One Piece fic-PoSM, Chapter 15
Title: The Psychology of a Shattered Mind
Chapter Title: Full and By
Rating: PG-13/M
Characters: Usopp, OCs, Sanji, Luffy
Word Count: About 7.6k
Warnings: Disturbing imagery, implications of non-con/dub-con, and violence. Angsty Usopp and blatant excuse for nakama comfort. This will be intense. Possible spoilers for entire series. AU, jumps off from Usopp being stuck on the Bowin Islands.
Can also be found at FF.net here. If you want to comment it will be much loved, and feel free to do so here or over at FF.Net. I've begun to feel increasingly at home here on LJ. Con Crit loved also.
Chapter links (on LJ):
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14,Chapter 15
Usopp wakes up every morning that Saint Iddis's parents are gone with a significant sense of relief. Lady Adel doesn't seem to be either bothered or glad at their lack of presence, instead going about her daily business the same as always. She makes all of Saint Iddis's meals, continues her various sewing projects-all of them something for Iddis-and occasionally gossips about all those people Usopp doesn't know while he's cleaning. Otherwise, she doesn't show much reaction to anything.
Saint Iddis, for his part, is moody.
It's in these days that Usopp connects the request for something Saint Iddis can add to his "collection" with, for starters, the jewels lying in one windowsill. More importantly, Usopp suddenly understands the pile of rocks that Lady Adel, on his first day, had warned him quite pointedly not to disturb.
Saint Iddis, he … well …
He talks to the rocks.
That much Usopp can tell past the fact that Saint Iddis mostly mutters as he moves the rocks around in what look like interactions of some sort. He doesn't quite know what to make out of it, seeing as no matter how lonely he'd ever been, he never went so far as to… talk to rocks. Some dolls or figurines or something, yeah, ones he made himself, but not rocks. Besides, that was only when he was pretty young. Wasn't Saint Iddis always talking about how he was "fifteen, just short"? At fifteen, he'd long ago found people instead-Kaya, Pepper, Carrot, Onion-heck, even the whole village had been something of a special companion for years.
Guess Celestials like Iddis had enough money and pleasure that friends was an out of fashion concept. Maybe the fact that they tended to use people as playthings said it all.
Usopp wonders if Saint Iddis has any friends … has ever had any friends. He almost feels the stirrings of an idea at that thought, before he shakes his head. Not like a Celestial would want to be friends with a mere slave. Besides that, Lady Adel's I am watching echoes in his head then, and he looks over his shoulder, even though he knows she's out personally buying ingredients for Iddis's dinner. Him making friends with her oh-so-noble charge probably wouldn't thrill her, either. If Saint Iddis even took to him that way …
"Tell me about your island," Saint Iddis says without preamble, cutting into Usopp's thoughts and making him jump.
"Er-"
Saint Iddis gives him a look that silently questions Usopp's intelligence. "The island you came from. Y'know, where you lived before? Tell me about it."
"Well, that's a bit … complicated. You see I, uh, hadn't spent much time there recently."
"Why not?"
After a brief internal debate, he supposes that it wouldn't hurt anything to talk a little bit about what he's seen on the Grand Line-just so long as he doesn't get too specific. Saint Iddis seems only barely aware of what goes on outside of Mariejoa, anyway. It gives Usopp a little more to talk about. No matter how much he always talked even when no one was really listening, it's surprisingly wearying to do so once it's made a constant demand.
It also evokes a sort of fondness to talk about his adventures and his crewmates, even if it's all very indirect. He feels pride when he catches the wide-eyed wonder at some of the tales he can spin from their adventures. At other times, when he gets no reaction, he worries that Saint Iddis doesn't like the story he's telling, even though he doesn't think it's any less exciting than any of his other ones.
Later, however, he begins to recognize a pattern. It's when Lady Adel is around and watching them that Saint Iddis acts the most cool. Usopp's not quite sure what it means-whether Saint Iddis is just self-conscious about looking like he's enjoying "silly" things too much, or whether he's aware Lady Adel wouldn't like seeing Saint Iddis so interested, or … what.
In the late afternoon two days before Saint Iddis's parents are due back, Lady Adel heads off to make dinner preparations a bit earlier than usual. For a while, Saint Iddis keeps right on building his long-as-one-of-Zoro's katana jigsaw puzzles. He's been working at it pretty much all day. Just when Usopp's gotten used to the silence, Saint Iddis leaps to his feet and calls to the black-suit man standing attentive against the wall. "You! I've got an assignment for you."
Black-suit man straightens his shoulders. "Yes?"
Saint Iddis puts his hands on his hips. "I'm so bored of that green dish set Adel likes to serve me dinner in. I want you to go to the main kitchens and find a different one and make sure she serves it in that one today." He begins to count off on his fingers. "They're white with a design in red, kinda abstract, and the bowls are deep. The cups are all red glass, no decoration. Plus the plates are triangle-shaped." Saint Iddis thinks for a moment. "That's about it. But don't bother showing your ugly face here again until you've got them or I'll have you fired." This said, he flops back to the floor.
Black-suit stiffens briefly at the threat. "Right away, Saint Iddis," he says, giving a short bow before striding from the room.
Usopp feels kinda sorry for the black-suit, even if he is getting paid for this. Job security makes Usopp nervous too. He double-checks his flapping speed on the giant, leaf-like fan he'd been assigned to back at the beginning of the day, when Saint Iddis had started working on the puzzle. It's so easy he's been dozing on his feet, eyes half-lidded in case Iddis looks at him and wants something. Usopp suspects sleeping on the job is very frowned upon here.
He's just so bored …
Saint Iddis hums once black-suit exits, then he scrambles to his feet. He turns to Usopp with a wide grin, reminiscent of Luffy's I'm-so-proud-of-myself one.
Crap.
"That guy'll be gone for hours getting a dish set like that made up custom …" Saint Iddis looks Usopp over and chuckles to himself, a gleam of a plot in his eyes. Usopp is beginning to suspect that Saint Iddis never cared about the dishes at all. After a moment, the glee lurks only faintly in the angle of Saint Iddis's mouth, and he looks more his normal unimpressed. "Now follow," he says, and moves off toward one of the room's walls.
Usopp debates briefly before figuring there really isn't a choice anyway, so he puts the fan down and lines up behind Saint Iddis. Saint Iddis is doing something to the wall that's making little clicking noises, though he keeps his body positioned just right to block it from view. Without warning, the entire wall slides aside to reveal the landing of a covered outdoor staircase, going somewhere up the side of the tower. The breeze coming in through the opening is calm and sun-warmed.
Saint Iddis proceeds out and up as Usopp stares in amazement. He hadn't even suspected that this entrance was here in the wall this whole time. A rather clever piece of work …
"I said come on, stupid!" Saint Iddis calls from somewhere on the stairs, and Usopp, snapping out of his daze, scrambles to catch up. The Celestial doesn't look back as they follow the staircase winding up the outside of the tower. "Why'd this one have to be so dumb sometimes," Usopp can hear Saint Iddis muttering as they climb. "He looked smarter than this at the auction."
Usopp bristles at that, clenching his hands and jaw before forcing himself to relax. It doesn't matter what anyone says, so long as he stays alive and gets back to everyone. It just doesn't. Not really …
He tries to forget about it.
The staircase heads inward as it begins to go up the tower's domed roof. The roof turns out to be flat on the top, with a short white wall running all the way around a circle-shaped area only slightly smaller than that of the Thousand Sunny's crow's nest. A stronger breeze tousles his loose hair as he emerges from the covered stairway into sunshine.
The city stretches off into the distance, towers and rooftops nearby not quite as high as this one-from here, you can see everything. It all keeps stretching on and on until it vanishes into wispy clouds and haze, making the city seem endless, like the ocean. He turns to the right a little, stiffening at the sight of a much larger building, like an island rising up from the sea of smaller ones. The walls have towers, and towers rise out of the top, until it's towering so high that the clouds hide how far up it really goes.
World HQ … he remembers this being pointed out, briefly, when he'd first arrived.
Saint Iddis is sitting on the edge of the low wall and smirking. "Ready to pay attention yet?" he asks, pulling a familiar tan sack from behind his feet, where it had been mostly hidden by Saint Iddis's long robes. Usopp starts to feel a little dizzy, perhaps a combination of the height and shock, recognizing the bag immediately as the one with all his weaponry and gadgets. The slavers had taken it and he kind of assumed they threw it out or sold it off or something, but now … here it was.
