Hello everyone, here is the next chapter
This chapter is a collection of various events, and introduces a few things for later in the story.
Hope you enjoy
Read and relax
Whitebeard sat in the meeting room with his commanders, Ace was missing as he was working. He was still Ann, working as her as well. They were just about to start the meeting when Ann came inside, which made the captain frown. Ann shouldn't be here yet, she was supposed to be working today and tomorrow. Trevor and Mika were going to fill in. As Ann came in, she threw some papers on the table, before she sat down, hands on her face. Trevor moved to grab the papers, looking shocked at them. "Is this for real?" Ann nodded, and looked at them all. "Someone put a hit out on Haruta." All of them blinked, the captain frowning. "What? How do you know?" Ann shook her head. "As I said, someone put a hit on Haruta. I can see when hits are made on people. It's a 2 billion belli reward." Haruta blinked. "What? Why so much?" Ann shook her head. "Someone wants you dead, really bad. People are going to come, in droves and they will all be strong. We need a plan, until I can localize who put the hit out and annihilate them, invalidating the contract. But until then, you're going to be hunted down." Haruta swallowed, and the captain tried to think. "But don't you control the assassins?" Ann shook her head. "Only so many. There are many out there who are unaffiliated to assassin organizations, like the Red Cloud. Some take jobs independent from the groups. Bounty hunters sometimes take assassingation jobs. Even I have collected some hits independently." Whitebeard nodded. "What do we do?" Ann sighed. "Up the security and do not dock at any islands, even if you control them. For a 2 billion belli hit, many will come for you. " The captain had no idea how to react. Someone wanted Haruta dead? "Why Haruta?" Ann sighed. "Want my honest answer?" Whitebeard nodded, and Ann took a breath. "Because she is the easiest to kill amongst the Whitebeard commanders. She's the youngest, and the most inexperienced. They likely think she will be an easy kill." Whitebeard felt his anger rise up. "Well, we will protect her!" Ann sighed. "I wasn't saying anything to imply you wouldn't. But what will you do when assassins start to come? I only control so many. And let's not forget the mercenaries. This won't be a pretty thing. We need to act now. People are coming. Strong ones."
Whitebeard felt at a loss. Someone wanted Haruta dead? And they would give 2 billion belli for it. "Can't you see who put out the hit?" Ann shook her head. "It's not that simple. It's anonymous, and the person who put the hit out will likely only show themselves when he or she thinks Haruta is dead." Whitebeard nodded. "What should we do?" Ann sighed. "We can't do anything just yet. It is too early. But, the best strategy would be to stage a fight in a couple of weeks. I, Ace of Spades, will take Haruta to trade her in. But in the meantime, we need to be ready for those who will come, and they will be don't believe I am the Ace of Spades since I am so young, especially the mercenaries. I will try and work as little as I can, send out others when I can. No one will let Haruta out of sight, even at night. We need to be vigilant and be prepared for anything. Many mercenaries fight unfairly, they have many tricks up their sleeves. We need to be careful. How long can we survive without docking? 2 months? 3?" Whitebeard looked at Thatch, who had a thoughtful frown. "Maybe 2 and a half months at a push with our current food supplies. But that's pushing it. We're supposed to dock in 3 days and stock up." Ace nodded. "We can't risk that. Not now. We can't risk Haruta's life just because we need some food, when we can survive for over 2 months, and ration if we have to." Whitebeard nodded. Ace knew this the best, he had probably been in a situation like this before. "Okay, Ace, we will follow your lead. Do you have any suspects?" Ace sighed. "No, not yet. This can take time. I will try to lure him or her out. I know which island the request came from and I will check there. If I find anything, I will find it within three days at max, but it should just take a day, the rest if unlucky. Unfortunately, this means I might be gone for three days." Whitebeard nodded. They could manage, he was sure of it. They are a large crew, and have many onboard, plus they had Trevor and Mika. "Okay. Go check. We'll be here, protecting Haruta." Ace nodded. "I will. Even if I am gone longer, don't come before I have annihilated the target. Promise me that." Whitebeard nodded, he was sure Ace would manage. Trevor looked at Ace. "You wanna handle this alone? I can come." Ace shook his head. "No, I will handle this. Stay here." Trevor nodded, and Ace left, walking out the checked the papers over some more. When he was done, he sighed. "There's no telling who made it, but Ace is good, so he'll figure it out." Whitebeard believed that as well, Ace was an amazing individual.
The next days were spent in tension, waiting for someone to show up to take the hit. It would take time, but he hoped Ace would be back by then. He hoped no one was close enough to just reach them in a couple of days. And it seemed he was right as no one had shown up, but when the third day went by, Ace still hadn't shown up. Which had Whitebeard frown, today was the day when Ace was supposed to return. Why hadn't he returned yet? He said it would most likely not take 3 days, only one, so he didn't like this. When another day passed, Trevor said he would call Daisuke and Whitebeard followed him. When Daisuke answered the Den Den and Trevor explained Ace had left to find the source, Daisuke paused for a second. "He's at Gapado." Trevor blinked. "He's what?! He's there alone?!" The Den Den sighed. "He wanted to do it alone. He's going as Ann, so maybe he got held up." Trevor shook his head. "No, not there, anywhere but there." Whitebeard frowned. "Where is that?" Trevor sighed. "Up north. There is a phenomena there that counteracts devil fruit abilities, so Ace is without any powers." Whitebeard frowned more. He didn't like that. Trevor then seemed to think for a second. "We're about a week away, I believe." Whitebeard nodded, that was good. And before he could say that, Trevor shook his head, hand on his face. "But we can't go there. You promised to not head there before the source was annihilated." Whitebeard frowned, before he realized Trevor was right. He had promised that. He now regretted it. Trevor sighed. "We can't go against a promise, Ace doesn't like that." Whitebeard could understand that, but still. "What should we do?" Trevor thought for a second, and before he could speak, the Den Den spoke. "Wait until the source is annihilated, then head over there." Trevor nodded. "Seems to be the best option. Keep me updated." The Den Den nodded. "Will do."
