XXX

The fire was hot as hell. The blond boy had to roll away to avoid the intense blaze that was burning out of control. The heat was overwhelming from where Burgess stood nearly ten feet away. He watched the destruction unfold with glee in his eyes. No wonder the boss wanted Ace, the kid was amazing.

When it finally did start to spark out Burgess could make out the dejected figure of Ace. Standing at the epicenter of the blaze looking like a bomb had gone off around him. The section of warehouse that had been in the fires path was black as ash. The flames had gotten hot enough to melt metal and cement alike. The only thing that was untouched was Ace. Although he was so pale amidst the blackness that he could be mistaken for an apparition.

And a few feet behind him was the body. Burned black like the rest of the room. So much so it almost blended into the floor, if not for the half melted skull. Burgess went to inspect it but Ace refused to turn around or acknowledge either of them. Instead his eyes, filled with pain and regret, met the Blond boys gaze head on. The two stared at each other as if having a silent conversation.

Finally Ace said, "It's done."

"It's done." Burgess agreed crouching down next to the body. He was supposed to bring back the head. But the way it was now he was worried it would crumble to dust if he picked it up. Not like anybody would be able to tell anyway. Orders were orders and he wrapped up the thing in a rag storing it away.

"Boss will be pleased."

Ace still did not turn around. He was acting childishly, like if he couldn't see the body then it meant he hadn't done it.

"I don't care what that pig thinks." He hissed out his tone full or anger. "Just give me Luffy back. Haven't I done enough?"

"Oh definitely." Burgess agreed as he straightened turning to face the outsider. Ace had done more than enough. But that didn't mean they were going to let him go.

"Although I prefer not to discuss matters in front of strangers."

Ace scowled at the man. "I already told you he is a mercenary. I needed his help to take down the Phoenix. Deal with it."

"And I told you it wasn't the deal. You were to do this alone."

"You told me not to tell the Whitebeards." Ace gestured around "Does it look like any of the Whitebeards are here?" His voice cracked as he said so but his gaze remained strongly fixed on Burgess.

"Fine." The man agreed. "We will let Teach settle this one. But until then Blondie stays with me." As he said this he reached into his back pocket for his knife.

The Blond boy looked decidedly unimpressed at that. He crossed his arms in a stance that was more 'are you serious,' then the look of terrified fear Burgess was going for.

"You're going to kill me?" He guessed. He sounded like someone had just spoiled the ending of a cliché novel.

'They don't freaking make kids like they used too'. The pirate thought angrily. In his day younglings responded to death threats appropriately not with extreme sass.

The only one actually rattled by the threat was Ace. He took a step between the two of them.

"No one else dies today."

"What do you care Fire fist?"

"I'm not like you guys." Ace spat. "I don't kill innocent people."

The man snorted at that. "You think he's innocent? Think again. Besides you a lot more like us then you know." Ace's eyes briefly flashed to the body. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Get going." He said, although he was talking to the other boy this time.

"I want the rest of my money." The kid reminded him.

Ace took a pouch from his hip and tossed it to the other boy without breaking eye contact with Burgess.

"Now go."

The kid didn't need to be told twice. In a split second he was gone, without so much as a second glance. Typical mercenaries. Burgess tried to go after him but he was once again blocked by Ace. The boy looked about ready to have another fight to the death. Tempted as he was Burgess didn't know if he had it in him to beat Fire Fist. He was curious to find out but Teach had warned him against it. Apparently the boss didn't have as much faith in his abilities as he did. The only thing keeping Ace from trying to rip the man limb from limb was the threat of what Teach would do to Luffy in retaliation.

Burgess snarled at Ace, recognizing that the boy was gone. Probably for good.

"Teach will hear about this." He hissed the fury clear on his face.

Ace glared right back up at him despite the significant height difference Burgess felt the full weight of the young man's gaze. A small smile graced his lips but his eyes held no mirth.

For perhaps the first time Burgess questioned the intelligence of making an enemy out of Ace.

"You tell him. Tell him everything."

XXX

Earlier:

"I can't do this," Ace hissed wringing his hands through his hair as he paced in an endless circle.

"He trusted me!"

Sabo watched him spiral with a sigh. He understood how this was hard for Ace. From what little he knew of the young man he could tell he was loyal to a fault and honest. This double crossing thing didn't sit well with him. Sabo had experience with things like this. It had been his idea after all. He had grown up in a world of betrayal and lies. And that was just the revolutionary missions. He didn't doubt that his forgotten life as a noble had prepared him for such activities. He was used to this. Ace wasn't.

