"They usually have an escourt drop our whores off..."

That was true. Killer had dug up plenty of information regarding Pinbour Haven, one point being that their prostitutes were typically guided to the base, and picked up in the same place, if they even lasted until then. Despite that, Kid hadn't wanted to spare any of his men, so I had to improvise.

"I had one, but the lazy old coot refused to set foot off his ship. Can you believe it? Probably just jealous that I wasn't made for the likes of him." I huffed, brushing my hair out of my face. "I made it, though. The thrill of getting to spend some quality time with you and your guys gave me the strength to carry on all on my lonesome~"

He's old enough to be my dad. Ick.

The captain's hard stare bore holes into my form, but I held my own, internally relaxing when he finally waved his men to lower their weapons.
"It isn't often we get a whore that's so eager." He commented with a smirk, jowls scrunching. "You're even a day early. No matter, just follow me, Miss..?"

He extended his hand, and I laid my own upon it, as delicately as possible.
"Velvet. Just Velvet, Captain Swailes, Sir. It's a pleasure to be your pleasure." Every single pair of eyes on me were hungry. Raking down my body with no shame, but I couldn't let it get to me.

"She's got nicer tits than that last chick we had." One of the soldiers commented, leaning in to the man on his right.
"Legs, too. Look at them. How much do you wanna bet I can make 'em shake?"

Yikes. The only thing that'll ever make my legs shake is running uphill.

"If you'll follow me, we'll show you to the barracks. Wardzeit, call base and let them know we've got company." I didn't like how Captain Swailes said that last word, but I did as I was instructed, sucking on my teeth as the men made a formation to surround me as we walked.

"So, I hope you have experience dealing with large numbers?" Swailes strode just ahead of me, his back straight and legs stiff, and I scoffed, not wanting to seem too polite for what I was supposed to be.
"Darling, do you really think I'd be here if I wasn't experienced?" The island didn't seem that large, and from our intel, there were only about one hundred and fifty soldiers. I knew for a fact the Kid Pirates had dealt with more than that in one go, so I wasn't worried.

"What's your record for a single night?" Not breaking formation, one of the men to my left wiggled his thick brows in my direction, and I shot him a wink.
"Thirty, and that didn't stop me from walking down the street to the bar when I was done with them. I've never met my limit."

My record is one, out of three, and they were only tiny little blips spanning no more than four minutes out of each night.

On my other side, another man reached to toy with the fur of my coat, his other hand holding his rifle that had been pointed at me only moments before.
"I know you've got a good three hundred men or so to see, but I'll be making sure I'm the one you really remember."

Did he just say three fucking hundred?! Kid, abort mission! Abort! Abort me!

Willing away any visible signs of panic, I turned to look at the man. No, he wasn't a man. More like a boy.
"You're more than welcome to try, sweetie, but I'll be putting my big bucks on your Captain, there. He looks like he knows how to treat a woman."

Up ahead, Swailes chuckled to himself. It was a prideful sound that rubbed me the wrong way, but I could cope. Kid had promised to storm in before I was taken indoors, after all.

More inappropriate questions and comments were flung my way on the trek to the barracks, but I was a tough cookie. A flirt here, a bat of my lashes there, they were none the wiser. By the time we arrived at the razor wire fence line, I was itching to watch them be blown to smithereens.

Razor wire wasn't all that was waiting for me at the barracks. Men. I couldn't even begin to count how many, but I estimated at least two hundred or so, gathering in the long courtyard. Just for me.

Hahaha. I'm in danger.

I had fought the majority of my life to be seen as something more than just a woman. Anything more. But now, standing there, waiting for those heavy duty gates to open, predatory eyes on me and my exposed body, I felt like that was all I was. Actually, not even that.

Swailes took several steps forward through the gate, nodding to a solider who approached and handed him a transponder snail, megaphone attached to its curved shell.
"What a surprise we have today, boys! Here we have Miss Velvet, ready to please! Remember how we do things! Each division gets six hours before pass over! Take a good look, men, and get ready!"

Kid, now would be a good time to bust in and save my juicy ass..!

Motioning for me to start walking again, Swailes took the lead, and I had to kick myself into gear. Slowly, holding my head high, I started my walk of pre-shame, opting to drown out the whoops and hollers of horny soldiers with the panicked screaming in my own head.

"Hey, baby! Over here!"

"She looks expensive!"

"Take it off!"

"I think I've hired her before!"

"Shut up, you virgin!"

"Show us the goods!"

The closer to the looming doors I got, the more I began to freak out. Kid would show up any second, right? He'd promised me. Kid, Killer, Heat, Wire, the whole crew were going to jump out any second and reduce them all to blood and bones. Right..?

I bought a little more time by slowing down my pace, trying to act as though I were paying attention to the shameless crowd of men, each of whom had a deadly weapon at their side. Blowing kisses, throwing winks, there was only so much I could do before I reached those damned doors.