As the Den Den went to sleep, Trevor sighed. "I really hope Ace is just held up. I don't like it when he's up there." Whitebeard nodded, he got that. Ace couldn't just snap his fingers and be safe, if he was tricked or if he was ambushed, it would be bad. The rest of the day went by calmly, and the next day, the first person came to take the bounty. He was easily dealt with, as they had the advantage in numbers. He hadn't told everyone about the hit, just his commanders, Trevor, and Mika. He didn't want to worry everyone. He had merely said that they would be attacked, so everyone would need to be vigilant and ready. Haruta was never let out of sight, and at night, she was with Mika, who was staying awake to keep her safe. During the day, she slept for a few hours, trading shifts with Trevor. When the next day came, more fighters showed up. This time they came in groups, and it was a hard fight, but they managed to win without anyone getting terribly injured. A few did need to go to the infirmary with broken bones, grazes from bullets, and minor cuts, but nothing life threatening. And that was how it was for the next few days, people showing up to fight them. Many did land themselves in the infirmary, but their luck was holding out and nothing was life-threatening. Trevor had also joined many fights with Mika, as the Whitebeard's fighting force began to diminish slightly in number. They were obviously skilled as they handled the fights easily, there was just one person that was difficult to defeat and who had managed to break Mika's arm. But it would heal well as it was only a small hair-line fracture. And, as a week had passed, there was still no sign of Ace. He always hoped to either see Ace or Dust, but no one came.
Then another 2 weeks went by, and more fighters came to fight them, but they managed. They were on the ready, having upped the security and amount of people out on watch. And it seemed to be a good decision. More and more wounded ended up in the infirmary, it was hard, constantly fighting, especially as those who came were strong. One had almost managed to get his hands on Haruta, but Mika had intercepted and killed the man. Even with one hand, she was still an amazing fighter. The man was already injured from fighting them, so it wasn't the worst case scenario- no-one had managed to sneak up and take her. Haruta was still safe. Then another week passed, a few coming out of the infirmary, but it wasn't long before they landed back in the infirmary after participating in further fights. Whitebeard hoped that not many more would be coming, but had a feeling that wouldn't be the case - more would come. It had only been three weeks. Then another week went by, but what was weird, was how no one showed up. There was no fight that week. And there was still no sign of Ace. Which had the captain worried. Ace had been gone over a month now. There was no news about the source of the hit being had made a few calls, but nothing had come of it. Then another week went by, and as they were out on deck, still on guard when Claus showed up, rushing towards him carrying a Den Den. "Pops! Some guy called and said the hit was off. Is one of us in danger?" That had Whitebeard breathe out relieved. "No, son. Everyone is safe now." It wasn't a lie, if the hit was off, that meant Haruta was safe. Claus nodded, giving a breath himself, before he left back to the communication room.
It was good that the hit was gone, but there was still no sign of Ace. Trevor had also said the annihilation would take a couple days to reach everywhere, but Ace should have been back long ago. Whitebeard didn't like this. But as the source of the hit was annihilated, it meant they could head for Gapado. Trevor knew the way and updated the navigators on where to head. Whitebeard also told his children about the phenomenon there, that devil fruits didn't work. They wouldn't be weakened like with seastone, but they wouldn't have their abilities. As they were heading towards the island, some news in the daily paper had Trevor shocked. "The leader on Gapado is dead. He died some weeks ago. The island must be a mess." Whitebeard nodded. "What does it mean for Ace?" Trevor sighed. "Not to alarm you, but it's bad. Ace would never kill or let someone kill the leader. He's a nice man. No one really knows who he is as he wears thick clothing and a mask, but he's a good leader. This doesn't sit right." It didn't, and he hoped for the best, that Ace was safe. It took them just over two weeks to arrive, having been delayed by bad weather, really so. But when they got to the island, Trevor said to keep to themselves, and that he would head out alone to find Ace. But as he was about to go, Marco asked if he could please join, and Trevor nodded with a sigh. "Only you. We don't want to alert anyone here." Whitebeard got it, and he got why Marco wanted to join, he was worried for Ace himself.
He just hoped things would be fine.
-x-
Marco walked with Trevor on to the island, hoping to find Ace. It had been over a month and half since they had seen him, and Marco didn't like it. As they were walking around, they soon heard a guy standing on a small stage of sorts, speaking loudly about the one who had killed their leader. It made Trevor frown. "It's a herald. They speak of news and omens. It sounds… it sounds as if they're speaking about Ann." Marco frowned, not liking that, but Trevor waved his hand. "No, if they are speaking about him, or her, it means she's still alive." That had Marco breathe relieved. That was some good news. As they were heading around, they soon found themselves close to a library, where more heralds stood. And as they were walking, some guy came and walked into Trevor, hard. "Hey, watch it!" Yelled the guy, and Trevor was about to respond, when the man spoke in a low tone. "I know where Ace is, follow me." Marco blinked. What?