With a sigh he pushed himself off the wall putting a hand on Ace's shoulder to stop his frantic pacing. If this kept up Ace would pass out again and that was the last thing they needed right now. Not only had it scared the crap out of him but Ace had been asleep for over three hours. Strait into the time they had needed for planning.

"Ace it's going to be okay. I promise. Your braver then this." Sabo said gently meeting his gaze.

"We'll do it together alright?"

"Alright."

XXX

"How did it go?"

There was a pause as the snail considered before answering.

"Alright I guess. They got it done."

Blackbeard's grip on the Den Den tightened at that. "They?"

"Yea there was another boy with him. Hired mercenary or something."

"Or something?" Teach repeated his tone hinging on dangerous.

Burgess sensed the doubt in his bosses tone and hastened to try to soothe the man's temper. "He and the kid took down the phoenix together. Got it done without any intervention from me."

"You killed the mercenary afterwards right?" Teach said cutting the man off.

The silence from the other end told him differently.

"Useless," Teach muttered loudly.

"Boss?"

"Kill the mercenary. I don't care if you have to torch a town to get it done just do it!"

"Sure boss." Burgess agreed distractedly. "But…"

"But what?" Teach was not in the mood to be questioned by his subordinates.

Did you really think…I mean sure Fire Fist is strong but the Phoenix is out of his league? How was he supposed to take down the right hand of Whitebeard?"

The question was a valid one. Although it wasn't something Teach wanted to talk about at the moment. He told the man to get it done before slamming the Den Den down so hard the creature gave a cry. Blackbeard ignored it as he leaned back on the weathered couch in his office.

Obviously he hadn't expected Ace to be able to defeat Marco the Phoenix in a one on one. The same way he hadn't expected Ace to be able to get ten new recruits by himself. Killing Marco had been a bit of a panic move when they lost Luffy. One he hadn't corrected when the boy was recovered. What he did expect was for the teen to go to any length to ensure his baby brothers safely. So far he hadn't been disappointed. Surely Ace had to know Luffy was worthless though? All this work for a brat that 'wasn't quite right in the head'. Honestly people were so dumb. Somedays it felt like he was the only one on the ocean with a brain. Although that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

He ran stubby fingers through his unkempt hair. Speaking of brainless creatures.

Teach turned his attention back down to the squirming boy in his lap. At the gaze Luffy glared up at him. Despite how weak he had become during his captivity the defiance in the boys eyes never wavered. It both annoyed and amused Teach.

"Hear that little one? Your brother just killed his first crew mate." Teach continued to run his fingers through Luffy's hair in a methodic motion. Like he was petting a cat, or comforting a small child.

"For you of course."

Luffy squirmed in the man's grip but didn't break his glare. So far he hadn't been able to break the ropes holding his arms and legs together. But not for lack of trying. If he still had that much energy in him after all this time then Teach had clearly been doing something wrong.

"Mnn."

"What was that?" Teach asked amused as his hand temporarily stopped before resuming again.

Luffy made the noise again and this time Teach stopped to listen. He grinned as he realized Luffy was saying 'no' but the dirty rag stuffed into his mouth muffled the noise.

At first he didn't think they needed it, after all the point was to get the kid to talk, to tell him what he needed to know. Like who the googles belonged too for starters. But rather than answers all Luffy seemed to have were choice words to describe Teach and his small crew. Blackbeard honestly hadn't thought a child as naïve as Luffy could swear like that. He was suprisingly creative. After ten minutes of non-stop screaming and biting Teach had quickly decided that it would be better for everyone's health if Luffy shut up. Although it hadn't done as much as he hoped. What words Luffy couldn't say were clearly written on his face.

He caught himself wondering, not for the first time, if Luffy was part feral or something. When Teach had found him he had been in the middle of a forest fighting a giant bear or something. He looked down at his thumb where Luffy had bit him over an hour ago. A clear set of teeth marks were still visible in the skin even now. He wondered if he had to get shots for that the same way someone bitten by a rabid animal needed too.

"No what?" Teach said turning his attention back to the kid. "No your brother didn't kill that guy?"

Luffy's silence made him laugh.

"You think the world of Ace don't you?" He didn't need a response. Which was all very well as Luffy didn't give one. No that much was already pretty clear. It was so sweet it made Teach want to vomit.

