Chapter 2
Marco ran and ran until he dashed inside the infirmary. He heard Thatch's laughter and couldn't help himself but cry. His brother who was in coma since a month was awake now. Marco could cry and later say it was dust in his eyes.
"Thatch, yoi!" He said with so much emotions, and hugged his awake brother, who returned the hug enthusiastically.
"Marco!" Thatch with his ever so cheerful voice said, his voice saying how happy he was to see him. Until there was commotion outside the infirmary. Probably his brothers trying to get in, but what he heard enraged him.
"Thatch!" It was Deuce, that traitor's former first mate, who had barged into the infirmary. He was in a second being held by the nurses. "Tell them!" He pleaded and Marco wanted nothing more than to slap him. Thatch should not be under stress right now. After all he had woken up right now. "Thatch tell him that Ace is innocent. Please, Thatch, tell him!"
Marco frowned. He wanted to strangle the former first mate of the Spades right now and there. But it was Thatch who stopped him.
"Where is Ace?" Thatch asked in a horrified voice. He and Ace were like best friends. Thatch had hard time accepting that Ace wasn't here when he had woken up but now he can't help but feel that something was very very wrong. Dread was filling his empty stomach, as each moment passed.
"They threw him in the brig." Deuce yelled, jerking free from the grasp of the nurses. "They have tortured him thinking that he had nearly killed you and killed Teach. Tell him the truth!" Deuce spat the 'him' vehemently at Marco.
Thatch's eyes widened at what he heard. Ace was tortured. Ace is hurt. Why?
"Ace saved me. Teach wanted to kill me." Thatch spoke the truth with wide scared eyes and everyone's stomach drop. Marco went pale. After all, he was the one who had allowed the torture. Marco didn't wait to see Thatch starting to cry and Haruta consoling him. He didn't wait to see Deuce running down to the brig ahead of him, with a stolen key. Marco didn't know what to do. So, he just ran after Deuce. Ignoring everything and everyone horrified gasps and cries.
For the first time, he noticed the horrifying wounds which Ace had. The amount of blood he had lost and the blood which painted the walls and floor of Ace's cell. How much he had gone lean without food. Marco couldn't do anything, when Deuce snarled at him and hissed, clearly saying him to stay back and not touch Ace. Marco felt obliged and ashamed. He watched in the sidelines as he saw Deuce free Ace from the sea stone and carry him back to his room.
He wanted to help, but the door was shut on his face not allowing him to get inside. Marco felt his legs give up as he feel on the deck outside Ace's room. He couldn't move. He felt guilty. How did he trust that Ace, their youngest brother, their little firecracker had attempted to kill Thatch when he had saved him. Marco was the one, who gave the crew permission to beat Ace up, when he repeated the truth, which he so brutally ignored.
He didn't know when, but he was surrounded by the crew and his Pops. He was too horrified and drown in guilt to speak a word. It was probably past an hour since the door was closed. He had been praying, since the door shut on his face, to whatever Gods above, if they existed, to fix Ace.
He knew Deuce was a good doctor, but he should have brought him to the infirmary. Ace might need blood, might need plasters for broken bones, might need proper cleaning, might need detoxification and many things. Marco felt horrified as the list went on and on of what Ace might need. And the only reason he needed all these was because of him. It was his fault and Ace was paying for it.
"Marco, my son." Whitebeard, his Pops spoke.
It broke Marco completely as he flinched. Did he deserve to be a brother to Ace anymore? Wasn't he the cool headed of all of them? What has he done? Wasn't he supposed to hear everyone's side of story and then make decisions? Wasn't he the one who knew what to do in terrible situations even? Why did he do that? Why did Marco do that to Ace? Who is nothing but innocent. Who suffered because of Marco, all because he saved Thatch from a traitor. Hah! Traitor! And they gave the traitor a well not deserved funeral.
"What happened?" Pops asked again and it was all what was needed for the tears to spill from his eyes. Did he deserve to cry? After he had committed such a horrible crime. He had ignored Ace and tortured him. He had let his brother been tortured. He had left Ace broken. But Marco needed to speak, he needed to explain what had happened. He needed everyone to see what he had done. But he couldn't face the crew, he couldn't face his father anymore. Not after what he had done.