Trevor seemed shocked too, and when he was about to speak again, the man shouted again. "You need to watch where you are going! You owe me for dirtying my shirt! Follow me and we'll get this settled!" Ah, Marco got it, he was staging a kerfuffle. So they could be led to Ace. As they followed the man, who kept complaining about how they had inconvenienced him, they soon got to an open field without people, the man spoke in a hushed tone. "No one seems to be following, we'll be there soon." He then headed to a large well, or what had once been a well as it was now sealed. but the man walked up and opened the well, motioning towards it. "Down here." Trevor sent a look at the man. "How do I know you speak the truth?" The man reached for his pocket, taking a piece of cloth out. It was Ann's belt, the one she had used before she had disappeared. Trevor nodded. "Okay. Did Ace say anything?" The man shrugged. "To find the silver-haired man who doesn't fit in and searches for bunnies? I don't get it." It had Trevor chuckle. "I believe you." Marco did too. Not many knew Ace was called bunny, and it was only Trevor who called him that.
Trevor then moved to climb down the well, and when he was a couple of feet down, the man sent a look at Trevor. "Have a little faith." Trevor nodded, and moved to jump down into the darkness, Marco could only look on, uncertain if Trevor would be fine or not. "Okay!" He heard Trevor yell from down below. "It's just water down here! Jump and I'll fetch you!" Marco swallowed, really unsure about this, but he did trust Trevor. But did he trust Trevor with his life? He had a feeling it would go fine, Ace trusts Trevor and Trevor always spoke the truth, at least up until now. With a deep breath, Marco moved to jump into the dark hole, feeling himself submerged in water a few seconds later. It was only a second after that he felt Trevor hauling him out of the water, and when he was on solid ground, Trevor patted him on the back. "You okay?" Marco nodded, he was. It had just been a while since he had been in water. Trevor nodded too and they started to head through an opening, into a cavern of some sort. After they had walked for a couple minutes, they came to something which looked like a room, with a table in the middle with papers laid out and a map of the island. As they walked a bit further in, a voice soon spoke to their right. "Well now. You took your sweet time." Trevor moved to lift an eyebrow, turning to look at Ace. "Well, we were a couple of weeks away and it took time before we got the info that the source of the hit was annihilated. We came as soon as we could. What the hell are you doing hiding here?!" Ace sighed. "I killed Raja." Trevor blinked. "That was you? You killed the leader here?! Why the hell would you do that!" Ace sighed again, hand moving to his face. "I was tricked." Trevor blinked. "How!?" Ace sighed for the third time. "I was told to kill a guy with white hair in the sauna, he didn't have his clothes on. If I killed him, Haruta's hit would be invalidated as he made the contract. The one who placed the hit also outed me, so they know it was me. The target's men are after me, and Ann, so if I leave, I am dead. I can't fight them on this island, everyone would turn on me." Trevor nodded. "You're screwed." Ace nodded. "I sent someone to fix it, but I haven't heard anything back in the last week, so I think he died. I'm stuck until someone helps me." Trevor held his arms out. "And now we're here to help! Who needs to die~?"
Ace chuckled, moving to the map, pointing at 3 places. "Here, here, and here. Each has a main guard and they have the info on who their leader is, the one who tricked me. The info should tell us where he is. When he is dead, I am free." Trevor nodded, while Marco frowned. "How does killing him free you?" Trevor hummed. "He placed the hit. When he dies, the hit is void, unless the next one in charge places the hit again." With that, Trevor looked at Ace, who nodded. "And he won't. I know the next one in charge won't place the hit again." Trevor nodded. "Good good, I'll get to it. Marco can stay here." Trevor then left the way they had come from, probably going to climb up the hole. As Trevor was gone, Ace moved over to him. "I was beginning to doubt you would come." Marco chuckled, moving his arms over Ace's shoulders. "We will always come to help you, no matter what, yoi." Ace chuckled. "I know, but it's been over a month and half." Marco sighed. "We know, we've been so worried, yoi. We heard about the hit being cancelled almost 3 weeks ago, we came as fast as possible." Ace let out a sound. "Huh, that took a while to reach you." Ace then moved his hands to be around him. "But nonetheless, I am glad you're here." Marco chuckled and moved to connect their lips. He had really missed Ace and was glad he was safe. "So," Continued Ace when they parted. "Trevor will be gone for a while, I have an idea of what we can do to pass the time." Marco chuckled, he knew what Ace wanted. Ace then led them to a bedroom, and they didn't waste much time getting to it.
-x-
Ace let out a breath as he moved to lie on his stomach, looking at Marco who laid on his back beside him. "That was nice." Marco nodded. "It was. What now, yoi?" Ace hummed. "We wait for Trevor. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours, so an hour more. We should just lie down and relax, I sure feel like it." Marco chuckled. "Not been able to relax?" Ace nodded. "I was scared someone would come and find me. A couple knew I was here." Marco nodded. "Same, I've been worried about you, yoi. I sure feel like relaxing with you." Ace chuckled, that was good. The two then settled, lying in bed and just relaxing, and it was an hour and half later when Trevor showed up, giving them a reproachful look. "I go to help, and you decide it's a good time to fuck?" It was easy to see what they had been doing as they were still naked. Ace shrugged. "What should we do? Be up, passing and worry about you? I knew you'd manage." Trevor rolled his eyes. "Get dressed, and I'll tell you how it went. I'll wait in the main room." Ace chuckled, and when Trevor left, they stood up and got dressed again, before heading out to Trevor. "So," Started Ace. "How did it go?" Trevor looked fine, just some small bruising here and there. Trevor took a breath. "Hard fight, but went fine. He is dead, so you can leave tomorrow, the news should have spread by then and the new leader should have power." Ace let out a relieved breath. "Finally. I can get off this island and out of this cave. I am sick of being here." Trevor chuckled. "I get that. How did you find this place?" Ace hummed. "Rebels, they use this place and opened it for me." Trevor nodded. "How nice of them." Trevor then looked at Marco. "You want to stay here for tonight? I can head to the boat and come back tomorrow with news if you can leave?" Marco nodded. "I would like that, yoi." Trevor nodded. "Good, see you tomorrow, have fun." Ace nodded. "We will, tell everyone hi." Trevor snorted. "Will do."