"So it is yours," Saint Iddis says with satisfaction, pulling the sack into his lap and opening the clasp-top. Usopp almost protests, taking a step forward, but he stops himself just in time. Taking no apparent notice of Usopp's slip-up, Saint Iddis rummages around in the bag, picking out and peering at a few of the stars before putting them back, as well opening up the small bags of Pop Greens that Usopp'd been collecting and learning about up till the day he managed to make it out of Glinston. His chance to escape had been mostly inadvertent luck, surprising even him, but one thought of Luffy had left him without hesitation. Perhaps if Usopp'd been willing to hang around longer than a few months, which had been just long enough to start getting tough, Heracles might have come with him all the way to Sabaody after all, but as it was, Heracles simply hadn't been willing to follow Usopp off the island. If he had, Usopp supposes he wouldn't be in this mess, but it was nothing but regrets and lost chances now. He doubts he'll see that strange warrior again … though Luffy probably would have liked his beetle-shaped armor.
Saint Iddis continues: "I've been wondering about the use of this stuff, though mostly this thing they said was your weapon." He reaches down again, to pick up the long green slingshot that had also been mostly hidden by his robes, bringing it up so that it flashes in the sun.
Usopp can't help himself this time. With the crazy view up here, and the sight of his bag for the first time in weeks, he hadn't yet noticed that all-important bit of green, and he's caught off-guard. "My Kabuto! How-er-I mean-" he blurts, before slamming his mouth shut and swallowing nervously. Oops.
"So it's called the Kabuto, huh?" Saint Iddis waves it in a few different directions before sighting down through the curved forks and pulling back on the dial-pocket experimentally. Usopp grimaces and hopes the kid doesn't take his own eye out or something. They'd probably blame it on Usopp.
"Er-should I demonstrate it for you-m-master?" He may never get used to that word, the way he still has to force it. Well, anything to get it out of this kid's hands.
Saint Iddis stares at him a minute, then looks back to the Kabuto, the looks back to Usopp. "I've decided you will show me how it works," he says with lifted chin, holding the weapon out. Usopp slowly moves to take it, but just before he has his hand around the staff Saint Iddis jerks it away. "Don't try anything funny on me, 'cause you'll never make it out of this city alive if you do. Got that?"
He puts it Usopp's hand when Usopp nods in all seriousness. Certainly, Usopp had already assumed that much. No need to repeat it.
Setting the bag on the ground, Saint Iddis shoves it over in Usopp's direction with a foot, then settles cross-legged on the wall. Usopp squats down, trying to decide what to use. It seems like his bag's been looked through quite a few times, because nothing is where he remembers putting it. Finally he settles on an exploding star, but one of the ones he'd been avoiding using since he had to skimp on the explosives when he was making it. He doubts it will damage whatever it might end up hitting, though it probably will make a nice flash and smoke cloud to impress Saint Iddis. …If it doesn't end up going practically out of sight, that is.
This settled, he places it in the dial-pocket. The worry of all the past weeks falls away with the Kabuto back in his hands. It almost feels like something is under his control again. He sighs in relief before resting the staff end on the floor with a satisfying thunk.
"This weapon … well, one shouldn't be fooled by its simple appearance…." He gains more confidence as he goes on, easing into the tone he usually reserves for storytelling, and posing in various ways as he briefly explains the dials and stars he has available for use. He leaves out the Pop Greens though-he's not entirely versed in them. Besides, Saint Iddis is impatient to see some action.
"Ok, ok, I got it." Saint Iddis waves a hand. "Demo already!"
"Oh-yeah, right, right!" He says, and hurries to pull back, taking care to aim so that he can't be mistaken for aiming at Saint Iddis, even if he is mostly facing him.
"No! Not like that," Saint Iddis says just before Usopp releases. "C'mon, turn to the side or something so I can really see!"
Fingers now itching to feel the incredible recoil, ears eager to hear that powerful snap-crack, Usopp whirls his body, keeping his eyes on Saint Iddis for approval. "Like this?"
"Yeah, that's perfect."
Now he'd show this Celestial what he was really made of! "Exploding Star: Mini!" He announces, looking to the Kabuto just as he releases. He can tell the shot is gonna go far, as the wind's not even against him. It will go far enough, even, to reach-
What the-what is the HQ building doing there?
"Ah-that-that was-" The Kabuto slips from his fingers and clatters to the ground at the flash and distant bang, followed by cloud of smoke, that comes from halfway up the wall between two towers of the massive HQ structure. He just … he …
"Wow! You got it to go all the way and blow up the HQ," Saint Iddis says with a cheer, leaning out over the wall in the direction of the HQ, as if that could get him closer to the explosion or something.
"Ah-ahi-" He can't seem to do anything but stammer as he watches the smoke-cloud dissipate into the dream-like haze that lingers over the city.
He hit the World Government HQ with an explosive. He's going to die. He's really, really going to die now. Tears course down his cheeks as hopelessness descends over him.
Goodbye, cruel world … goodbye, eight thousand not-so-loyal followers … goodbye, my beautiful little nose …
"So you pull it back like this, right?"
Usopp stares blankly up at the sky, wondering if he is going to heaven or hell. Hasn't all this been punishment enough? "Yeah … just like that," he mumbles. Whatever. His life is over.
He blinks at hearing another snap-crack, eyes wandering back down from the sky. He's lost it, that's what. He thought he dropped the Kabuto, but now he's firing randomly … guess he's really gonna go out with a bang. Is he laughing insanely? It doesn't feel like it.
Something explodes faintly in the distance.
"Crap. Missed."
Missed?
The fog of despair clears from his mind just enough to register Saint Iddis standing in front of him, facing World Government HQ with Kabuto in hand while shakily pulling back on the dial-pocket.
Snap-crack!
His eyes widen at the sound of another distant explosion, a smoke-cloud billowing up from the smaller buildings off to the right of the HQ. Is that people … screaming?
"Oops," Saint Iddis says, bending to grab another exploding star from the bag now sitting at his feet. "Okay, one more time and this time I'm gonna hit it!"
Usopp holds out a hand in a weak plea to stop, still rendered speechless.
Snap-crack! Boom!
Another smoke-cloud goes up somewhere between them and the HQ. The sound of shouting and screaming grows clearer.
"Oops. Fingers slipped."
Snap-crack-boom!
"I wasn't being serious that time. This one's for real!"
Snap-crack-boom!
"I meant to put it there! Now I'll hit the HQ!"
Snap-crack-boom!
"Ugh, this elastic isn't working right."
Moved far beyond panic and into a strained calm, Usopp nods to himself thoughtfully, with thumb and pointer finger to his chin. Ah, I get it now, he thinks, nodding again, Saint Iddis is an absolutely horrible shot.
The previously peaceful and dream-like cityscape is beginning to look like a war zone with all the billows of smoke going up. A long, low siren begins to wail in the distance and speakers echo out over the city.
"All residents of Mariejois, take cover immediately. This is not a drill. Repeat, take cover indoors immediately. Marine protection now being deployed. This is not a drill."
"Crap," Saint Iddis says, tossing Kabuto to the side, "Now Adel's gonna come check on me."
As Saint Iddis hurries past toward the staircase, Usopp thinks to himself how appropriate it is to die in a city full of explosions. Yeah. At least no one will think he went down without a fight.
"C'mon, stupid, we gotta go!" Saint Iddis returns and grabs Usopp by his collar, dragging him along behind, back down the stairs. "I can't have her coming up here and finding my secret hideout."
Usopp wonders absently how long it will take the Marines to figure out where all the explosions came from and come arrest him.
Closing the sliding wall back up with a slap to some sort of hidden panel, Saint Iddis pushes Usopp to the spot where he'd been standing earlier and shoves the fan back into his hands, which Usopp begins fanning without prompt.
Even in here, he can hear the siren going off and, faintly, that warning announcement. Feet are pounding up the inner staircase, Lady Adel's voice echoing up, sounding alarmed. Saint Iddis flops on his stomach in front of the puzzle, picking up a piece and fitting it in a slot just as Lady Adel runs in the room, skirts flying and chest heaving. "Saint Iddis! Are you all right? Have there been any explosions here?"
Usopp focuses on fanning the fan and trying to breathe calmly like he's been standing around all day, rather than like he'd just been dragged down five flights of stairs by his neck.
Saint Iddis, hand on chin, only sighs and sounds bored, craning to look at the window. "Is that what all the noise is about?"
