Chapter 4

Crocodile came too on the ground, cold and exhausted. Everything ached, but he pushed himself up, and forced his eyes open, flinching at the light within the temple. Nico Robin was lying sprawled across from him, stirring as well, but there was no one else around.

The darkness had taken Dragon and Luffy.

Crocodile growled. "Someone is going to pay for this."

They both might be problematic, but they were his problematic family.

If they were hurt, Crocodile swore he was going to bury everyone in sand.

.::.

Vivi frowned, poking tentatively at the bars, only to wince as a sharp pulse of magic zapped her. She sighed, but pulled away. That meant she couldn't change into her smallest of cat forms and slip through the bars then, not without getting hurt. The cage was small, and wrapped all around her, as if she was a bird. It hung off the ceiling, and every time she moved, it would sway, almost forcing her against the bars imprisoning her. The worst bit was the shackle around her tail, clamped right at the base. It was uncomfortable and sore, and she swore that whoever had the audacity to put it there was going to get their hands ripped off.

Vivi growled. The last thing she remembered was a flicker at her senses, Zoro drawing his swords, and then darkness smothering her. Their had been screams, but all cut off. Vivi had tried to reach for Nami, but had found nothing.

Then she had awoken here, with Zoro across from her, in a cell. He was bound to the floor, and she winced in sympathy, because whoever had restrained him had been cruel. Zoro's own swords were impaled through his wrists, and the most beautiful of them all was in his head. It left him lying there, oblivious, blank eyes just staring at the ceiling.

He'd be furious when he came too. That was for sure.

He'd survive, and heal once the swords were removed. Demons were hardy creatures, and Zoro even more so, considering he had been raised, and trained by the Demon Lord Mihawk himself.

None of the others were here, and that's what worried her more, because if anyone had hurt Nami, Vivi was going to break them.

.::.

Nami had a headache. She curled up at the corner of her cell, wrists heavy from the iron cuffs, but the ache didn't stop her from clamping her hands over her ears. It had to be done, because by the Gods was Luffy making a racket. The dwarf was banging the bars of his cell, screaming at the top of his lungs, and tossing himself about the place.

She was going to kill him. She was going to kill him and nobody would ever find the body and she'd just have to apologise and say she had no idea what happened to the Fighter of their Chosen group. Nope. No idea indeed.

Luffy grabbed the bars of his cell, and stretched himself right out, pressing himself to the back of the wall, before slingshotting himself across the small cell. He collided with the bars, and bounced straight off them, hitting the wall instead with a splat. Nami winced. That sounded painful, but Luffy merely sat up, shaking his head.

"Well, that didn't work," Luffy huffed.

"OF COURSE IT DIDN'T YOU MORON!" Nami screeched.

.::.

"I have been in far too many dungeons for my liking in just one day."

Marco snorted. "Yeah, I certainly preferred you in my dungeon, firefly."

Ace scowled at him. "Fuckers even locked us in the same room. My day is only getting worse as it goes on. If it wasn't for you, I might have been enjoying a drink in a bar right now."

"I doubt it yoi," Marco chuckled. "You're still a Chosen after all, or are you blaming me for that too?"

"What do you think?"

Marco would go for blaming him.

Marco had awoken in this cell, his wrists, neck and ankles bound by spiked chains. Silver too, which burned. It would have killed most vampires instantly, but thankfully Marco was pretty strong by now. The bars of the cell around him were spiked, threatening to impale him if he tried to step too close.

Ace, meanwhile, was sat across from him on the other side of the room, chained to the wall by his wrists. They remained hung above his head, while his feet were locked in shackles embedded on the floor. It wouldn't allow Ace to kick or move away.

"And is it my fault we've been captured by the Old God of Darkness yoi?" Marco asked.

"Could be," Ace shrugged. "You're all dark creatures after all. I wouldn't be surprised if you all decided to side with each other."

Marco sighed. "If I was sided with the Old God, why would I be in a prison cell, little one?"

"I said 'I wouldn't be surprised', not that you had. Dumbass."

"I really wish we were back in my manor yoi."

"And I wish I was back at the Hunter's Guild, but we all don't get what we want. Now do we?" Ace huffed.

Marco chuckled. Ace was such a fiery thing, which made sense, since he was a fire elf, but still. The hunter had found out that Marco was an ancient vampire and was still being a cheeky brat. He smiled, and sat down, ignoring the cold floor, and the sharp, stinging pain in his wrists and ankles. His trouser legs and sleeves were all torn now, which was a pain. Marco sighed, staring disdainfully at the rips.

"Are you really that worried about your clothes?" Ace scowled.

"It was my favourite shirt yoi."

Ace groaned. "I hate you..."

Marco smirked. "I mean, I could be worried about your clothes, if you like. I'd prefer that you wore a bit less in my company, firefly."

Ace spluttered. "What? You- GO DIE IN A FIRE!"

Marco cackled.