As Trevor was gone, Ace turned to Marco. "What do you want to do?" Marco shrugged. "I don't know. What have you been doing here?" Ace hummed. "Tried to find a way out, plotting and looking at a map, and speaking with the rebels about the surface, and how screwed I was. And just being bored. So very bored." Marco chuckled. "I can see that. Why didn't the rebels help you?" Ace hummed. "They don't want to anger the people here too much. Attacking the ruler's guards is too much." Marco nodded. "I can understand that, yoi." Ace nodded. "So I was stuck. Did many come for the bounty?" Marco let out a breath. "A few, but it was manageable. Many wound up in the infirmary, but no one was terribly injured, yoi." Ace nodded. "Good good. I was worried." Marco snorted. "We've been worried for you, and you've been worried for us, yoi. Sounds about right." Ace chuckled. "I am glad we're all fine though." Marco nodded. "I am sure everyone will be glad to see you. We've all missed you." Ace smiled. "Good to know. Let me show you around, and we'll figure out something to do. Maybe a card game. I can teach you our game." Marco blinked at him. "You have your own card game?" Ace half nodded. "Sort of. It is a not so common game, but we use it as it's a fast paced game, requiring a lot of recall. You need to remember every card that has been played and what the other players will likely have." Marco let out a breath. "I have a feeling I will lose, yoi." Ace chuckled. "You might lose the first few times. Or maybe you're lucky. You're a quick learner." Marco was, so Ace was sure he wouldn't have much of a problem. Marco then frowned. "Wait, is this the game you played with Jacob? The one which went so fast?" Ace nodded. "Yes, but we won't move that fast." Marco nodded. "Good. Shall we get to it?" Ace nodded, and the two headed around the cave, Ace showing off the various rooms, before they sat down and Ace started to show Marco how the card game was placed.
-x-
Whitebeard sat out on deck, glad everything was back to normal. He had been relieved when Trevor came on the boat and had said Ace was fine. And he was more relieved when Ace showed up the next day. Everyone was glad to see that Ace was fine, and Ace told them what had happened- how he had been tricked into killing the leader and how he needed to go into hiding. But it was all fixed now. They then headed away from the island, back to familiar waters. Along the way, they stopped at a couple of islands, as most islands were neutral according to the assassins, so they were welcomed. Ace stayed as Ann a lot, but no one seemed to mind her being around them. A couple had brought up the fact that Marco was spending a lot of time around Ann, and worried if Marco might be cheating on Ace, but that was the furthest thing from the truth. Whitebeard said it was nothing to be worried about, and that Ace and Ann knew each other well and Ace knew about Ann being around Marco. It had calmed down most of them, and Whitebeard was glad to see his children caring for Ace and Marco.
It was a couple weeks later that Whitebeard frowned as a man came from the back of the ship. It took him a second to recognise him as he hadn't seen him for a little while. Before the captain could greet him, Trevor did. "Yo! Soul! How's it going?" Soul gave a shrug. "Still fine. New information. It's safe from the media, for now." Trevor took the files with a hum. "Why deliver it directly? I am just a call away, or you could contact Ace and have him pass it on. We are a team now." Soul shook his head, having a frown. "No, couldn't use Ace as an intermediary for this, as it's actually regarding him. I am uncertain as to how to proceed which is why I have come to consult with you in person. I have received the latest news, and have managed to squash it for now but I might not be so lucky the next time. It has left me wondering if the First Division Commander has a death wish though?" Whitebeard blinked, worried if something was wrong and it was obviously about Marco. Trevor blinked, before he looked shocked with a smile. "It got to the news?! What did it say?!" Soul sighed, a hand on his face, obviously not agreeing with Trevor's attitude. "Apparently, Miss Jackson has been seen a lot around this boat and crew, especially around Marco the Phoenix. There are pictures of them out for dinners and even heading into brothels and such. And I have tried to figure out why someone would dare to do that, when I remembered that he is a phoenix, probably thinking himself to be immortal. And I hope he realizes Ace is going to be hurt when he finds out. And why have you allowed it, Trevor? Someone must have helped her keep Ace away." The captain remembered Trevor saying that Soul had influence in the media. The Miss Jackson and Marco thing must have gotten out, and the man was obviously not impressed, seeming annoyed.
"Aw, you're worried about Ace?" All of them turned to look towards the hull, seeing Ann coming from there. The woman had changed clothes as she had a white blouse on, with two brown sleeve garters, tied with a golden buckle. Over this was a deep red waistcoat, black ungathered breeches with a belted, left-sided, half-skirt that went down to the ground, just an inch above the deck. Her right leg was encased in a dark grey material, which looked like half of a hose that only went down her outer leg. This was kept in place by three belts around her thigh and a strip of leather on her inner calf with five belts. Her left leg had a shorter version of this only extending up to her knee. The entire outfit was amazing, topping it off with golden heels, a golden feather brooch headpiece and a golden amulet necklace on a brown cord. While the outfit was a beautiful one, it also had that tinge of seduction and danger. Knowing Ann, the leg wrapping and buckles likely concealed, and held in place, various weapons.