Lady Adel, wringing her hands, heads to the window and peers out, keeping most of her body behind the wall. "Oh god, I just hope it's not another Fisher Tiger."
"Dunno what you're freaking out about. Sounds kinda exciting to me." Without a flicker of emotion, Saint Iddis places another piece into the puzzle.
"I couldn't bear it," Lady Adel groans. "After the fright we had when that pirate attacked here all those years ago … you only just two … we were nearly killed by that monster … "
A black-suit, different from the one that had Saint Iddis had sent away earlier, appears in the doorway. "My Lady, a marine is at the door to confirm that everything is all right here."
Lady Adel looks out the window again. "It seems like the explosions have stopped." She turns back to the black-suit. "Thank heavens for decent security measures, for once. I'll be there to speak with him shortly, thank you."
"Ma'am," the black-suit nods with slight bow and disappears back down the tower staircase.
Lady Adel crosses the room again, catching Usopp's gaze with a worried one, then looking to Saint Iddis. "You will stay away from the windows, won't you? I'm sure your father would want that."
"Sure," Saint Iddis says, keeping his eyes on the puzzle and still sounding like he couldn't care less about the whole affair.
Usopp stares at Saint Iddis in mild surprise. Maybe he can't aim to save his life … but kinda like Lady Adel, he sure seems to have control over the mood he projects. When he really wants to, at least.
Lady Adel gives Usopp one more look that says "keep him safe" before she hurries off down the stairs.
There's a beat of silence and then Saint Iddis begins to shudder, a hand flying to his mouth to stifle laughter, though it doesn't help much, and Saint Iddis lays there banging his fist on the floor. He rolls over when the mirth has mostly subsided, leaving only laugh-tears in the corners of his eyes, and grins up at Usopp.
"…Mas-master?" Usopp ventures nervously. Stop grinning at me like that, darnit! This is freaking me out!
"That…" Saint Iddis says, still grinning, "…Was the most amazing thing ever. We have got to do it again sometime."
Usopp tries to smile, but he's pretty sure it's more of a grimace.
This Celestial … this kid is gonna be the death of him.
Although the hood of his long green coat is pulled up over his head, Sanji can feel his face slowly freezing as the wind buffets him and Luffy at random intervals. He keeps up a steady pace while Luffy darts from one side of the street to the other, poking his head curiously into doorless entryways, or any door he can actually open without needing to knock it down.
"Hah-lloooo," Luffy bellows into the latest open door, making Sanji cringe a little, before that gives way to annoyance. He wishes Luffy would keep quiet. He can't hear anything else when Luffy does that, and he needs to. There's something creepy about this town, and the way the wind whistles through it. It's just … it's off. He's fairly certain the place has been abandoned by its population, except-
He also has the feeling that someone is following them … that someone is watching.
There's a soft fwump from somewhere behind. Sanji whirls around, but the street is empty. Their footprints seem to be the only ones stretching out behind, slowly filling in with blowing snow. Perhaps that was only a pile of snow from an overhanging roof?
He takes a draw on his cigarette as he watches the street with narrowed eyes, looking for the slightest flicker or shadow to give their stalker away.
Nothing.
"Sanji! I found a restaurant! What're you waiting for?"
Sanji turns back toward the waving Luffy, wanting to roll his eyes. "Oy, this town is abandoned. No one is gonna be serving-"
His idiot captain has already vanished inside. Sanji grumbles and grudgingly follows, looking all about as he does so. Still nothing. If the feeling's still there when Luffy gets finished looking around this building, he's going to see if he can't pin down what it is that's tailing them.
He really doesn't like the vibe this place is giving him, and he really, really doesn't like feeling hunted.
Sanji closes the door gently behind himself. It doesn't completely keep out the cold or snow, since the windows to the place are open square holes in the walls with decorative bars-it's odd again that someone would make a building that way with all this blowing snow-but at least it might serve as a warning to whoever or whatever is following them that they are not completely unsuspected.
Luffy has taken a seat at one of the tables furthest from the windows, where the color scheme of bright blue, green, and white is the least crusted over with ice and snow. He seems to actually be waiting for food, fork and knife in hand, neck craned to look at the swinging doors to the kitchens.
Sanji stares despite himself, and asks what really is a stupid question. "Luffy, what are you doing?"
"I'm hungry."
Which is something he assumes about Luffy, like the fact that his hair is black, so it's not like that answer explains anything. "The whole town is empty; this restaurant's abandoned! No one's serving food here!" He throws his arms wide to indicate the whole icy place, exasperated.
"You're here, aren't you?" Luffy gives him a manically wide grin.
Sanji splutters around his cigarette a moment before recovering and becoming even more annoyed. "You-fine. Fine. But there's probably no ingredients in that kitchen. You'll be lucky to see me bring back anything, even a stupid yellow snow cone."
He marches off through the swinging doors, before Luffy can do anything to annoy him further. He's slightly calmed by the sight of a stovetop in the back room, a small refrigerator, and single door that probably goes into to a dry storeroom. "I don't know why I'm bothering doing what he wants," Sanji mutters to himself with a sigh, but oddly enough, he feels stretched too weary to really fight his captain on the point. He best try and get this over with.
The refrigerator is empty-as he suspected it would be-but in the unlikely event that there are any dry ingredients in the pantry, it would be a waste to leave them behind, so he may as well take the time to check. Not that the Sunny is really low on supplies, but extra never hurt. It isn't like there are any people around here using it, and Nami would appreciate any monetary savings in the next restock.
He strolls toward what looks like the pantry door. Maybe he'll get lucky and they'll even be unopened crackers and jam, or something similarly quick, that he can use to appease Luffy. He opens the door with one hand-
-and stares down a stone staircase that descends into inky darkness. Air warmer than that of the dining area wafts up, bringing with it a smell of sour and dank that reminds him of … of …
Something old. Old and rotten. Kind of like the dungeons where they found Usopp.
He shakes himself. No, this couldn't be like that. Now he really is being paranoid. It's probably just a big pile of half-frozen, badly spoiled potatoes smelling things up down there. An annoying waste, but nothing to freak out about. Still, there could be something in dry storage that would be worth taking, even if most of the fresh ingredients had already gone bad. Bags of salt and sugar, or bars of cooking chocolate, or spices, perhaps-
He discovers a torch in a holder with a quick glance at the side wall, and the coating still looks good enough to burn, so he puts his cigarette lighter to it. Holding the torch out to cast as much light in front as possible, he begins to descend into the dark.
The odd smell gets stronger as he descends, until he finally emerges into an area that looks nearly as large as the Sunny's galley and dining area, though in the weak torchlight it's hard to tell. There's a table off to one side, but once he takes a few steps closer, he realizes it's entirely bare. For a moment, he puzzles on finding nothing but an empty room, until the light falls on a shadowy hallway directly across from the stairway.
For the first time he really hesitates, the stomach-turning memories of finding Usopp nearly dead in a place not unlike this one resurging with a vengeance. Still, a sort of morbid curiosity draws him forward-after coming all the way down here, he isn't about to turn around like some sort of chicken, at least not before he finds out what's giving him such bad vibes. And it could be that he's entirely imagining it.
Step determined, he moves into the hallway, eyes darting left and right as the torch light moves and flickers over rows of bars-cells-and the dark shapes beyond them. If any of the shapes are alive, they don't move enough for him to tell. He stops when he can make out the end of the hall, and tries to peer through a set of bars. Well, it could be a person, sure, but-well, it could be those potatoes with an old blanket over them, too. It's simply too dark, and the light too weak.
"Oy … anyone alive in here?"
A long silence. His shoulders relax a little, before-
"I am."
Sanji whirls, taking an instinctive step back from the tall, burly form he finds standing there. In the beat before he'd spoken Sanji'd gotten warning prickles on his skin, but where did this chump even come from without making a single sound? Shadows stretch and wane in the torchlight, falling particularly dark over the man's eyes. Sanji doesn't recognize the guy. He's no regular marine, at least. The dark material of the man's clothes looks stiff, armor-like, and light-colored fur juts out from beneath it at the collar, shoulders, and wrists.
The man shifts, tugging forward chains slung over each shoulder that clearly have something heavy hanging off the other end, and all the while never lowering his chin. "This is a restricted area. Prisoners are not to be released without express orders. State your purpose, agent."
Sanji notes with a stab of irritation that he has very little room to maneuver. This guard, or whoever he is, is large enough that he takes up most of the corridor, and he's between Sanji and the only way out. There's always the chance that he could kick his way out the ceiling if he had to, since he's not that deep down, but with the potential collateral, it's probably better to play it cool.