.::.

Stupid cackling vampire. Ace grumbled, slumping against the wall, while the vampire kept laughing in it's cell. Bastard was way too annoying. Ace tried to drown him out, instead yanked at his chains. But sadly, they still didn't budge.

"Finding a way out, sweetheart?"

"Don't 'sweetheart' me!" Ace hissed.

Those stupid nicknames. He had already told the damn vampire his name, yet it insisted on those cutesy nicknames. It was so annoying. He was a hunter from the Portgas family. He'd one day be known across the world, just like his mother had been, and yet here he was. Stuck with the world's most annoying, perverted vampire he had ever met.

Speaking of which. The shit was ogling him.

"Stop watching me struggle with that look on your ugly face!" Ace screeched.

"What look yoi?" Marco smirked.

"You're giving me bedroom eyes!"

"Am I?" It purred.

"I hate you. With all of my hate."

"Zehahahaha! You two seem pretty lively in here."

Ace stiffened, and looked back at the door to the prison. Darkness emerged from the hinges, pouring into the room. Ace wanted to shift away, but his damn legs were stuck to the floor, so he could only shiver when the darkness brushed across his feet. Marco was up on his feet instantly, growling.

"Get your damn darkness off him yoi."

"Aw, feeling protective, Marco?"

"Back off, Teach," Marco growled, eyes glowing red. "He's mine."

Ace scowled. "I'm not!"

Teach, the Old God of Darkness, formed from within the black pools slowly devouring the room. He laughed, shaking his head, as he approached. Much to Ace's concern, he was the one Teach decided to go near. Teach knelt down beside him, smiling like the cat that caught the canary.

"Zehahaha, I see you've returned, dear Ace."

Ace frowned, looking at the vampire who shrugged in return.

"Returned?" Ace scowled at the God, because he was not making any sense. "Look, you bastard. Start making sense before I get out of here and shove a stake up your ass!"

"I took all your weapons, remember yoi?" the vampire drawled.

"Yes, well maybe if you hadn't done that I could have gotten out of this already!"

"Don't you mean 'gotten us out'?"

Ace snorted. "You heard me perfectly fine, Vampire."

The Old God's brow furrowed, before he glanced at the blonde, then back at him. Teach threw his head back and laughed, going closer to the vampire's cage.

"You don't remember. It's been too long. This is great!" Teach grinned. "Oh Marco, it must be so sad for you, that you can't even remember your dear, sweet witch. I'll tell you, he was beautiful. I wished I could have gotten my hands on him."

The vampire threw himself against the bars, ignoring the spikes impaling him. Red eyes burned, and Marco's fangs were sharp. He looked almost feral. Ace shivered at the sight. An ancient vampire going feral. That was something he never wanted to see. The one and only vampire Ace had ever seen gone feral had torn through villages, and hunters like butter. He had just been a kid, and it had snatched him up, ready to bite him.

Garp had tackled the vampire, and punched it to death. All while Ace watched it all, shaking and speechless. Too shocked to do or say anything. He couldn't get those memories out of his head, even after all these years.

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about him. You'll never have him," Marco spat. "He never came back, and even if he did, I will kill you long before I ever let you touch him."

"This is adorable. You really have no clue," Teach mocked.

Ace scowled when the bastard reached over, and petted his head, like he was some kind of dog.

"The family line the Old God of Light has. Do you think you've ever met one of them Marco?" Teach asked.

"Get your fucking hand off Ace," Marco snarled, struggling on the spikes.

"They are said to be beautiful. Pure beings of light," Teach grinned, and Ace bit his hand the moment it tried to pet his face. "Fuck! Ow, seriously?"

Ace spat out blood, grimacing. "Well, guess a God can bleed."

"You're just as frustrating as ever," Teach grunted, smacking the back of his head.

"You're still not making any sense," Ace scoffed. "Is that why the Old God of Light rejected you? Because you're insane as all hell? Must have made you quite upset that she didn't want to date your crazy ass."

Teach rolled his eyes. "I was offended. I could have given her everything, and yet. She refused to accept any of it, and called forth her 'Champions' instead. This time I was ready for you though, and now you're all captured and at my mercy."

"You stuck me in here with the world's most annoying vampire," Ace complained. "I'm not feeling any mercy at all."

Teach sighed. "You're faced with an Old God and an ancient vampire, and yet you don't seem one bit afraid. As daring as ever, I suppose."

Ace raised a brow, because he was still talking crazy. They had never even met. Teach merely shook his head though, and headed for the door.

"I shall have a gift ready for all you Chosen ones soon," Teach grinned. "So try not to get too cosy. You'll be up and about soon. Zehahahaha!"

And with that, the dramatic bastard faded back into the darkness. The vampire's eyes slowly turned back to blue, and he scowled.

"Good job biting him, firefly."

"I don't like being touched," Ace scowled. "So let that be a lesson to you too."

Marco only smirked.