"P-Pops, yoi." Marco cried, with his head hanging low.
"What did you told him, commander?!" A hissing voice came and the door to Ace's room opened to show Deuce, whose shirt was covered in blood, who was boring his eyes on Marco and everyone in the crew who bet up his innocent captain. "What did you do told him that he is completely broken now?" Deuce spat out in disgust to the now silent crew.
He was damn boiling with anger. Why not will he? When he had met Ace in the morning to give food and comfort, Ace was looking happy. Ace didn't have those blank eyes staring at the unknown.
Never has Marco felt so ashamed and disgusted at himself. He couldn't bring himself to look at Deuce or anyone. So, he hung his head low. How should he speak what horrible deeds he has done to one of his own?
"What did you do, Marco?" All eyes turned to Thatch who was been supported by Haruta to his way to the crowd. Both of whom had fresh tear tracks on their cheeks. Thatch, who shouldn't be walking around, was standing. Thatch, who was always cheerful and a joking man, was glaring each and every person onboard with disgust.
"Thatch you shouldn't walk around." Kingdew spoke, trying to get Thatch back to the infirmary. But Thatch wouldn't listen. He stood side by side with Deuce and Haruta, who were the only ones who refused to believe Ace to be a traitor, who were the only one in the whole crew to talk to Marco and Whitebeard that Ace was innocent, who were the only one who sneaked food to Ace and provided him with hope and comfort.
"Shut up!" Thatch told in a cold voice. "What the hell have you all done?" Thatch's voice was no longer the cheerful chef, everybody had known. It was filled with disgust and disbelief. "And how could you," Thatch looked at Whitebeard- yes, Whitebeard not Pops- with confusion. "How could you believe it was Ace?"
As Thatch talked, some of the crew started yelling how they have seen Ace kill Teach and the trio- Thatch, Deuce and Haruta- had enough. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" They yelled and Haruta broke down crying.
"If it wasn't for Ace, I would have died. The traitor was Teach, whom you all gave a flowery funeral while you all tortured Ace, without hearing him out." Thatch snarled. Everybody's eyes widened at the truth, making their stomach drop at the very truth which they had denied to hear from Ace.
"You all never even trusted Ace. Even when I told you," Haruta glared at Whitebeard. "That Ace deserves to be heard. But no," Haruta spat in anger to the crew. "None of you heard him and even beat him when he stopped speaking."
Marco felt cold. He felt disappointed in himself. He couldn't tell or do anything now. He doesn't deserve their apology. Haruta, Thatch and Ace had always been a close bundle. The trio pranksters, who knew each other very well. And yet, he refused to hear Haruta.
"I repeat my question, Phoenix," Deuce said with gritted teeth and the moniker of the first division commander was spat with disgust. "What have you said to him tonight?" Deuce snarled grabbing Marco's t-shirt. Marco deserved it and spoke the truth, about how he had called Ace monster and that he should die. As soon as the words left his mouth, he was punched in his mouth and thrown at the feet of his father. He could hear the gasps coming from the crew standing in the background. They all were disappointed in themselves. They were all feeling guilty.
The most hurt he felt from Pops. He was silent and Marco knew when Pops was silent that means he is guilty, he is angry, angry on himself.
"Do you know what have you done?!" Deuce's eyes were tightly shut and Marco could hear the growing disappointment in his voice. But Thatch and Haruta's horror filled eyes left him shook and stranded. Deuce was shaking and his hands were fisted so tightly that his knuckles went wide and his nails dug into his skin, causing it to bleed.
Deuce may not know how deep Ace's self-hatred was, but he knew that those weren't the words Ace ever dreamed of hearing from Marco or any commanders and yet here he was. Ace, his captain- yes, captain, coz he doubts he could ever call Whitebeard his captain anymore- was lying with empty eyes, staring at who knows what, without any emotion. It was as if he was seeing an empty shell of the joyful captain. It hurt to see him so lost.
"You are a fucking disappointment, Marco," It was Thatch who spoke, after breaking from his horror. "How could you say those words and let him starve in a cold cell?"