Agent, is it?
"I was sent to check on prisoner status … " Sanji shrugs. "It appears the entryway door wasn't properly secured, but otherwise everything else looks good. My superior should be satisfied."
"Status check? I wasn't expecting one, not at all," the guard says. He turns to rattle the door of one cell with a foot, and mutters: "Yes, definitely secure, very secure, quite good."
"Precisely." Sanji puts on his most winning smile, which the guard merely blinks at … he thinks. Still hard to make out that kind of kind of detail, even with the torch held higher. A hand in one of his pockets, he slides on past, doing a little turn that leaves him both backing up toward the exit while still facing the guard. Ah, now he sees what's hanging from those chains-spiked balls slightly larger than the average head. "Well, I'll be sure to let them know everything is secure here-keep up the good work."
Sanji's about to turn back around and make his escape when the guard's voice rings out with a deep, warning "wait."
"Hm?" He's not far from the exit now, almost back into the open room with the table. Keep it cool, keep it cool…
"Were there any further orders, agent?" The guard queries, staying where he is, which gives Sanji some measure of relief. He pauses briefly, as a show of thought.
"Just keep to your post. We won't be checking in for a while."
"…very well, then." The guard nods-maybe. At this distance, he can hardly see him. Sanji turns and strolls toward the exit, congratulating himself for a pulling this off so smoothly.
A giant slab of stone slams down in the doorway, blocking the exit and nearly smashing Sanji in the process. He jerks back just in time, only to throw himself to the side as something large rips through the air where his body had been. Little chips of rock from the stone in front of him sting his face.
As Sanji debates his options and what this is about, the spiked ball that had slammed into the stone is pulled back. As it grates its way back toward the hallway, slow footsteps approach. Sanji still has a grip on the torch, and he casts about for some sort of switch that might get the stone to lift back up. A deep frown on his face, the guard emerges from the darkness of the hallway as he gathers up the last of one chain and slings the ball back over his shoulder.
"So," the guard says, "You thought you could fool me, did you, prisoner?"
Sanji tenses. Uh… maybe he can still talk his way out of this one?
"Prisoner? I'm no prisoner here and never have been. Just look at how I'm dressed!" Sanji gives a little tug on the end of his suit jacket. "Besides, if I was a prisoner, why would I break into the prison?"
The guard bursts out with a single, derisive laugh. "Clever logic, and even more clever disguise. But your mind games won't work on me. You've already said all I needed to know." The guard sets his feet in a wide, ready stance. "Surrender, return to your cell peacefully, and you won't be punished."
"Hell no." He's not sure what he said that's made the guard suspicious, but really, give up? This guy was even more stupid than he looked.
The guard's spiked ball comes shooting his way again, and again he dodges. The table behind him splinters down the middle. Sanji darts forward and delivers an upper-cut kick that gets blocked by a steely forearm. Falling back onto his hands, he barrages the guard's block with his feet, finishing with one last kick to the gut that sends the guard flying back into the opposite wall.
The man lands on his feet, barely looking phased, the chain he had just gathered in his hand fallen loose. He jerks back on it. Pain lances through Sanji's legs as the spiked ball slams into the back of them. The force sweeps his feet out, but he turns that into a roll out of the way of the second spiked ball's downward swing.
You just had to be curious about the creepy dark stairway, didn't you? Sanji grumbles to himself, noting absently that he'd left the torch lying on the floor when he rolled. Just had to.
The guard's faster than he looks on the defense, and his arms are about as solid as Zoro's swords, so even as the fight drags on Sanji still can't manage to get past his … guard and land a good kick to something not covered in armor. Still, beyond a few close-call nicks and that one slam to his feet, getting just enough blood trickling down into his shoes to be aggravating, the guard hasn't done all that much damage to Sanji, either. Sanji's too quick for that, especially given all the practice he's had fending off surprise attacks. There's not a lot of variety in the moves the guy can pull off either, and Sanji only needs to see it once to know how to doge with ease.
It's when he has to squint just to make out the outline of the guard that he realizes the torch lying on the floor is going out. Alarmed, he makes a dive for it, grabbing it up just as the last embers fade and the room is plunged into complete, disorienting darkness.
He has a hand in his pocket when he realizes that taking his lighter to it would only make him an easy target. He dodges to the side on instinct, feeling the slight movement of air as one of the balls rushes past where he'd been a moment before. A long silence follows the ball's impact into a wall.
He pauses, down on one knee. It feels like he's floating in a sea of nothing, his only reference point the floor beneath. Careful not to make a sound, he sets the torch back down. The guard was quiet enough to sneak up on him once-Sanji's not even perfectly sure where the guard last was in comparison to where he himself is now-and the guy could very well be on the move again. If Sanji moves, he could walk straight into the guard, but if he doesn't, the guy could walk straight into him. Either way.…
Slowly, he gets to his feet and backs up until he comes the nearest wall. Staying against it will save him from any surprises from behind, at least. He moves his hand out in arcs as he slinks along the comfortingly solid expanse of stone, hoping he gets a clue where the guard is before it happens the other way around.
He makes it to one corner before the room is filled with a rumbling sound and dim light once more comes from the stairway. It's just enough to make out Luffy in the doorway, standing with one fist pressing at one of the stairway walls, his shoulders hunched.
"Oy, you greedy jerk!" comes Luffy's incensed voice, "You found a super-cool secret stairway and then explored it without me?"
But Sanji almost entirely tunes out the complaint after the first two words, seeing that his opponent isn't that far away and is staring in confusion at Luffy. Taking one leaping step, Sanji twists to slam his heel into the side of the distracted guard's head, ramming the guy into the floor so hard he tumbles head-over-heels at least once. He would have kept on tumbling, except that Sanji follows up with an upward sweep that tosses the guard back the other way, rolling until he hits the wall and slumps limp against it.
About damn time.
Luffy marches over as Sanji retrieves and relights the torch, then checks to make sure the guard's good and out. Sanji notices a ring of keys on the guard's belt and snatches it up. He turns to see Luffy standing with his arms across his chest, tapping one foot and still looking ticked.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sanji says, settling for being long-suffering, since he has other things to deal with beyond Luffy's irritation. "Big fat meanie. As I recall, you were the one that demanded food from me, and this happened to look like a possible storage cellar."
Luffy lets his arms drop. "Eh? There's food down here?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Luffy follows Sanji back into the dark hallway, looking left and right while making quiet sounds of curiosity. The first cell door Sanji tries is unlocked and swings open on completely silent hinges. There's a bedroll and blankets in the corner, still warm. That explains where the guard had come from.
Other than that, most of the cells turn out to be empty, shadows simply playing tricks on his mind. One of them does have some bags of sugar and stale-smelling coffee piled in a back corner, so Sanji makes Luffy carry the sugar, with a firm admonishment not to eat it. Luffy protests with slight insult that he's not that hungry yet, he can wait for Sanji to make something out of it.
At the last cell, Sanji peers in and decides there really is something in there, lying still under a blanket. The smell is stronger back here. He fumbles a little with the keys even though he already knows which one it is. Sounding like it hasn't been opened in ages, the lock unlatches with a grinding screech, and the hinges whine as the door swings open. Luffy follows him in, sandals slapping on the floor. Crouching, Sanji grabs the blanket, and steeling himself, pulls it back in one swift motion.
"That's gross," Luffy says with disgust. "All rotted."
Sanji straightens, throwing the blanket to the side, where it flutters into a heap. "What-this-"
Potatoes.
Old, shriveled, rotted potatoes, so far gone even the roots that had tried to spout became dried and brittle. But no prisoner. No body. No nothing, just … wasted potatoes.
He doesn't know what to think.
"Hey, you're not gonna make us eat these, are you?"
He lights his cigarette and takes a deep puff, before mumbling, "no, you idiot," and Luffy doesn't say anything more. For a long moment, Sanji just stands there staring at the stupid rotten potatoes, mind whirling, trying to make sense of all this.
There were never any prisoners. Nothing to guard. Yet the guy had talked like there were. Like guarding was all he'd ever done here. Seemed so convinced, and yet-
Sanji turns his head and looks behind, past Luffy and the cell bars, out toward the hallway and the "guard" lying crumpled in the dark room beyond.
Even though Nami-san's log pose told us this would be the quieter route … something here is rotten … not just this bunch of potatoes, either.