"Well guess what little boy. Your brothers not perfect. He is the reason you are here. He couldn't protect you from me, he couldn't save you and apparently he couldn't save his friend either. So maybe you should direct some of that anger his way."

Luffy continued to glare up at him like he hadn't heard a single word Teach said. The man sighed as he gave up. He might as well save his breath. What use was explaining it to an idiot like this?

When Luffy woke to discover the glasses were missing he went crazy. Or 'snapped' as one of the crew remarked in response to the shuttering as Luffy tried to break the wall. At first Teach was content to ignore his temper tantrum. After all he figured he would wear himself out considering how he had cheated death just a few days ago. But it turns out he had been wrong. Luffy hadn't stopped. What Teach was quickly coming to learn about the boy was that he never stopped. He was all the most annoying things about Ace multiplied by ten.

After five hours Teach had warned Thatch, who was apparently the sensible one between the two of them, that if he couldn't get Luffy to shut it up then they would both regret it. Honestly it was the straw hat all over again. To the man's credit he had tried. To the point where he had held Luffy down and covered his mouth. But all he had gotten in return was a nasty kick to his side. Amusing as that was Teach could no longer deal with the noise and had taken it into his own hands to do something about it.

"What am I going to do with you?" The man sighed as he shifted Luffy on his lap to hold him closer. Luffy groaned in response as his body went ridged like he had been burned by the contact. Teach stroked his bruised cheek with his free hand.

"Careful or you're going to start crying again." He teased rather meanly. He had made sure to bring that up every chance he got, never willing to let the kid forget his break down.

He didn't think the boy was capable of it but lying here, cradled in Teaches arms like a misbehaving show pet, it was clear that the kid absolutely loathed him with every fiber of his being. It was like the very act of being touched by Teach was causing him physical pain. Luffy looked like he would rather face down an army of monsters then be held by the man who was blackmailing his brother. Which was kind of the point.

So far Luffy had no reaction to physical punishment. In fact it seemed to further cement his determination to be as un-helpful and all round annoying as he possibly could. So it was nice to watch his face twist with disgust and rage. It was a look that was wholly unnatural on the face of a boy so scrawny and young.

'It's a good thing I am going to kill him when this is over,' Teach mused to himself as he continued to pet the fluffy black hair. He watched Luffy's face twitch briefly in pain as his thick fingers roughly drove through a section of dried blood on the back of his head before the pointed anger returned. If this was what Luffy was like as a kid then he would hate to see what kind of man he grew up to be. It would probably be someone Teach didn't want as an enemy.

"Did someone used to do this for you when you were upset?" Teach asked delighted when he felt Luffy stiffen even further in his grip.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Your parents?"

Luffy ignored him. Choosing to instead stare at the ceiling just right of Teach's head. He looked disinterested again.

That wasn't it.

"That's right, you guys are orphans right?" There were no emotions to be manipulated there. He tried a new angle.

"Ace perhaps?"

Once again Luffy continued to ignore him further annoying the man. He grabbed Luffy's chin between his fingers forcing the boy to look at him and only him. Dark eyes met his own.

"Who then?"

Luffy broke the gaze for a fraction of a second to gaze over at the googles on the desk involuntarily.

"Oh, I see how it is then." An emotional attachment, his favorite kind. And by far the most lucrative.

"But you're not going to tell me whose those are?" Luffy shook his head again daring the man to try and force it out of him.

Teach sighed, "No, I suppose not." He gave Luffy's cheek a soft pat before standing suddenly. The motion sent the boy tumbling from his lap onto the ground. His bound limbs doing nothing to protect him. He landed on the floor with a soft moan as Teach strode over to the desk retrieving the googles. He saw Luffy's gaze turn to him as he turned the little things over in his hands a few more times. All the fuss over these?

"When this is over Ace will either join us or I will take his head."

He turned back to Luffy who was laying on his stomach, his attention solely on Teach. The man grinned back at him as he pulled the letter opener from his desk and stalked back to the kid.

"And you…" He said cutting the cloth away from his mouth so he could speak again.

"Are going to be in pieces at the bottom of the ocean. Or?" Teach ran the knife over Luffy's cheek thoughtfully. He traced the crescent scar with the tip of the blade impressed that the boy didn't so much as flinch. If nothing else he was a brave brat.

"Maybe I will sell you." Make some cash. "I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who would love to take a piece out of a Vice Admirals grandson." He looked Luffy over once more. "Or do whatever else with. Honestly I don't really care. So long as you don't get the chance to live out the rest of your teen years."

