Skin head, dead head

Everybody gone bad

Bang! Bang! 

~ Shot dead ~

Everybody's gone mad!

All I want to say is that, they don't really care about us...

❌

You can never kill me!

~~~

~~~

The voice that answered was familiar, faintly accented with humour.

"Why are you sneaking around?"

"Who said I was sneaking?"

"Last time I checked, people didn't have the tendency to hide themselves behind vases and walls unless they were spying on someone." Killer lightly chuckled. "Trying to avoid a certain someone?"

I froze. "I don't see anything bad in it."

"That's no fun. Go confront them." The blond murmured.

"Ha! I'm about as intimidating as a butterfly!"

"Fine. I won't bother you. Though, I must admit, those friends," he pointed down to the first floor. "They are funny. Especially that Straw-hat guy."

"You mean, Luffy?" I chimed, having a lacklustre smile.

"Yes."

There was something serious in his tone that made me think for a second. The silence disappeared as quickly as it appeared, me being the one who cut through the dispatched feeling.

"That' s not all you wanted to say, isn't it?" I sounded anxious, but still firm.

"Unfortunately, no." He leaned on the wall, grasped his long hair and yanked it away from his broad shoulders.

"Y/n, from this point on, we don't know how things will turn out. Our future is uncertain. The plan. The operation. People we trusted were killed. Right now the number of allies is rapidly decreasing while the number of enemies is soaring."

My muscles in my face tightened, while my heart galloped. "Are you even allowed to share this with me?"

"No. I'm doing this out of my free will. There's a lot that you don't know and I–"

"Took pity on me, huh." His body stiffened at the remark. The mask disabled me to read his emotions and predict the blonde's moves, but no matter the lack of genuine perceptions, I knew the truth.

His silence confirmed my speculation.

"Y/n, don't forget. We are bad guys too. Just because Doflamingo is on the scene, that doesn't mean we are any better than him. We kill for power. Those friends of yours share the same opinion, as you will soon find out when you reconcile. Dangerous is only one of the words that describe us. I guess... that's why I am explaining all of this to you."

I dwelt his words, the big picture escaping from me whenever I manage to touch it. My head hurt. People I had known before the truth, were again changing. Strong whirl of emotions splashed my insides and I would have left right there, if Killer didn't decide to continue.

"I don't intend to speak on Kid's behalf, but he's feeling trapped. While he can't lie to you about his brutality and the blood-shaded past, he also doesn't want to confess." Killer dropped his head. "If he hears me saying this, he will surely kill me. But he...he is trying to convince himself that there is more to his character than just a mere murderer. Kid is desperately struggling to obtain an image of a protector, so he could ease his mind and simply be with you."

I inhaled a sharp breath.

"I noticed right away your feelings for him. How you looked at him. The same goes for the boss.

This is my warning to you. When the time comes where he'll notice the deception that he has built for himself, he is going to do anything to push you away.

If you are ready to fight against his consciousness, then you will have to be persistent as hell."

"You are not against it?" I quietly murmured, while I frantically forked my hair.

Killer's mask abruptly towards me as he chuckled in a low voice. "Against it? I was like a silent Cupid for you two." He lightly shrugged. "I mean, it is a bad timing and strange circumstances are forming but... I can't do anything about that."

I felt a bit relieved knowing that something cut through the silence, a mild noise of shutting door saved me from my yet to be stutter.

"Well this is my cue to leave. You should quickly head downstairs. Those guys were bickering for a good hour."

"You could hear them?" I asked.

"No, but I suppose. That lawyer seems as someone who can get pretty easily pissed off."

Before making a sharp turn to the exit, he yet again called out for my attention.

"Talk to your friends, Y/n. Trust will be the most important thing from now on. Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be left with important matters.