Soul blinked, looking disapprovingly at the woman. "Of course I am; everyone likes Ace. And, I'm more scared of him than you. Do you realise you might ruin a good relationship? Do you know Ace actually cares about the first commander? Do you know Ace will be hurt?" Ann moved a hand to her chest, giving a tender and soft look. "Ah, that's so cute! You care about Ace, that's so nice of you, Soul." Trevor snorted. "You're going to scar him for life here." Ann chuckled. "Don't you think he's permitted to know now?" Soul frowned. "Know what?" Trevor frowned. "Is he?" Ann gave a nod with an approving look. "Isn't Soul Level 3 now? He can get to know early." Soul looked aghast. "I'm being promoted?" Trevor facepalmed. "He doesn't know that yet! You're ruining it!" Ann shrugged. "Well, the papers I got and agreed on didn't say when, so I thought it was all taken care of." Soul blinked. "Wait! You also approve who gets promoted?! You're not even an assassin! Ace is probably going to kill you!" Ann hummed, giving a look to Trevor. "You know what, Level 3 seems inadequate." Soul's face fell, obviously sure he had just lost the promotion. Ann smiled. "Let's say Level 2. Daisuke can take it up with me if he has issues." Trevor snorted. "You're just saying that since he cares about Ace." Ann chuckled. "That, and he's actually standing there and threatening me. That takes moxie." Soul stood shocked. "I'm going to be Level 2?" Ann hummed. "Well, you kind of need to be Level 2 to know who I really am. And, you're a good informant, Soul, you deserve it."
Soul blinked. "Who are you, then? Why isn't anyone here more worried about this?" Ann chuckled. "Marco is not cheating on anyone, no one is being cheated on or with." Soul looked unimpressed. "Oh, so you're saying you and the first commander aren't a thing?" Ann shook her head. "No, I'm not saying that. We are a thing called 'engaged'." Soul blinked. "But, he's engaged to Ace, not you." Trevor chuckled. "Come on, Soul. This isn't that hard, put two and two together." Ann chuckled. "Miss Jackson doesn't exist, I have been around for just 5 years. I am engaged to Marco the Phoenix and have been for some time. I have a say in everything that happens in the Red Cloud. Piece those together, and what do you get?" Soul blinked. "Please tell me I'm wrong, because if not, I think I need to gouge my eyes out." Ann chuckled, having an amused smile as her voice shifted to Ace's normal voice. "Want a knife or spoon?" Soul looked shocked and stunned, before he sighed. "Why does this make sense?" Ann chuckled, back to her high and soft voice. "Because you're a good informant, Soul. And it's still cute that you worry about me." Soul moved to hold his arms up. "Please stop calling me cute! It freaks me out since you're also Ace." Ann chuckled. "Miss Jackson might not exist, but she is different from Ace, and Ace of Spades; she has her own personality." Trevor nodded. "Yup. And that's a flirtatious one. And, you are cute." Soul just gave a small shudder to Trevor, making the other assassin laugh. "So, how does the media portray Miss Jackson's relationship with the pirates?" Asked Ann, Soul giving a breath. "They are unsure why and think you are becoming acquaintances. And since it's not the first time she has been seen around Marco the Phoenix, they think he is maybe cheating on Ace. They are calling him a fool for cheating on the second commander with her, but also think his level of boldness is pretty spectacular, that he has some guts to even dare to do it." Ann nodded. "Makes sense. Try and keep it like that; I don't want the world to even think of who Miss Jackson really is." Soul nodded. "Oh, believe me, they won't."
Ann gave a chuckle. "Good. Want to join and tell Daisuke the good news? We get another Level 2!" Trevor snorted. "Because of moxie. Ann, pray tell, what kid of fucking word is moxie?" Ann lifted an eyebrow at Trevor. "Want me to call it fortitude instead?" Trevor moved his hands up. "Better than fucking moxie!" Ann hummed. "How about hardihood?" Trevor looked unimpressed at Ann. "Really? Just, really? What are you, 4? Hardihood?" Ann chuckled. "What do you think will happen when I show up at Daisuke's and tell him I made Soul Level 2 because of... hardihood?" Trevor blinked. "I think I want to join. He will choke on his own tongue." Soul blinked. "I'm not sure if I want to see that. Do all of them know? Did they know since day one?" Ann chuckled. "Azuruko came up with the idea, Moira got the outfit, and I refined it. Daisuke also knew since day one, same with Hanzo. Mika found out 3 years ago since she found my dresses. And Trevor, well, he found out when he kissed me on a sting operation, having tried to track me down for about a year." Soul blinked. "Trevor… kissed you?" Ann nodded. "He did. And I bit his tongue with a reproachful look, making him realise it was me. I was known to bite tongues during that period." Trevor nodded. "Yup. Also the fact your hand was pressing on the exact spot I had just gotten branded, revealing that you knew very well about it. I saw the evil in her eyes!" Ann chuckled. "I was mad that you kissed me, almost botched the sting."
Ann then looked at Soul. "Also, some people figured it out, as I look, in their words, like a female replica of Azuruko, just with black hair." Soul blinked, before he nodded. "I can see that. I never thought much of it. Is there nothing else I need to do to become Level 2? Shouldn't I prove myself." Ann chuckled. "The difference between Level 3 and Level 2 is Ace, you meet his wrath and still manage to be in the same room, you get promoted. You have done that." Soul nodded. "True. So, I would have become Level 2 anyhow?" Trevor chuckled. "Not for some months. There usually is a pause so you can get used to the different things. You get other kinds of assignments at Level 3 and 2." Soul nodded. "Okay, how different?" Ace chuckled. "Don't worry, I already told Daisuke you don't want to be an assassin and he gets it. Just more difficult information runs and an increase in them. We expect more than just the normal." Soul nodded. "Okay, I can accept that." Ann chuckled. "I knew you would."
Soul stayed with them for a couple of hours, just speaking about this and that with the other assassins, before he left. When he was gone, things were calm for them.