I want to know what.
To be continued...
Chapter Title: Full and By
Rating: PG-13/M
Characters: Usopp, OCs, Sanji, Luffy
Word Count: About 7.6k
Warnings: Disturbing imagery, implications of non-con/dub-con, and violence. Angsty Usopp and blatant excuse for nakama comfort. This will be intense. Possible spoilers for entire series. AU, jumps off from Usopp being stuck on the Bowin Islands.
Can also be found at FF.net here. If you want to comment it will be much loved, and feel free to do so here or over at FF.Net. I've begun to feel increasingly at home here on LJ. Con Crit loved also.
Chapter links (on LJ):
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14,Chapter 15
Usopp wakes up every morning that Saint Iddis's parents are gone with a significant sense of relief. Lady Adel doesn't seem to be either bothered or glad at their lack of presence, instead going about her daily business the same as always. She makes all of Saint Iddis's meals, continues her various sewing projects-all of them something for Iddis-and occasionally gossips about all those people Usopp doesn't know while he's cleaning. Otherwise, she doesn't show much reaction to anything.
Saint Iddis, for his part, is moody.
It's in these days that Usopp connects the request for something Saint Iddis can add to his "collection" with, for starters, the jewels lying in one windowsill. More importantly, Usopp suddenly understands the pile of rocks that Lady Adel, on his first day, had warned him quite pointedly not to disturb.
Saint Iddis, he … well …
He talks to the rocks.
That much Usopp can tell past the fact that Saint Iddis mostly mutters as he moves the rocks around in what look like interactions of some sort. He doesn't quite know what to make out of it, seeing as no matter how lonely he'd ever been, he never went so far as to… talk to rocks. Some dolls or figurines or something, yeah, ones he made himself, but not rocks. Besides, that was only when he was pretty young. Wasn't Saint Iddis always talking about how he was "fifteen, just short"? At fifteen, he'd long ago found people instead-Kaya, Pepper, Carrot, Onion-heck, even the whole village had been something of a special companion for years.
Guess Celestials like Iddis had enough money and pleasure that friends was an out of fashion concept. Maybe the fact that they tended to use people as playthings said it all.
Usopp wonders if Saint Iddis has any friends … has ever had any friends. He almost feels the stirrings of an idea at that thought, before he shakes his head. Not like a Celestial would want to be friends with a mere slave. Besides that, Lady Adel's I am watching echoes in his head then, and he looks over his shoulder, even though he knows she's out personally buying ingredients for Iddis's dinner. Him making friends with her oh-so-noble charge probably wouldn't thrill her, either. If Saint Iddis even took to him that way …
"Tell me about your island," Saint Iddis says without preamble, cutting into Usopp's thoughts and making him jump.
"Er-"
Saint Iddis gives him a look that silently questions Usopp's intelligence. "The island you came from. Y'know, where you lived before? Tell me about it."
"Well, that's a bit … complicated. You see I, uh, hadn't spent much time there recently."
"Why not?"
After a brief internal debate, he supposes that it wouldn't hurt anything to talk a little bit about what he's seen on the Grand Line-just so long as he doesn't get too specific. Saint Iddis seems only barely aware of what goes on outside of Mariejoa, anyway. It gives Usopp a little more to talk about. No matter how much he always talked even when no one was really listening, it's surprisingly wearying to do so once it's made a constant demand.
It also evokes a sort of fondness to talk about his adventures and his crewmates, even if it's all very indirect. He feels pride when he catches the wide-eyed wonder at some of the tales he can spin from their adventures. At other times, when he gets no reaction, he worries that Saint Iddis doesn't like the story he's telling, even though he doesn't think it's any less exciting than any of his other ones.
Later, however, he begins to recognize a pattern. It's when Lady Adel is around and watching them that Saint Iddis acts the most cool. Usopp's not quite sure what it means-whether Saint Iddis is just self-conscious about looking like he's enjoying "silly" things too much, or whether he's aware Lady Adel wouldn't like seeing Saint Iddis so interested, or … what.
In the late afternoon two days before Saint Iddis's parents are due back, Lady Adel heads off to make dinner preparations a bit earlier than usual. For a while, Saint Iddis keeps right on building his long-as-one-of-Zoro's katana jigsaw puzzles. He's been working at it pretty much all day. Just when Usopp's gotten used to the silence, Saint Iddis leaps to his feet and calls to the black-suit man standing attentive against the wall. "You! I've got an assignment for you."
Black-suit man straightens his shoulders. "Yes?"
Saint Iddis puts his hands on his hips. "I'm so bored of that green dish set Adel likes to serve me dinner in. I want you to go to the main kitchens and find a different one and make sure she serves it in that one today." He begins to count off on his fingers. "They're white with a design in red, kinda abstract, and the bowls are deep. The cups are all red glass, no decoration. Plus the plates are triangle-shaped." Saint Iddis thinks for a moment. "That's about it. But don't bother showing your ugly face here again until you've got them or I'll have you fired." This said, he flops back to the floor.
Black-suit stiffens briefly at the threat. "Right away, Saint Iddis," he says, giving a short bow before striding from the room.
Usopp feels kinda sorry for the black-suit, even if he is getting paid for this. Job security makes Usopp nervous too. He double-checks his flapping speed on the giant, leaf-like fan he'd been assigned to back at the beginning of the day, when Saint Iddis had started working on the puzzle. It's so easy he's been dozing on his feet, eyes half-lidded in case Iddis looks at him and wants something. Usopp suspects sleeping on the job is very frowned upon here.
He's just so bored …
Saint Iddis hums once black-suit exits, then he scrambles to his feet. He turns to Usopp with a wide grin, reminiscent of Luffy's I'm-so-proud-of-myself one.
Crap.
"That guy'll be gone for hours getting a dish set like that made up custom …" Saint Iddis looks Usopp over and chuckles to himself, a gleam of a plot in his eyes. Usopp is beginning to suspect that Saint Iddis never cared about the dishes at all. After a moment, the glee lurks only faintly in the angle of Saint Iddis's mouth, and he looks more his normal unimpressed. "Now follow," he says, and moves off toward one of the room's walls.
Usopp debates briefly before figuring there really isn't a choice anyway, so he puts the fan down and lines up behind Saint Iddis. Saint Iddis is doing something to the wall that's making little clicking noises, though he keeps his body positioned just right to block it from view. Without warning, the entire wall slides aside to reveal the landing of a covered outdoor staircase, going somewhere up the side of the tower. The breeze coming in through the opening is calm and sun-warmed.
Saint Iddis proceeds out and up as Usopp stares in amazement. He hadn't even suspected that this entrance was here in the wall this whole time. A rather clever piece of work …
"I said come on, stupid!" Saint Iddis calls from somewhere on the stairs, and Usopp, snapping out of his daze, scrambles to catch up. The Celestial doesn't look back as they follow the staircase winding up the outside of the tower. "Why'd this one have to be so dumb sometimes," Usopp can hear Saint Iddis muttering as they climb. "He looked smarter than this at the auction."
Usopp bristles at that, clenching his hands and jaw before forcing himself to relax. It doesn't matter what anyone says, so long as he stays alive and gets back to everyone. It just doesn't. Not really …
He tries to forget about it.
The staircase heads inward as it begins to go up the tower's domed roof. The roof turns out to be flat on the top, with a short white wall running all the way around a circle-shaped area only slightly smaller than that of the Thousand Sunny's crow's nest. A stronger breeze tousles his loose hair as he emerges from the covered stairway into sunshine.
The city stretches off into the distance, towers and rooftops nearby not quite as high as this one-from here, you can see everything. It all keeps stretching on and on until it vanishes into wispy clouds and haze, making the city seem endless, like the ocean. He turns to the right a little, stiffening at the sight of a much larger building, like an island rising up from the sea of smaller ones. The walls have towers, and towers rise out of the top, until it's towering so high that the clouds hide how far up it really goes.
World HQ … he remembers this being pointed out, briefly, when he'd first arrived.
Saint Iddis is sitting on the edge of the low wall and smirking. "Ready to pay attention yet?" he asks, pulling a familiar tan sack from behind his feet, where it had been mostly hidden by Saint Iddis's long robes. Usopp starts to feel a little dizzy, perhaps a combination of the height and shock, recognizing the bag immediately as the one with all his weaponry and gadgets. The slavers had taken it and he kind of assumed they threw it out or sold it off or something, but now … here it was.