Teach straightened once more showing Luffy the goggles in his hands. "Last chance little one. Give me a name or these go out the window."

Dark eyes looked between Teach to the window and back to his hand.

"No," he whispered. His voice quiet and hoarse from all the screaming he had done.

"Your loss." Teach headed to the porthole unlatching it as he felt the eyes glaring daggers into his back.

"Wait!"

And there it was. Teach paused turning around slowly a grin on his face. "Give me a name. Whose do these belong too and how do you know them?"

"Dragons."

The smile fell off Teach's face as he blinked confused. "Er- what?"

"Dragons." Luffy repeated his eyes completely serious. His face betrayed nothing but the honest truth.

"That's it." Teach growled as he turned once more to toss them into the sea.

"No!" Luffy cried his voice cracking under the strain of his emotions. "I told you what you wanted."

Teach's grip tightened as his temper flared once more.

"In what world do you think the answer I was looking for was dragons? Do these look like fucking dragon eyewear to you stupid boy?"

Luffy only shook his head equally angry. "Not that! I already told you that I'm Not going to tell you whose those are. But you wanted to know a secret Ace told me right? That's it."

Like a flip had been switched off then back on and off once more Teach felt his temper dissolve into more confusion. Like it always seemed to do when he had to interact with Luffy.

"Ace's secret was dragons?"

"He said it was my secret." Luffy corrected him.

Teach ignored him further confused now. If it was Luffy's secret then why did Ace have to tell him? And what kind of secret was that.

"Do you…" Teach began feeling silly. "Have dragons?"

Luffy gave him a look that plainly said 'idiot,' which meant a lot coming from him.

"Of course not."

"Okay new plan. You have exactly five seconds to convince me how that's possibly a secret or these go out the window."

"I don't know anything else!" Luffy cut him off annoyed. "I told you your dumb thing so just give them back!"

"Five."

"Ace said it was important."

"Four."

"He made me swear never to tell anyone."

"Three."

"That gramps had told him when he got too drunk once."

"Two."

"It doesn't mean anything to me." Luffy said as he desperately looked between the goggles and the open window. He continued to try and struggle against the ropes but they refused to move.

"One."

"But Ace said it's where I came from! That it was my heritage and if I told anyone I would be in danger. When I asked Gramps if I was a dragon he told me to stop being ridiculous so I don't know what Ace was talking about!"

Luffy finished the ramble and for once in his life he was quite. Waiting to see if that was enough to save his treasure.

Teach rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Now that was interesting. If Ace made a big deal out of it then there must be something there. Not to mention he had finally gotten Luffy to obey him. That was a step in the right direction.

"Very well." He said and the boy looked relieved as he closed the port window.

"You can have the damn things." But Teach never said what condition he would give them back in. He dropped them to the floor bringing his heavy boot down upon them the same time Luffy cried out in anguish. He tried to inch his way over to save them but it was too late.

Teach brushed off the shards of glass from the now twisted frame. It hung limply from the strap looking warped and defeated.

"No!" Luffy cried out looking more distressed then Teach remembered seeing him before. It was a good look for him. Teach bent down beside him as he pulled Luffy off the floor back onto the couch. He was delighted to see the beginning of tears in those dark eyes.

'Emotional attachments,' Teach thought to himself with a crocodile smile. 'So lucrative.' He tied the goggles around Luffy's neck, satisfied he had won this round.

'You know what?" He said as his eyes fell on the camera on his shelf. "Why stop there. Ace has been a good little solider hasn't he?"

Luffy looked up at him as anticipation clouded his sorrow. Teach patted his cheek distractedly.

"Let's give Ace something for his troubles."

XXX

Hey guys! No review responses today I'm sorry. I don't have it in me tonight. And if I let this chapter go any longer you aren't going to get it until next week. But that doesn't mean I don't read and appreciate every review (multiple times). It just takes me like two hours to respond to all of them. Which is a GOOD thing! So many people read this story it blows my mind. I hope I am able to at least make a good story. Although I have no clue why you guys seem to like it. But I appreciate the support. The only thing I'm not thrilled about is the thought of over a thousand people simultaneously realizing how bad I am at spelling. Although you guys are too polite to say anything. Believe it or not I do proof read, multiple times. But I am dyslexic and thus my special little brain autocorrects typos for me so I don't even notice them. But aside from that I am quite content with my own stupidity. Thanks for being so understanding.

I meant to post this Monday (on by 21st B-day) but this dumb little bean had a physics midterm. School is trying to kill me, please send help.