-x-
Ace walked through a mansion, having killed a few already, and thankfully, no alarm had been sounded. He wanted to do this as quietly as he could. As he was walking, he soon came to a door, and he moved down to look through the keyhole, seeing a group of 5 people behind the door. Ace needed to find and kill the leader, a Blue Blooded Patrician, so he needed to check every room. Ace took a breath, grabbing his sword and gun, preparing to go into the room. Ace then took a last breath, before he used his leg to kick the door open, quickly using his gun to take out one of the people. As two headed towards him, Ace slashed down the first one, before he used his leg to trip the second, then shot him. The last two had been shocked and didn't move at first, but once recovered, one of the men went to grab a gun. Ace quickly threw his sword at the man, hitting him dead in the chest as he shot the second and last guy. As all of them were down, Ace went around and slashed everyone's throat, to be sure they were dead. He could shoot them, but he didn't want to use up his remaining bullets, he had a feeling he would need them.
Ace then continued walking through the mansion, meeting a couple more, but they were easily dealt with by shooting and slashing his sword. As he walked more, he soon came to a huge door, and when he looked into the keyhole, he was certain he saw the leader there, sitting on a throne-like chair with a bunch of people surrounding him. Ace needed to plan this carefully, the leader would run the moment he appeared, so he needed to handle him quickly, but Ace didn't want to kill him just yet. As he walked through the various scenarios in his head, he found that not one would be good enough, and decided to just use his powers. So he brought a hand to his mouth, blowing air into it, before he moved his hand to the keyhole, pushing the darkness through. He then closed his eyes and concentrated, making sure he put everyone in a trance, finding out there were actually 10 people inside, including the leader. After everyone was under a trance, he walked into the room, handling the leader's men first, as they were unimportant, before it was just him and the leader left. He then closed and locked every door, before he tied the leader to the chair. He probably liked this chair, so Ace would make good use of it, he would also display this man on the chair.
Ace then moved his hand and took away the trance, it wasn't long before profanities were let out. Ace moved his sword to his throat. "Be quiet, or I will make you be quiet." The man didn't care and continued to yell profanities and demanded to be released. Ace simply let out a breath. "Fine. Be like that." Ace put his sword down, then moved a hand to his jaw, and forcefully opened it, using his other hand to grab his tongue. He then dragged the tongue out of his mouth, before Ace moved his leg up into the man's jaw, hard, making him bite off his own tongue. That would silence his words. It was a success when the man yelled out in pain, and after it, it was just gurgles being let out. Ace then started to do what he wanted. First, he nailed his fingers to the chair. As he was working on his second hand, the man managed to move his first hand up and through the nails, and tried to swing at him, but Ace easily evaded it. This action must have hurt like hell but proved useless. After finishing pinning his second hand, he returned to his first one but this time, he used double the nails. Ace then hummed. What should he do now? He could go for a columbian necktie. Or not... the man didn't have his tongue. Well then, Ace would just have to do something else, something he would enjoy more.
Ace moved his sword to the man's stomach and cut it open, making his intestines fall out, he grabbed them and wound them around the man's neck, fashioning it into a bow tie, or his best attempt at one. When he was done, he moved a bit back to look at the man. It was a nice picture in his opinion, he looked perfect for display. He was still alive, but wouldn't be for long, either from blood loss or sepsis would set in and he would die. Ace then decided to let the man be, carving his mark into his chest. Ace went through the rest of the mansion, killing the rest of his men and freeing a couple prisoners he had found. They weren't in a bad state, just a bit bruised. They were probably new prisoners, and Ace sent them to a safe island. When he was done, he left the island, heading back to the boat for a shower. It had been a good day.
-x-
Whitebeard sat out on deck. They had just docked on an island, one they controlled, things had been calm up until now. But as he looked around, he saw Thatch was speaking to a woman on the docks, a strong minded one as she was saying something about Thatch being a rowdy drunk, which had Thatch respond. "Oh, and who do you think you are? You do realise I am a commander on the strongest crew in the world?" The woman lifted an eyebrow, before she grabbed Thatch by his right arm, spinning and quickly turning it around and behind him, simultaneously relieving him of the sword at his waist. She used its handle to hit Kent's solar plexus as he tried to help the fourth commander, causing Kent to stumble. The woman used her leg to trip him and give a kick in his stomach, making so he didn't get back up. Then she brought the sword to Thatch's neck. "Who's weak now, huh?" Thatch carefully held a hand up. "Okay, I misspoke." It seemed to be enough for the woman as she moved to let go of his sword. "Strong Commander my ass. You got beaten by a mere woman." Whitebeard understood where the woman was coming from, and Thatch had sort of asked for it - being drunk, he let his mouth get away from him. It happened now and then. He thankfully didn't get injured, which has happened before. The woman then left with a huff.
The next day was calm. He did see the woman once again when he joined his children at a bar, the woman playing some darts with a couple guys. When she won, the guys obviously weren't happy and they approached the woman in clear agitation, but she handled the two easily. The first guy was dragged down by his ears, before swiping his feet from under him, making him fall down into a table. The second guy was dealt with by the woman by her bringing her leg up and kicking him in the head, the woman having no issues with it even though the guy was taller than her. When he was down, the woman kicked the first man in the stomach for good measure, making him groan out as his hands moved to hold around himself. The woman then flicked her hair. "Men!" The one behind the bar moved a hand out to her. "Quinn! Stop kicking people!" Quinn, chuckled. "When they stop harassing me, I will." The bartender chuckled, not seeming to mind what Quinn had done, but he had a feeling this wasn't the first time this had happened.