"So it is yours," Saint Iddis says with satisfaction, pulling the sack into his lap and opening the clasp-top. Usopp almost protests, taking a step forward, but he stops himself just in time. Taking no apparent notice of Usopp's slip-up, Saint Iddis rummages around in the bag, picking out and peering at a few of the stars before putting them back, as well opening up the small bags of Pop Greens that Usopp'd been collecting and learning about up till the day he managed to make it out of Glinston. His chance to escape had been mostly inadvertent luck, surprising even him, but one thought of Luffy had left him without hesitation. Perhaps if Usopp'd been willing to hang around longer than a few months, which had been just long enough to start getting tough, Heracles might have come with him all the way to Sabaody after all, but as it was, Heracles simply hadn't been willing to follow Usopp off the island. If he had, Usopp supposes he wouldn't be in this mess, but it was nothing but regrets and lost chances now. He doubts he'll see that strange warrior again … though Luffy probably would have liked his beetle-shaped armor.
Saint Iddis continues: "I've been wondering about the use of this stuff, though mostly this thing they said was your weapon." He reaches down again, to pick up the long green slingshot that had also been mostly hidden by his robes, bringing it up so that it flashes in the sun.
Usopp can't help himself this time. With the crazy view up here, and the sight of his bag for the first time in weeks, he hadn't yet noticed that all-important bit of green, and he's caught off-guard. "My Kabuto! How-er-I mean-" he blurts, before slamming his mouth shut and swallowing nervously. Oops.
"So it's called the Kabuto, huh?" Saint Iddis waves it in a few different directions before sighting down through the curved forks and pulling back on the dial-pocket experimentally. Usopp grimaces and hopes the kid doesn't take his own eye out or something. They'd probably blame it on Usopp.
"Er-should I demonstrate it for you-m-master?" He may never get used to that word, the way he still has to force it. Well, anything to get it out of this kid's hands.
Saint Iddis stares at him a minute, then looks back to the Kabuto, the looks back to Usopp. "I've decided you will show me how it works," he says with lifted chin, holding the weapon out. Usopp slowly moves to take it, but just before he has his hand around the staff Saint Iddis jerks it away. "Don't try anything funny on me, 'cause you'll never make it out of this city alive if you do. Got that?"
He puts it Usopp's hand when Usopp nods in all seriousness. Certainly, Usopp had already assumed that much. No need to repeat it.
Setting the bag on the ground, Saint Iddis shoves it over in Usopp's direction with a foot, then settles cross-legged on the wall. Usopp squats down, trying to decide what to use. It seems like his bag's been looked through quite a few times, because nothing is where he remembers putting it. Finally he settles on an exploding star, but one of the ones he'd been avoiding using since he had to skimp on the explosives when he was making it. He doubts it will damage whatever it might end up hitting, though it probably will make a nice flash and smoke cloud to impress Saint Iddis. …If it doesn't end up going practically out of sight, that is.
This settled, he places it in the dial-pocket. The worry of all the past weeks falls away with the Kabuto back in his hands. It almost feels like something is under his control again. He sighs in relief before resting the staff end on the floor with a satisfying thunk.
"This weapon … well, one shouldn't be fooled by its simple appearance…." He gains more confidence as he goes on, easing into the tone he usually reserves for storytelling, and posing in various ways as he briefly explains the dials and stars he has available for use. He leaves out the Pop Greens though-he's not entirely versed in them. Besides, Saint Iddis is impatient to see some action.
"Ok, ok, I got it." Saint Iddis waves a hand. "Demo already!"
"Oh-yeah, right, right!" He says, and hurries to pull back, taking care to aim so that he can't be mistaken for aiming at Saint Iddis, even if he is mostly facing him.
"No! Not like that," Saint Iddis says just before Usopp releases. "C'mon, turn to the side or something so I can really see!"
Fingers now itching to feel the incredible recoil, ears eager to hear that powerful snap-crack, Usopp whirls his body, keeping his eyes on Saint Iddis for approval. "Like this?"
"Yeah, that's perfect."
Now he'd show this Celestial what he was really made of! "Exploding Star: Mini!" He announces, looking to the Kabuto just as he releases. He can tell the shot is gonna go far, as the wind's not even against him. It will go far enough, even, to reach-
What the-what is the HQ building doing there?
"Ah-that-that was-" The Kabuto slips from his fingers and clatters to the ground at the flash and distant bang, followed by cloud of smoke, that comes from halfway up the wall between two towers of the massive HQ structure. He just … he …
"Wow! You got it to go all the way and blow up the HQ," Saint Iddis says with a cheer, leaning out over the wall in the direction of the HQ, as if that could get him closer to the explosion or something.
"Ah-ahi-" He can't seem to do anything but stammer as he watches the smoke-cloud dissipate into the dream-like haze that lingers over the city.
He hit the World Government HQ with an explosive. He's going to die. He's really, really going to die now. Tears course down his cheeks as hopelessness descends over him.
Goodbye, cruel world … goodbye, eight thousand not-so-loyal followers … goodbye, my beautiful little nose …
"So you pull it back like this, right?"
Usopp stares blankly up at the sky, wondering if he is going to heaven or hell. Hasn't all this been punishment enough? "Yeah … just like that," he mumbles. Whatever. His life is over.
He blinks at hearing another snap-crack, eyes wandering back down from the sky. He's lost it, that's what. He thought he dropped the Kabuto, but now he's firing randomly … guess he's really gonna go out with a bang. Is he laughing insanely? It doesn't feel like it.
Something explodes faintly in the distance.
"Crap. Missed."
Missed?
The fog of despair clears from his mind just enough to register Saint Iddis standing in front of him, facing World Government HQ with Kabuto in hand while shakily pulling back on the dial-pocket.
Snap-crack!
His eyes widen at the sound of another distant explosion, a smoke-cloud billowing up from the smaller buildings off to the right of the HQ. Is that people … screaming?
"Oops," Saint Iddis says, bending to grab another exploding star from the bag now sitting at his feet. "Okay, one more time and this time I'm gonna hit it!"
Usopp holds out a hand in a weak plea to stop, still rendered speechless.
Snap-crack! Boom!
Another smoke-cloud goes up somewhere between them and the HQ. The sound of shouting and screaming grows clearer.
"Oops. Fingers slipped."
Snap-crack-boom!
"I wasn't being serious that time. This one's for real!"
Snap-crack-boom!
"I meant to put it there! Now I'll hit the HQ!"
Snap-crack-boom!
"Ugh, this elastic isn't working right."
Moved far beyond panic and into a strained calm, Usopp nods to himself thoughtfully, with thumb and pointer finger to his chin. Ah, I get it now, he thinks, nodding again, Saint Iddis is an absolutely horrible shot.
The previously peaceful and dream-like cityscape is beginning to look like a war zone with all the billows of smoke going up. A long, low siren begins to wail in the distance and speakers echo out over the city.
"All residents of Mariejois, take cover immediately. This is not a drill. Repeat, take cover indoors immediately. Marine protection now being deployed. This is not a drill."
"Crap," Saint Iddis says, tossing Kabuto to the side, "Now Adel's gonna come check on me."
As Saint Iddis hurries past toward the staircase, Usopp thinks to himself how appropriate it is to die in a city full of explosions. Yeah. At least no one will think he went down without a fight.
"C'mon, stupid, we gotta go!" Saint Iddis returns and grabs Usopp by his collar, dragging him along behind, back down the stairs. "I can't have her coming up here and finding my secret hideout."
Usopp wonders absently how long it will take the Marines to figure out where all the explosions came from and come arrest him.
Closing the sliding wall back up with a slap to some sort of hidden panel, Saint Iddis pushes Usopp to the spot where he'd been standing earlier and shoves the fan back into his hands, which Usopp begins fanning without prompt.
Even in here, he can hear the siren going off and, faintly, that warning announcement. Feet are pounding up the inner staircase, Lady Adel's voice echoing up, sounding alarmed. Saint Iddis flops on his stomach in front of the puzzle, picking up a piece and fitting it in a slot just as Lady Adel runs in the room, skirts flying and chest heaving. "Saint Iddis! Are you all right? Have there been any explosions here?"
Usopp focuses on fanning the fan and trying to breathe calmly like he's been standing around all day, rather than like he'd just been dragged down five flights of stairs by his neck.
Saint Iddis, hand on chin, only sighs and sounds bored, craning to look at the window. "Is that what all the noise is about?"
