Another long chapter! :D
Thanks for reading!
Fuck elitists, we don't need this
Underclass Hero- Sum 41
"Who are you?" a man draped with numerous robes and shawls answered the door. He made no move to wipe the snot that drooped dangerously close to his rubbery lips. Robin crossed her arms.
"I am a contractor. I have Joker's approval to inspect this building in order to see how many slaves I can sell tonight."
"But the contractors should have already organised this."
"Like I said, I have Joker's approval. I was held up by other matters."
"Did Doffy send you?"
"No, I contacted him before being allowed to come here."
"Do you have the token?"
"Naturally," Robin said and passed a large gold coin from her coat and after a moment, added a bunch of grapes into the outstretched hand. "A gift for Sugar. The very best from Europe."
"Hm. Have you dealt with us before?"
"Not directly. I am usually stay further north." The man hummed and tucked the items away in the depths of his clothes.
"And?" he pointed a finger towards Sanji.
"My subordinate." Obviously, the guard man expected more than that succinct answer but he pressed no further and shifted aside to let them through. Sanji held many questions. Who was Sugar? The gifts? Who was the doorman? How did she find all that information about Joker's subordinates? But he held his tongue. This was no place to talk. They continued into the building, passing by numerous cells holding the unfortunate. Hair on the back of his neck stood as eyes glared at them through the dim.
"There's guards at every ten metres across the corridor," a voice whispered to his ear. He barely resisted flinching. Ms All Sunday has shared her Hana Hana abilities and their uses but he could never get used to a pair of lips that whispered in his ear. Quite literally, the mouth was sitting by his sideburns, hidden among locks of hair.
"Which cell do you want ma'am?" Sanji asked.
"The biggest one. This way I'll be able to sell more. I've captured too many so that they're filling up my storeroom."
"Of course ma'am. You, take my lady to the biggest cell there is. Don't mind the price. It's not a problem." Sanji stepped forward, thankfully steady on his heels. He placed his hands on his hips, chin thrust outwards. He waited, glaring at the increasingly nervous guard.
"Y-y-yes ma'am. Please my lady, this way," he stuttered, bowing low and turned his heel, striding down the stone corridors. Robin nodded, praising Sanji's act. They walked on.
"Ma'am, this corridor holds the best. Forgive me, I have to head back to my post. If you need any help, please ask any of the guards here."
"Thank you," Sanji said, adding a hint of sweetness in his smile.
"Sandy, hurry along."
"Yes ma'am!"
"You're doing well," the voice whispered in his ear. Sanji grabbed the cell door and swung it open for Robin. She shook her head. "I trust your judgement Sandy so look along this corridor and pick out the best. I will look at the others. Please report back to me when you're finished."
"Yes my lady!" Sanji saluted. He continued along the cells, careful to avoid the grasping hands of prisoners begging for freedom.
"Sir, I'd like to ask a few questions," he motioned for a guard to join him in the empty cell.
"Of course." The guard bowed low.
"I've heard stories," Sanji pursed his lips. "Would you care to answer them for me?" The act of sweet talk of easy. He did it all the time. This time it was a matter of switching it around to the other gender. Actions of a woman were delicate and innocent. He placed a finger on his bottom lip, as if thinking. Wide eyes. Hopeful.
"Whatever my lady wishes," the guard stammered, a flush spreading over his cheeks. Sanji smiled coyly. He leaned closer.
"Mr Solider, could you tell me about the Mermaid? It's all I've been hearing ever since I came to this place," he whispered. "I'm sure that would have been a very difficult catch. I'm impressed."
"Are you not from this area?" Sanji mustered the best form of a giggle as he could and glanced away. He toyed with stray strands of hair.
"No I'm not. To be honest, I'm a little afraid of this place. There's no one here I know, except my lady of course." He sighed.
"Well if it would please you, I'd be delighted to show you around Miss," the guard answered.
"Really?" Sanji twirled in a circle. "Oh, thank you!" Thankfully he didn't totter from the heels.
"Please, this way."
"I'm here to show a guest the specialty."
"On whose authorisation?"
"A lady's hand."
"I haven't heard of any guest coming today." The gruff guard shoved past Sanji's guide and glared at him.
"We arrived on late notice. We have Joker's permission. I am very sorry sir," Sanji looked into the eyes of his challenger and batted his false lashes. "I'm simply here to look at the Mermaid. She's been the source of all these rumours and stories. I'm so excited to see her! Will you be kind enough to let me through?" He pulled off the puppy dog look again and saw the resolution waver in the man. "I'm only staying here for several days then I'll be heading back to my hometown! I don't want to miss anything!" He sniffed loudly and scrunched up his face.
"Please, little lady, there's no need to cry," the guard offered hesitantly.
"Will you please let me see? Just for a tick," Sanji pleaded.
"Aw come on. Just let the pretty lady see the freak. There's no need to make her cry," another voice interrupted.
"Alright, alright." The man rubbed his temples. "Just be quick."
"Thank you sir!" Sanji beamed and rushed past them. He gaped at the tank that stood in the middle of the cell. A woman, or a fishy-ish looking woman was floating in the water, appearing asleep. She had lime green hair and faint traces of scales on her legs. Her toes looked slightly webbed. So this was Hatchan's friend. How could they keep a person underwater like that?
"She ain't dead, if that's you were thinking," a voice broke the torrent of thoughts in Sanji's brain. The same guard who barred his way to seeing Hatchan's friend leaned against the door jam, resting his axehead on the floor, handle up. "She's like… sleeping or something so she doesn't have to breathe."
"How long as she been in there?"
"A few days?"
A few days? Sanji's eye widened. That was impossible. He prided himself in that he could hold his breath for ten minutes, fifteen tops. Maybe a little longer is he needed to. But several days? Days?