Thatch and Haruta had known Ace's deepest secret, when they were drinking and Ace had drank too much coz he was wearing a sea stone ring, to allow him to drink. That was the first time they saw Ace so broken. He looked so torn. His usual façade of smiling and being a cheery person was shattered after the fifth bottle of booze.
That was the day when Thatch and Haruta learned that alcohol truly brings the true you out. Ace had been staring into the empty space, in his room, where they were having a sleepover. Ace had stopped talking after Gold Roger was mentioned. They still remember the day as clear as today.
"Ne, what would you do if Gold Roger had a son?" Ace had asked with a cold voice, which nearly made them shiver.
But they were soon to say that it didn't matter coz they had never met him. But what happened next was Ace's outburst with the booze bottle getting shattered in the floor and his words of how he should be paying for the sins of Gol D. Roger, his father.
How should he die to satisfy the people his father had destroyed. How he should be burnt alive and his last words should be that he was sorry to be born. He had let his secret out that day, but it didn't change a fuck to how Haruta and Thatch saw Ace.
But it was the first time they saw the self-hating, suicidal Ace. It was the first time they had seen the darkness in his eyes, with so much intensity that it scared them. The thought of Ace being taken away from them because of the darkness had made them shiver and scared.
They wanted to know how they can help ease their brother's turmoil. They didn't want to see Ace like that again; there's the unmistakable, overwhelming rage in Ace, but below that you can see pain, guilt, and all consuming hate.
One thing they both agreed on though, is that they had never seen Ace like that before, it's something worse than his assassination days and they wanted it gone. They had sworn from that day, that they would make Ace the happiest. He didn't deserve to feel like a monster who needed to die.
"I didn't accept that from you, Marco." Haruta spat as he supported Thatch as he didn't allow anyone to even come closer to him. "Ace is one of the kindest person you will ever met, despite his self-worth issues." Haruta yelled at Marco. He needed Marco to know. Because Ace fucking damn smiled every time, even when he felt like dying, even when he felt like a piece of shit.
"I-" Whitebeard was cut off by Deuce, who glared at him. "I'm truly sorry, my sons."
"Don't dare use that word ever again, Whitebeard. Was this the reason you invited Ace in? Just to break him more? To make the darkness in his eyes return ten folds back?!" Deuce yelled, as tears ran through his eyes. "Don't dare call him or me your son anymore!" Deuce snarled coldly and ran inside the room. He could never see this man as his father ever again. He is just a yonko, who is nothing like a father. Who is like the rest of the yonkos and nothing different.
"Don't enter," Thatch spoke before Haruta shut the door on the face of the inhabitants of the Moby Dick, who have wiped their hands on Ace.
Thatch refused to get treated by anyone on the crew anymore. He refused. He hated how the others had let Ace be their punching bag, but he knew it was Ace who allowed it.
Thatch and Haruta paled seeing Ace, who was looking with dark stormy eyes at the ceiling of his room. He was bandaged from head to toe, looking like a mummy. Thatch wanted this to be a sick joke or a prank, but the darkness in Ace's eyes told him that it was all fucking true. Nothing was a damn joke but the cruel reality.
"A-Ace...?" Thatch tried to speak or gain Ace's attention. He was seated by the bed side of Ace with Haruta and Deuce standing. But Ace was not moving and was eerily quiet. His breathing seemed too low.
"Deuce?" Haruta with his hands over his mouth shaking slightly, pointed to Ace's bleeding hands. "Did you forget to bandage that...?" As soon as the words left Haruta's mouth, Deuce's eyes widened and he ran to grab some bandage.
"YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Deuce yelled. "HARUTA PRESS OVER THAT!" Deuce ordered Haruta who hurried to hold Ace's bleeding wrists and Thatch was left crying, unable to do anything.
"YOU FUCKING IDIOT, WHY DID YOU SLIT YOUR WRIST?!" Deuce yelled running to Ace, and trying to remove the freaking blood, which Ace had managed to get. Luckily for them, Ace had missed the vein. They could save him.
"FUCK! FUCK!" Deuce cried in worry, scanning over the piles of the medicines and other stuff he had stolen from the infirmary, for this day. "HE IS LOSING TOO MUCH BLOOD!"