his nostrils.

"Law, honey."

Law's head snapped to the other side to see his mother's face. Her gentle smile was no more, instead her lips were pulled into a deep frown. Small rivulets of blood escaped her mouth and ran down her chin. Her soft eyes were now wide with fear, and they were focused directly on Law.

"Why didn't you save us?" The two corpses asked.

"Wh-What's going on?" Usopp asked, looking at the child's dead parents.

"It's a nightmare," Robin stated. "He must have fallen asleep while studying in his room."

"Why didn't you die with us?" His parents asked again. Law openly gaped, unable to answer as he watched more blood pour from his mother's mouth. His breathing was coming out ragged, but he bit his lip to stop himself from making any noise. He couldn't let himself be discovered by the soldiers.

The bodies he was lying on suddenly began to move, and he looked down to see a small hand push its way through. A body pulled itself up until it was face to face with the small boy. Law's eyes widened.

"Brother, why didn't you save me?" Lamy's charred and still smoking corpse asked. Her hair had burned away, and her eye sockets were empty, black holes that stared directly into Law's golden eyes. Her burnt hand reached out and caressed Law's cheek. "I thought you said you'd always be there for me." She gave a smile, and the weak flesh at the corner of her mouth ripped, making one side of her smile inhumanly long. Fresh blood seeped from the rip and her hand suddenly combusted into flames. "I thought you said you love me, brother. If you did, then why'd you let me burn to death?"

Parts of her burnt flesh began to fall off her face.

And Law screamed.

He tried to back away from the image before him but the other corpses suddenly came to life, grabbing his arms and legs so he couldn't get away. He felt their dead fingers grip him so hard he swore their fingers buried into his skin. His parents and sister were before him, all looking directly at him. "Why didn't you save us, Law?"

"Don't you want to join us?" His mother asked.

"Dying isn't so bad, you know," his father continued.

"It's like going to sleep," his sister smiled.

Law screamed again, and he barely noticed that the cart had stopped moving. He thrashed against the corpses' death-grip on him, his eyes tearing up once more as he stared at the dead faces of his family. 'This isn't happening this isn't happening it's not real it's not–'

The corpses lying on top of him were suddenly removed, and he came face to face with Government soldiers. He felt his heart plummet. "Hey, we have a live one here!" They reached for Law, pulled out the thrashing child with ease as they threw him onto the ground. "He's infected, too. What do we do?"

"Orders were that no one leaves alive," another soldier answered.

One of the men grinned. "Understood." Two sets of hands grabbed Law's arms and held him still as another soldier raised his gun to Law's chest, just above his heart. The child's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, no, no no no no–"

Behind the soldier, Law's family stood side-by-side with smiles. Blood oozed from their wounds and Lamy's body still smoked. The smell of burnt flesh hit Law's nose and he felt his stomach turn. "Any last words, boy?"

"Don't kill me, I have to live, I can't die here, I have to–"

"Don't worry, Law," Lamy smiled. "It won't hurt at all."

The soldier's finger began to move.

"Just close your eyes…"

Law's eyes widened and he gave one more violent thrash. "Nooo!"

Lamy's chirpy voice reached his ears for the last time, "And sleep!"

The soldier pulled the trigger, and Law felt the bullet tear through bone and muscle as it pierced his beating but broken heart.

Law jolted into sitting position, a cold sweat covering his body. His breath came out is rasps as his widened eyes ran across the room he was in. He was back in Doflamingo's base, far away from Frevance. He reached up to his chest and gripped at his heart so hard his nails dug into the skin and blood began to seep out of the fresh wounds. The pain in his heart hurt as he remembered the dream, and a part of Law almost wished he'd been discovered by the soldiers.

Because if he had been, at least he would have been reunited with is family.

After all, life hurt.

Death…didn't.

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long to update. To make it up, I made the chapter longer than usual. (5,100 words! That's pretty big for me. XD) I hope this was okay, and that the nightmare sorta fit. I'll have the Straw Hats opinions on the nightmare in the next chapter. I still hope their views/comments are okay! DX The reason for the nightmare here is because this is the first time Law fell asleep since he escaped Frevance. ^^

I'm not going to lie, I teared up a little writing the scene with Lamy in the burning building calling out for Law. A lot of times when I read/write, I imagine just what the character is feeling/experiencing. And imagining Lamy screaming out for her brother who could only stand there and listen was extremely sad.

I don't have the time to edit right now, so if there's any mistakes my apologies. I'll try to fix them up later. ^^

Well, hope it was okay! Leave a review please and tell me what you thought of the chapter! If there's anything I need to add/improve on, don't be afraid to let me know. :D

Your shy ice elemental,
~»roo the psycho«