Lady Adel, wringing her hands, heads to the window and peers out, keeping most of her body behind the wall. "Oh god, I just hope it's not another Fisher Tiger."
"Dunno what you're freaking out about. Sounds kinda exciting to me." Without a flicker of emotion, Saint Iddis places another piece into the puzzle.
"I couldn't bear it," Lady Adel groans. "After the fright we had when that pirate attacked here all those years ago … you only just two … we were nearly killed by that monster … "
A black-suit, different from the one that had Saint Iddis had sent away earlier, appears in the doorway. "My Lady, a marine is at the door to confirm that everything is all right here."
Lady Adel looks out the window again. "It seems like the explosions have stopped." She turns back to the black-suit. "Thank heavens for decent security measures, for once. I'll be there to speak with him shortly, thank you."
"Ma'am," the black-suit nods with slight bow and disappears back down the tower staircase.
Lady Adel crosses the room again, catching Usopp's gaze with a worried one, then looking to Saint Iddis. "You will stay away from the windows, won't you? I'm sure your father would want that."
"Sure," Saint Iddis says, keeping his eyes on the puzzle and still sounding like he couldn't care less about the whole affair.
Usopp stares at Saint Iddis in mild surprise. Maybe he can't aim to save his life … but kinda like Lady Adel, he sure seems to have control over the mood he projects. When he really wants to, at least.
Lady Adel gives Usopp one more look that says "keep him safe" before she hurries off down the stairs.
There's a beat of silence and then Saint Iddis begins to shudder, a hand flying to his mouth to stifle laughter, though it doesn't help much, and Saint Iddis lays there banging his fist on the floor. He rolls over when the mirth has mostly subsided, leaving only laugh-tears in the corners of his eyes, and grins up at Usopp.
"…Mas-master?" Usopp ventures nervously. Stop grinning at me like that, darnit! This is freaking me out!
"That…" Saint Iddis says, still grinning, "…Was the most amazing thing ever. We have got to do it again sometime."
Usopp tries to smile, but he's pretty sure it's more of a grimace.
This Celestial … this kid is gonna be the death of him.
Although the hood of his long green coat is pulled up over his head, Sanji can feel his face slowly freezing as the wind buffets him and Luffy at random intervals. He keeps up a steady pace while Luffy darts from one side of the street to the other, poking his head curiously into doorless entryways, or any door he can actually open without needing to knock it down.
"Hah-lloooo," Luffy bellows into the latest open door, making Sanji cringe a little, before that gives way to annoyance. He wishes Luffy would keep quiet. He can't hear anything else when Luffy does that, and he needs to. There's something creepy about this town, and the way the wind whistles through it. It's just … it's off. He's fairly certain the place has been abandoned by its population, except-
He also has the feeling that someone is following them … that someone is watching.
There's a soft fwump from somewhere behind. Sanji whirls around, but the street is empty. Their footprints seem to be the only ones stretching out behind, slowly filling in with blowing snow. Perhaps that was only a pile of snow from an overhanging roof?
He takes a draw on his cigarette as he watches the street with narrowed eyes, looking for the slightest flicker or shadow to give their stalker away.
Nothing.
"Sanji! I found a restaurant! What're you waiting for?"
Sanji turns back toward the waving Luffy, wanting to roll his eyes. "Oy, this town is abandoned. No one is gonna be serving-"
His idiot captain has already vanished inside. Sanji grumbles and grudgingly follows, looking all about as he does so. Still nothing. If the feeling's still there when Luffy gets finished looking around this building, he's going to see if he can't pin down what it is that's tailing them.
He really doesn't like the vibe this place is giving him, and he really, really doesn't like feeling hunted.
Sanji closes the door gently behind himself. It doesn't completely keep out the cold or snow, since the windows to the place are open square holes in the walls with decorative bars-it's odd again that someone would make a building that way with all this blowing snow-but at least it might serve as a warning to whoever or whatever is following them that they are not completely unsuspected.
Luffy has taken a seat at one of the tables furthest from the windows, where the color scheme of bright blue, green, and white is the least crusted over with ice and snow. He seems to actually be waiting for food, fork and knife in hand, neck craned to look at the swinging doors to the kitchens.
Sanji stares despite himself, and asks what really is a stupid question. "Luffy, what are you doing?"
"I'm hungry."
Which is something he assumes about Luffy, like the fact that his hair is black, so it's not like that answer explains anything. "The whole town is empty; this restaurant's abandoned! No one's serving food here!" He throws his arms wide to indicate the whole icy place, exasperated.
"You're here, aren't you?" Luffy gives him a manically wide grin.
Sanji splutters around his cigarette a moment before recovering and becoming even more annoyed. "You-fine. Fine. But there's probably no ingredients in that kitchen. You'll be lucky to see me bring back anything, even a stupid yellow snow cone."
He marches off through the swinging doors, before Luffy can do anything to annoy him further. He's slightly calmed by the sight of a stovetop in the back room, a small refrigerator, and single door that probably goes into to a dry storeroom. "I don't know why I'm bothering doing what he wants," Sanji mutters to himself with a sigh, but oddly enough, he feels stretched too weary to really fight his captain on the point. He best try and get this over with.
The refrigerator is empty-as he suspected it would be-but in the unlikely event that there are any dry ingredients in the pantry, it would be a waste to leave them behind, so he may as well take the time to check. Not that the Sunny is really low on supplies, but extra never hurt. It isn't like there are any people around here using it, and Nami would appreciate any monetary savings in the next restock.
He strolls toward what looks like the pantry door. Maybe he'll get lucky and they'll even be unopened crackers and jam, or something similarly quick, that he can use to appease Luffy. He opens the door with one hand-
-and stares down a stone staircase that descends into inky darkness. Air warmer than that of the dining area wafts up, bringing with it a smell of sour and dank that reminds him of … of …
Something old. Old and rotten. Kind of like the dungeons where they found Usopp.
He shakes himself. No, this couldn't be like that. Now he really is being paranoid. It's probably just a big pile of half-frozen, badly spoiled potatoes smelling things up down there. An annoying waste, but nothing to freak out about. Still, there could be something in dry storage that would be worth taking, even if most of the fresh ingredients had already gone bad. Bags of salt and sugar, or bars of cooking chocolate, or spices, perhaps-
He discovers a torch in a holder with a quick glance at the side wall, and the coating still looks good enough to burn, so he puts his cigarette lighter to it. Holding the torch out to cast as much light in front as possible, he begins to descend into the dark.
The odd smell gets stronger as he descends, until he finally emerges into an area that looks nearly as large as the Sunny's galley and dining area, though in the weak torchlight it's hard to tell. There's a table off to one side, but once he takes a few steps closer, he realizes it's entirely bare. For a moment, he puzzles on finding nothing but an empty room, until the light falls on a shadowy hallway directly across from the stairway.
For the first time he really hesitates, the stomach-turning memories of finding Usopp nearly dead in a place not unlike this one resurging with a vengeance. Still, a sort of morbid curiosity draws him forward-after coming all the way down here, he isn't about to turn around like some sort of chicken, at least not before he finds out what's giving him such bad vibes. And it could be that he's entirely imagining it.
Step determined, he moves into the hallway, eyes darting left and right as the torch light moves and flickers over rows of bars-cells-and the dark shapes beyond them. If any of the shapes are alive, they don't move enough for him to tell. He stops when he can make out the end of the hall, and tries to peer through a set of bars. Well, it could be a person, sure, but-well, it could be those potatoes with an old blanket over them, too. It's simply too dark, and the light too weak.
"Oy … anyone alive in here?"
A long silence. His shoulders relax a little, before-
"I am."
Sanji whirls, taking an instinctive step back from the tall, burly form he finds standing there. In the beat before he'd spoken Sanji'd gotten warning prickles on his skin, but where did this chump even come from without making a single sound? Shadows stretch and wane in the torchlight, falling particularly dark over the man's eyes. Sanji doesn't recognize the guy. He's no regular marine, at least. The dark material of the man's clothes looks stiff, armor-like, and light-colored fur juts out from beneath it at the collar, shoulders, and wrists.
The man shifts, tugging forward chains slung over each shoulder that clearly have something heavy hanging off the other end, and all the while never lowering his chin. "This is a restricted area. Prisoners are not to be released without express orders. State your purpose, agent."
Sanji notes with a stab of irritation that he has very little room to maneuver. This guard, or whoever he is, is large enough that he takes up most of the corridor, and he's between Sanji and the only way out. There's always the chance that he could kick his way out the ceiling if he had to, since he's not that deep down, but with the potential collateral, it's probably better to play it cool.