You know, our self-destructive plan will be one hell of a ride."

~~~

1 2 : 4 6      [ 2    h o u r s   b e f o r e ]    
N o   o n e's   P. O .V.

"Now..." When the doors slammed the boys knew the shouting match was on the horizon. Marco faced the dark, polished surface and addressed his younger siblings in a belligerent voice.

"You three-" He formed a firm grip on the handle as a sweat drop slipped down his pale face. "I strictly told you not to step on the territory."

Fires of fury and hatred were smoldering in the narrowed, hooded eyes, his mouth agape while his teeth were clenched. "Wasn't I clear enough?!"

Ace, having tighter bonds with the male than the other two guys, was astonished and felt a strange urge to apologize. However, only a strong grip and a shake with the head from the blonde, discouraged the raven from his intentions.

"Do you know what you did?! You officially sealed the deal with the most infamous mafia groups. Without a single discussion before-hand with me!" The male forked his wild, untamed hair as they followed his long-legged strides. The steps echoed through the empty room, making the atmosphere even stiffer than it initially was.

"If I were the only one involved, I would be fine with it. Pops knows what I signed up for. But you? You aren't even legally adults! Just bunch of kids!"

"We had to." Sabo said dryly, desperately and in agony leaning his head on the intertwined fists.

"Had to? HAD TO?! No, you DIDN'T HAVE to do that!" Marco spat, the veins on his forehead standing out.

"And Luffy. You moron. You deliberately put your friends in danger! What if your involvement caused the absolute jeopardy of the entire plan?! I understand you respect Shanks, he is indeed a good man, but even he would be against such a reckless decision." His anger caused him to become out of breath. He sighed before shanking his hand in disapproval. "Boy, you have really disappointed me there."

Luffy was quiet, barely even looking at the brother. He alienated himself from the outside world, probably because the sudden labelled tag as the main cause of all problems made him rethink his rash decision. A deep frown washed the male's face, a trait that was highly unusual for the always cheerful persona, as he lowered his head.

"You want to know where you stuck your noses? Here!" Marco took out his anger on the papers, brusquely throwing them on the table. "Drugs, murders, weapons, slave trafficking." He sat on the chair, directly facing them and meanwhile smirking at their bewildered expressions as they set their eyes on the evidence-pictures. "Way gorier than from what you have heard before, isn't it?"

Ace fiercely grabbed one of the photos and examined the content of it. His pupils grew larger and larger until his mouth slowly went agape as he grabbed the whole pile and shuffled the pictures one after another in disorder.

The raven's hands were shaking, while his skin turned white as chalk. Ace's eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise.

"This is no joke, guys. No matter what, you are minors. Back away from the unnecessary trouble before it is too late."

Sabo couldn't help but to arch his eyebrow and gradually raise his chin up. "You aren't threatening us with Pops. Is it because...He doesn't know?" When their eyes locked in real attention, the confidence from moments ago evaporated. But it was soon replaced by a nonchalant, almost burning-neutral expression.

"That's none of your business. Pops can't, under any circumstances, be bound or connected with the mafia. He is a well-respected man and any bad shade on him would turn the citizen's trust to ash. "

"You will retreat then, am I right? You aren't going to put your life on the line...Right?!"

"Sabo... ." He sighed, while training his stare on some invisible spectra, his heavy eyelids a fraction too slow to blink. "This is beyond my control or my field occupation, it's not just law and politics anymore. It's war. You wouldn't understand."

"And Y/n is caught in it. It is not fair!" His disagreement resulted in a loud chair crash, quite quickly , f an abrupt slam to the desk followed.

"Do you think I don't know?! That I don't fucking care?! She is practically my sister!" Marco shouted. "From being abducted to cooperating with them, it really must have been hard for her. So that's why you should stay from this. As far as possible. Let the adults handle this." The last part turned into a plead, his desperation visible.

"But what about police?" Ace asked. "They came to our school. With her poster. The teacher told us she just took a short break due to her health issues and the rumors quietened down. But after their visit, we all knew it was a lie. Why aren't they helping out more? And why..."

"Why are they so much patrolling around the school and her home? Why not spreading the reinforcements elsewhere?"

"Didn't you listen to Eustass Kid? Trafalgar Law?" Marco winced with his face turned away to the gore documents. "Doflamingo. He is the route for all these accidents. The fire in the mansion, the posters, the police... Shanks disappearance..." His voice trailed off.

Luffy clenched his fists at the mention of the redhead. "But why didn't she tell us anything.. Why didn't Y/n ask for our help?"

"Probably because she was scared to put you in danger. Who can blame her? There are still two weeks before she legally becomes an adult. And then, there is no telling what will happen."

Sabo only nodded, deciding not to interrogate the brother any further about that topic. Though, a red-underlined word caught his attention.

"Heyer?"

"Hmm?"

The young blonde pointed at the particular information.
"Something about the drugs was earlier mentioned, but what does that mean? This... This name? I've never heard of it before."

The lawyer let out a slow controlled breath and attempted to loosen his stiff hand, where his fingers dug into his flesh.

"I'm not the person you should ask, due to being extra confidential. But if you want to know all the gruesome details...Then..."

He leaned his head on one side, his expression darkening.

"You'll have to seal the deal... Officially."

"Fine."

"Understood."

~~~

To be continued ...