The woman then went to sit down a bit to their left, speaking with some other women. "This damn island, I wish I could leave somehow." Quinn was a strong woman, and she wanted to leave this island? It had him turn to them. "Quinn, if you want, you can join us for a bit." It had the woman blink, using a second before she spoke. "I- I can join you?" Whitebeard nodded. "Sure you can, join us until the next island, or stay with us." Quinn snorted. "Yeah right, like I would ever stay with you. I'm fine on my own." Whitebeard nodded. "You probably are. But you're an amazing fighter and strong willed, I would love to have you in my family." Quinn just snorted again. "I don't belong in a family. I can take care of myself." Whitebeard nodded. "I am sure you can. But you can join us until you wish to leave." Whitebeard still hoped they could convince the woman to stay. It would be some time until they docked again, and he hoped they would get a new family member. Quinn would fit in perfectly. The woman then rolled her eyes, before she left with the others, saying they would head elsewhere. Whitebeard didn't follow, the look the woman had, he has a feeling she will visit later. She looked intrigued.
When breakfast had finished the following day, with most members still suffering from hangovers, he was delighted when Quinn came onboard the boat. When she was in front of him, she took a breath. "I would like to join you for a bit. I need to get away from here." Whitebeard nodded. "Why so adamant in leaving? Isn't it a nice island?" Quinn snorted. "Well yeah, it's kinda why I want to leave. I'm sick of the same old things. I need a change." The captain got that, and nodded. "You can join us. I am sure Marco can find a room for you to stay in." He said, looking at his first commander who nodded, moving to follow the woman to a room she could use. The day slowly went by, and he saw the woman now and then, speaking with others and seeming to get along well with everyone. He did also speak a bit with her, and she seemed like a good woman. When dinner had rolled by, most stayed in the galley as the weather was bad and were playing a game of cards, including Quinn. She was a good poker player, she had an amazing poker face.
It was an hour later when Whitebeard noticed Ace coming into the galley, which was good. He had been working the last 24 hours and he was glad to see he was fine. But as Quinn saw him, she got a deep frown, before she stood up. "I'm out." She then threw her cards into the middle of the table before she left, taking a longer route to avoid Ace. Ace didn't seem to mind, almost looking like he expected it. As Ace got to the table, he sat down taking the cards Quinn had discarded. "I'm in." Whitebeard frowned, and before he could speak, Trevor did. "The fuck was that?" Ace hummed. "Quintessa." That had Trevor blink, before he took a breath. "Au. I see." Whitebeard frowned, now sure Ace knew the woman. "Who is she to you?" Ace shook his head. "Not my place to tell." Whitebeard nodded, accepting it,he would respect that, at least for now.
He didn't see Quinn for the remainder of the day, and when evening came, Whitebeard walked out of his room onto the deck, everything was calm as most were asleep. Although it was a calm evening, and the captain had a feeling something was wrong. He saw Ace standing close to the railing, heading over. "Good evening, son." Ace had his eyes closed as some wind blew through his hair. "Good evening, Whitebeard. Couldn't sleep?" The captain shook his head. "No." Ace didn't look troubled, but he rarely did. Before the captain could ask, Ace spoke up again, eyes still closed. "If you're going to be up, Quinn is close to the hull. She could use the company." Whitebeard gave a look to Ace, who stood relaxed. The captain wondered how he knew, but it was might be out and see her , or he may just feel her presence there. Why Ace hadn't gone to see her was also a good question. It seemed like Quinn held some resentment against Ace for some reason, and maybe he could now find out more.
Whitebeard gave a goodbye to Ace as he headed towards the hull, sighing internally when he saw that Ace was right. Quinn stood by the hull, looking out at the ocean and seeming troubled. The captain made his way over, seeing the woman tensing as he did. "Quinn, you're up late." The woman snorted, obviously trying to keep up the tough act. "And so are you, so don't judge me." Whitebeard hummed. "No, I didn't mean it in a bad way, it was just an observation. You seem troubled." Quinn just made a noise at the back of her throat, obviously not wanting to speak about it, remaining silent, or more like glared at the sea instead. "You know," Started Whitebeard. "If you're troubled, I can maybe help. But, I can only do so if you let me, Quinn." Quinn huffed with a sarcastic laugh. "Help me?" The woman turned to look at him, eyes blank as she looked on edge. "Help me?! No one can help me, especially not you!" The captain was about to speak again, when Quinn continued. "If you can help me, please tell me how! Can you fix me? Can you fix this?!" As Quinn said this, she turned around and lifted her shirt, Whitebeard seeing her back was littered with scars made from various implements. It was obvious that this was weighing heavily on her mind, and Whitebeard understood why she acted defensively. She tried to act tough as she hadn't had it easy.
"No," Started the captain. "I can't. And I won't try. I can't fix it, as I can't fix the past." Quinn snorted at that, moving to glare at the sea again. "Knew it. Leave me alone." Whitebeard shook his head. "I can't make it go away, and neither can you. But I can be here now, and help change your future for the better. I want to be here for you now." Quinn stood still as she spoke. "Well, you can't. I am fine on my own." Whitebeard hummed. "You probably are, you are a strong woman. But being here may help you heal and have a family which will help and support you if you ever need it. I might be wrong, but we won't know unless you try." Quinn snorted, before she turned to head away. "Leave me alone." Whitebeard would usually follow, but something inside him told him not to, and instead stayed where he was. After a couple minutes, he headed back to Ace, standing beside him. Ace hummed. "She can be like this sometimes, just give her time." Whitebeard nodded, still curious on how Ace knew Quinn.
"How do you know Quinn, son? She seems… mad at you, or at least wary." Asked the captain, needing to. Ace sighed. "5 years ago, I was the lead of a raid to get 5 of our people out of a place. We'd been searching for months and finally had a solid lead. I knew 2 of them personally, and we hoped to find them alive. They weren't assassins, but informants and behavioural psychologists. I got in and there was only one person alive. That was Quinn. They had been there for almost 10 months, it was hell from day one. The others were killed in front of her. She was the only female so they thought she was weaker and kept her alive, used her. She didn't even have the information they were after, she wasn't an informant, but an analyst. They got it wrong and it cost her so much. She doesn't like me since I remind her of it, and believes that I think of her as being weak, since I had to rescue her."