Agent, is it?
"I was sent to check on prisoner status … " Sanji shrugs. "It appears the entryway door wasn't properly secured, but otherwise everything else looks good. My superior should be satisfied."
"Status check? I wasn't expecting one, not at all," the guard says. He turns to rattle the door of one cell with a foot, and mutters: "Yes, definitely secure, very secure, quite good."
"Precisely." Sanji puts on his most winning smile, which the guard merely blinks at … he thinks. Still hard to make out that kind of kind of detail, even with the torch held higher. A hand in one of his pockets, he slides on past, doing a little turn that leaves him both backing up toward the exit while still facing the guard. Ah, now he sees what's hanging from those chains-spiked balls slightly larger than the average head. "Well, I'll be sure to let them know everything is secure here-keep up the good work."
Sanji's about to turn back around and make his escape when the guard's voice rings out with a deep, warning "wait."
"Hm?" He's not far from the exit now, almost back into the open room with the table. Keep it cool, keep it cool…
"Were there any further orders, agent?" The guard queries, staying where he is, which gives Sanji some measure of relief. He pauses briefly, as a show of thought.
"Just keep to your post. We won't be checking in for a while."
"…very well, then." The guard nods-maybe. At this distance, he can hardly see him. Sanji turns and strolls toward the exit, congratulating himself for a pulling this off so smoothly.
A giant slab of stone slams down in the doorway, blocking the exit and nearly smashing Sanji in the process. He jerks back just in time, only to throw himself to the side as something large rips through the air where his body had been. Little chips of rock from the stone in front of him sting his face.
As Sanji debates his options and what this is about, the spiked ball that had slammed into the stone is pulled back. As it grates its way back toward the hallway, slow footsteps approach. Sanji still has a grip on the torch, and he casts about for some sort of switch that might get the stone to lift back up. A deep frown on his face, the guard emerges from the darkness of the hallway as he gathers up the last of one chain and slings the ball back over his shoulder.
"So," the guard says, "You thought you could fool me, did you, prisoner?"
Sanji tenses. Uh… maybe he can still talk his way out of this one?
"Prisoner? I'm no prisoner here and never have been. Just look at how I'm dressed!" Sanji gives a little tug on the end of his suit jacket. "Besides, if I was a prisoner, why would I break into the prison?"
The guard bursts out with a single, derisive laugh. "Clever logic, and even more clever disguise. But your mind games won't work on me. You've already said all I needed to know." The guard sets his feet in a wide, ready stance. "Surrender, return to your cell peacefully, and you won't be punished."
"Hell no." He's not sure what he said that's made the guard suspicious, but really, give up? This guy was even more stupid than he looked.
The guard's spiked ball comes shooting his way again, and again he dodges. The table behind him splinters down the middle. Sanji darts forward and delivers an upper-cut kick that gets blocked by a steely forearm. Falling back onto his hands, he barrages the guard's block with his feet, finishing with one last kick to the gut that sends the guard flying back into the opposite wall.
The man lands on his feet, barely looking phased, the chain he had just gathered in his hand fallen loose. He jerks back on it. Pain lances through Sanji's legs as the spiked ball slams into the back of them. The force sweeps his feet out, but he turns that into a roll out of the way of the second spiked ball's downward swing.
You just had to be curious about the creepy dark stairway, didn't you? Sanji grumbles to himself, noting absently that he'd left the torch lying on the floor when he rolled. Just had to.
The guard's faster than he looks on the defense, and his arms are about as solid as Zoro's swords, so even as the fight drags on Sanji still can't manage to get past his … guard and land a good kick to something not covered in armor. Still, beyond a few close-call nicks and that one slam to his feet, getting just enough blood trickling down into his shoes to be aggravating, the guard hasn't done all that much damage to Sanji, either. Sanji's too quick for that, especially given all the practice he's had fending off surprise attacks. There's not a lot of variety in the moves the guy can pull off either, and Sanji only needs to see it once to know how to doge with ease.
It's when he has to squint just to make out the outline of the guard that he realizes the torch lying on the floor is going out. Alarmed, he makes a dive for it, grabbing it up just as the last embers fade and the room is plunged into complete, disorienting darkness.
He has a hand in his pocket when he realizes that taking his lighter to it would only make him an easy target. He dodges to the side on instinct, feeling the slight movement of air as one of the balls rushes past where he'd been a moment before. A long silence follows the ball's impact into a wall.
He pauses, down on one knee. It feels like he's floating in a sea of nothing, his only reference point the floor beneath. Careful not to make a sound, he sets the torch back down. The guard was quiet enough to sneak up on him once-Sanji's not even perfectly sure where the guard last was in comparison to where he himself is now-and the guy could very well be on the move again. If Sanji moves, he could walk straight into the guard, but if he doesn't, the guy could walk straight into him. Either way.…
Slowly, he gets to his feet and backs up until he comes the nearest wall. Staying against it will save him from any surprises from behind, at least. He moves his hand out in arcs as he slinks along the comfortingly solid expanse of stone, hoping he gets a clue where the guard is before it happens the other way around.
He makes it to one corner before the room is filled with a rumbling sound and dim light once more comes from the stairway. It's just enough to make out Luffy in the doorway, standing with one fist pressing at one of the stairway walls, his shoulders hunched.
"Oy, you greedy jerk!" comes Luffy's incensed voice, "You found a super-cool secret stairway and then explored it without me?"
But Sanji almost entirely tunes out the complaint after the first two words, seeing that his opponent isn't that far away and is staring in confusion at Luffy. Taking one leaping step, Sanji twists to slam his heel into the side of the distracted guard's head, ramming the guy into the floor so hard he tumbles head-over-heels at least once. He would have kept on tumbling, except that Sanji follows up with an upward sweep that tosses the guard back the other way, rolling until he hits the wall and slumps limp against it.
About damn time.
Luffy marches over as Sanji retrieves and relights the torch, then checks to make sure the guard's good and out. Sanji notices a ring of keys on the guard's belt and snatches it up. He turns to see Luffy standing with his arms across his chest, tapping one foot and still looking ticked.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sanji says, settling for being long-suffering, since he has other things to deal with beyond Luffy's irritation. "Big fat meanie. As I recall, you were the one that demanded food from me, and this happened to look like a possible storage cellar."
Luffy lets his arms drop. "Eh? There's food down here?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Luffy follows Sanji back into the dark hallway, looking left and right while making quiet sounds of curiosity. The first cell door Sanji tries is unlocked and swings open on completely silent hinges. There's a bedroll and blankets in the corner, still warm. That explains where the guard had come from.
Other than that, most of the cells turn out to be empty, shadows simply playing tricks on his mind. One of them does have some bags of sugar and stale-smelling coffee piled in a back corner, so Sanji makes Luffy carry the sugar, with a firm admonishment not to eat it. Luffy protests with slight insult that he's not that hungry yet, he can wait for Sanji to make something out of it.
At the last cell, Sanji peers in and decides there really is something in there, lying still under a blanket. The smell is stronger back here. He fumbles a little with the keys even though he already knows which one it is. Sounding like it hasn't been opened in ages, the lock unlatches with a grinding screech, and the hinges whine as the door swings open. Luffy follows him in, sandals slapping on the floor. Crouching, Sanji grabs the blanket, and steeling himself, pulls it back in one swift motion.
"That's gross," Luffy says with disgust. "All rotted."
Sanji straightens, throwing the blanket to the side, where it flutters into a heap. "What-this-"
Potatoes.
Old, shriveled, rotted potatoes, so far gone even the roots that had tried to spout became dried and brittle. But no prisoner. No body. No nothing, just … wasted potatoes.
He doesn't know what to think.
"Hey, you're not gonna make us eat these, are you?"
He lights his cigarette and takes a deep puff, before mumbling, "no, you idiot," and Luffy doesn't say anything more. For a long moment, Sanji just stands there staring at the stupid rotten potatoes, mind whirling, trying to make sense of all this.
There were never any prisoners. Nothing to guard. Yet the guy had talked like there were. Like guarding was all he'd ever done here. Seemed so convinced, and yet-
Sanji turns his head and looks behind, past Luffy and the cell bars, out toward the hallway and the "guard" lying crumpled in the dark room beyond.
Even though Nami-san's log pose told us this would be the quieter route … something here is rotten … not just this bunch of potatoes, either.
I want to know what.
To be continued...