"Don't be so surprised little lady," the man laughed. "Around the world, you'll get to meet a lot of freaks. You haven't been out much huh?"
"I have but not around here." Sanji answered airily. How would he break the girl out of here? She was chained to the tank. Collar around her neck, with a high possibility of being a bomb collar. Fuck, this was difficult. Not to mention the level of security around her. Would he need a doctor? Were there any special procedures people had to go through if they emerged from water after long periods of time? He thought back to when they found an unconscious man who tried to surface too quickly. Something about too much oxygen? Too little? Whatever. He needed to get back to Robin on this. Maybe she knew something.
"So where are yah from?"
"Hm, up north. It's always cold there," Sanji answered, still staring at the tank.
"Would you need someone to keep you warm?" Sanji snapped his gaze away from the tank to meet lustful eyes that swept his body up and down. Oh fuck.
"No," he answered as pins and needles speckled the back of his neck. "My lady would never hire me if I had sex like a whore." He fold his arms and snorted, faking assertiveness.
"Of course not," the man agreed, hefting up his axe, "but I'm not supposed to show any visitors the freak. So as compensation…" Shit. Shit. Shit. He was in trouble. There was no way he could beat this creep without causing a huge distraction. Maybe the only way he could would be…
"Not… here," he said. "Let's go to a more private place."
"Oh come on. They're not going to say anything!" the guard pointed his axe towards the others.
"It's either that or nothing," Sanji harrumphed and turned his head away. "I am a lady and ladies are to be treated with respect!" The man sighed.
"Follow me." He hefted his weapon on his shoulder and strode out of the room, leading down several passageways before coming to a bedroom. He bowed. "My lady." Sanji almost rolled his eyes as he entered the room.
"Allow me," the chef offered, locking the door. He peered over his shoulder and smiled, slow and mysterious. The man was captivated. He stood frozen in the room, paralysed by the smile. "Close your eyes."
"Do you want to play games?" the man laughed but closed his eyes all the same. Sanji crept around to the man's back.
"I play the way I want," he whispered, leaning close to the man's ear. He saw the tremor run through the man's body. He reached around the man's waist and slid his fingers to the buckle of the belt, unclasping it. He pulled it through slowly and gathered it up into one hand. "Since it's a game, you get your turn."
"Well, my move." The man untangled Sanji's arms and pulled him back towards a bed, laying on it first. "Come here," he instructed. Steeling himself, Sanji stepped closer, climbed onto the bed and looped one leg on either side of the man, making sure that his boxers were concealed the whole time by the dress flap. He bit back a hiss as the man ran his hands up Sanji's thighs. The chef leaned in, as if for a kiss, and placed a hand at the nape of the guard's neck.
"It's my turn," he whispered, pulling the belt around the neck. "No. No. Don't panic," he simpered, nudging the man down. "This is a game. I'm not here to hurt you. You can take it off right after okay? Don't you trust me?" He sighed, pulling at his collar and fanning his face. The man hesitated. "I'll reward you after, I promise."
"Fine," the guard grinned.
"Here goes!" Sanji grabbed a pillow to muffle the man and pulled hard on the belt, tightening the noose. The man thrashed, gurgling and writhing his body in an attempt to throw off Sanji. He held on tight and increased the pressure on both the man's face and neck. He could not fuck this up otherwise his cover will be blown. He held on, wobbling dangerously, until, finally, the struggles stopped. Gingerly, he uncovered the man's face. "Alright," he murmured, releasing a long sigh. Sanji crawled to the edge of the bed, feeling the urgent need for a cigarette. "Fucking hell." He leant on hand, taking a few moments of respite. He choked as he felt a pair of hands close around his neck.
"Bitch," the man wheezed, opening his eyes. He gripped Sanji's neck and and threw him back onto the bed. He pressed his hands Sanji's shoulders and leaned his whole body on top. "What the fuck were you trying to do?" Sanji wriggled, trying to get free from the oppressing weight. The man leaned back and grabbed the chef's ankles, forcing them to apart. He pulled, sliding Sanji closer. Sanji jerked his knee up and made contact with the offender's chin, snapping his head upwards. He wriggled and thrashed, trying to get free of the restraint around his neck. He whipped his leg at the offender, scraping the cheek. "Urgh!" The man's grip wavered and the chef wrestled free, crashing on the floor. He wasted no time driving a series of kicks on the vulnerable man still entangled on the bed.
"Poitrine!" The kick to the chest pushed the man off onto the ground. "Reception!" Sanji slammed the offender's face into the ground. Movement ceased.
Sanji straightened and grabbed the sheets, tearing it into strips and tying the man's hands together. He took the belt and gagged him. Then, he rolled the victim up in the remaining sheets and blankets and pushed him under the bed. That way, no one would suspect there would be guard knocked out, only a jumble of messy blankets. He fixed his fringe, wiped the blood off his heels, took a deep breath and exited the room.
"Ah! Ms!" he nearly ran straight into his partner.
"Sandy?" she held his shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine ma'am. It was nothing."
"You handled it well."
"No worries, my lady. He is no threat to us now." She nodded.
"Well done."
"Are we done here?"
"Almost but I couldn't gain access to the actual target myself," Ms All Sunday sighed.
"Ma'am I have."
"Impressive. Then we are finished. The preparations are being handled right now. Let us leave."
"Leaving so soon?" the same robed man who met them at the door called after them.
"Yes," Robin answered, not turning back. "I regret to say your action house does not suit my needs."
"How unfortunate." The man sniffed the line of snot back up his nostrils and Sanji barely repressed a shudder.
"If fortune permits, perhaps we'll meet again."
Sanji's doing a great job :3