Whitebeard sighed. It made sense, the woman had lost so much. "Is it true?" Ace shook his head. "No. It's the opposite. I would like to work with her. If she'll let me. I would have her on my team. Just to help with analyses of targets and victims, compiling reports and helping out with odd administrational jobs like that. Nothing in the field, she would be safe from danger. She was one of the best, still is. She is strong willed and a hell of a fighter. She's amazing." Whitebeard could see that. "I agree. She seems strong, but scared." Ace chuckled. "How would you feel if you were suddenly around a bunch of strangers? Not good, I assure you. Give her time, show that you care. She will loosen up." The captain nodded. "How did you know she was troubled?" Ace hummed. "Felt it. She probably had a nightmare or something close to that, and needed some air. I remember her from when we first got her out; she can lose her poise now and then after bad nights." That made sense in how the woman had just lifted her shirt like that, she must have had a really bad night. She seemed like a calm woman usually, so this felt out of character of her. But, the captain had only known her for a single day. The thing during dinner was a sign too, that she wasn't okay with being around Ace, as she had clearly avoided him. And it now made sense why she had reacted that way. Poor woman must have had a lot on her mind, and the captain would do his best to help her. Hopefully she will stay.
"Is her name Quintessa?" Asked the captain, remembering Ace had called her that earlier. Ace gave a nod. "Her full name is, but she prefers Quinn. Trevor knows her as Quintessa, same with Mika. They heard the story about her, and we have always referred to her as Quintessa." That made sense and the captain had a feeling Quinn didn't like that name so much, so he wouldn't use it around her. Ace then hummed. "Bay's on her way. Want to stay out?" Whitebeard blinked, amazed on how Ace always knew, he nodded. "I would like that." Ace nodded as he moved his hand a bit, and then it was just a couple seconds later that Bay came around a corner, giving an angry breath. "Waa… I swear I heard Pops!" Ace just chuckled, turning to the doctor. "I'm sorry, he's not out. He was a few minutes ago, but headed in after speaking with Quinn." The doctor nodded. "I see. That's good." She then moved her hands to her hips. "Do I need to start sending you to your room too? You're out more than Pops lately." Ace chuckled. "Please don't do that. I enjoy being out, and I do sleep." Bay sighed. "You're right, and you're not that old yet. Have a good evening." Ace nodded. "Same to you, Bay." Then the doctor left, and when she was around the corner again, the captain turned to Ace. "Did she call me old?" Ace chuckled as he nodded. "She did." Whitebeard just chuckled. "Well, she's not wrong, but never guessed she would say it like that." It had Ace hum. "She only cares. And if she tries to make me sleep, I will make her sleep." Whitebeard sent a look at Ace, who looked his normal self. "Was that a real sleep... or a threat?" Ace hummed again. "Real sleep. Just a snap with my fingers, and she can be asleep…. See how she likes it." That made Whitebeard chuckle.
That was right, Ace could just snap his fingers and make someone sleep. "I am still amazed by your powers. How do you make people sleep?" Ace hummed. "I manipulate the chemicals in the brain that keeps you awake, making you fall asleep. It's as simple as that." That made sense and had him nod. He then stood out with Ace for a while, before they headed in for the remainder of the night, the captain hoping to get a couple hours of sleep. And the next few days went by in the same fashion. He saw Quinn out now and then, but everytime Ace was around, Quinn left the room or deck as soon as Ace was sighted. Which the captain got. Poor woman must have bad memories connected to Ace, but he hoped they could help heal them somehow. It was clear Ace was giving Quinn the time and space she needed. And after a few more days, Ann joined them and Quinn and Ann got along, which was good. After Ann had been here for a few days, she approached Quinn.
"You know," Started Ann, looking at Quinn. "I have my own team, or I'm a part of a team, and you would be a perfect fit. And no, there will be no field work for you, but I would love to have you with me and help analyse people and make reports." Quinn blinked. "W-what? You want me?" Ann nodded. "I do. There is only one issue; the leader of the team is Ace." Quinn got a stoic look as she snorted. "Because he thinks I'm weak." Ann shook her head. "No, because you have unfinished business with him. I promise you, he does not think of you as weak. This was his idea, to have you on our team. Ace respects you for all you've been through." Quinn gave a small nod, looking unsure. "Are you sure?" Ann nodded. "I am. You need to speak with him, you need to be able to put this behind you." Quinn nodded. "Where is he?" Ann moved to look at a clock. "Covering for me. He'll be back in two hours or so, after I leave." Whitebeard was glad Ann was here, so she could have this talk with Quinn. The two really needed to speak. And the captain was glad to know Ace would be back, him having been Ann for almost 3 days now. It was also good in a way, it meant Trevor and Mika could step in, the others had gotten used to going to the other two assassins, which was good.
The rest of the day went by fine. And when Ace came back, Quinn didn't leave the room or deck when he was out, which was a great improvement. He was sure she was trying to find a way to speak with Ace, he hoped it would happen soon and that they would get along. If they did, it would improve the chances of Quinn staying with them. For now, the captain could only hope for the best.
-x-
Ace looked towards his door when there was a knock. "Come in." When it opened, he was glad to see it was Quinn. "Quinn, what brings you here?" Quinn took a breath. "I- I need to speak with you. We need to speak." Ace nodded. "We do. Take a seat." Quinn moved to sit down on an empty chair, taking a breath before she started.
And that's the chapter, hope everyone enjoyed it
And don't worry, Quinn won't be a main character like Trevor or Mika, but her character is needed for some of the things I have planned.
Come check out my one shot series of this story, containing missing scenes and different scenes from this story
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