Swailes stopped at the entrance to my doom, turning to meet my eyes with a sadistic smirk as he pulled them wide open, a dark corridor stretching down to hell.
"After you, sweetheart."

My mouth went dry as I stared back at him, my clenched fists hiding in the fur of my coat. They weren't there. Had this just been a trick? A way to truly get back at me for trying to steal from them?

Kid...where are you..?!"

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
***KID POV***

"Kid, I fucking warned you!" Killer hissed out, throwing his elbow out to slam yet another solider rushing him from the side. "It's been well over five minutes! You're an idiot!"

I knew that. How could I not know that? How could I have known that we were earlier than we should have been, and that we would run into not one, but two scouting platoons?

I shouldn't have ignored Killer..!

"Just shut up and get through 'em! You can chew me out later, dammit!" I shouted back, the weight of metal on my arm no match for the weight I felt in my chest.

We should have just charged in like we normally did. Why did I think it was a good idea to send a woman in, all on her own? To test her? That had been the plan, but now that reality was hitting me like a burlap sack full of bricks, it wasn't worth it.

"Oi! Bubblegum and I have them covered, so the rest of you get a move on!" Wire called out from somewhere close behind me, and that was all I needed to hear. Shoving off the three men who were trying to drag me down, I set off in a sprint towards the barracks, Killer and the rest of my guys following close after.

"I'm gonna do more than just chew you out if anything has happened to her, Kid! I might actually kill you!" Killer snarled, more viciously than I had ever heard him when speaking to me, and I grit my teeth.

I might actually let you.

Tearing through the thick brush, we ran as fast as we could until we came upon the gated barracks. We hadn't been trying to be stealthy, so the second we arrived the alarm was sounded, but I didn't care.

Metal fencing was easy for me to get through with my Devil Fruit ability, and once it was down, all hell broke loose. Gunfire, shouting, screaming. It was usually something I revelled in, but not today.

I couldn't see her as I scanned the courtyard, repelling bullets and soliders left and right, and my stomach dropped down to my boots.
"Boss! She's gotta be inside by now!" Heat caught my attention, pointing to the large iron doors of the building, and that was where I headed towards.

"That's Eustass Kid! Take him down! Now!" I'd heard that countless times before. Not once had anyone ever managed it, nor did I expect they ever would. I would have been chuffed to hear that they knew my name on any other day.

"Punk Gibson..!" Raising my left arm, I was barely conscious of my magnetic compulsion, weaponry and scraps of the fence flying to cling to my already heavy arm. Without even caring to check just how much I had amassed, I slammed it down into the pathetic bastards who dared to stand in my way, Killer leaping forward to finish off any stragglers who managed to survive it.

Repelling the doors, sending them flying off their hinges and down through the empty corridor, I rushed through, my boots skidding on the slick floor.
"Kid, I-"
"I know! God fucking dammit, I know! That isn't what's important now!" I snapped, spinning to face Killer, who was tense at my side.

"I was going to say I remember the freakin' layout! Upstairs and hang left! That's where they should have taken her!" Killer responded with equal venom, and I recoiled under his aggression.

Oh...

There wasn't any time for apologies. We started running at the same time, but Killer pulled ahead of me on the stairwell. He had always been faster than I was, and it was a good thing. What right did I have to save her after putting her into this situation anyway?

We both slammed into the wall as we rounded the corner, but didn't let it hinder us. If there had been anyone inside, they were either avoiding us, or had already rushed out to be slaughtered by the others. If that was the case, then maybe luck was on our side.

"There! Fifth door!" Killer pointed one of his scythes ahead, and I glared at the door, internally threatening it to give us good news on the other side, or else, as if it would have helped.

I was ready to kill when we busted down that door, but the moment I saw what was inside, I froze up. I never froze up.

There was (Y/N), knees closed and feet outward, on the floor at the end of a large bed. Pistol in her quivering hands, she stared wide eyed at something other than us, every breath she took causing her entire body to shake. The red fur coat she had been wearing was pooled around her hips like blood, another similarly red substance pooling mere inches away from it.

That particular red was seeping from what used to be the in-tact head of a man, laying still and lifeless on the ground. A man who I would not have even hesitated to rip apart far more brutally if he had still been alive when he had gotten there.

Killer reacted first, slowly approaching (Y/N) and holding his hands up, even though she wasn't even acknowledging his existence. She was just staring at the man she had shot dead, as though he would spring back to life at any second.

"Shit...(Y/N), I'm sorry..." Killer lowered himself to his knees beside her, reaching to take the pistol from her hands. She tightened her grip when her head suddenly whipped around, but the moment she began to focus back on reality, that was when I truly began to hate myself.

"I...tried really hard...b..but I couldn't let him touch me any more..." She whispered, voice hoarse and scratchy. "I...I thought maybe you w..weren't coming, s..so I just...I'm sorry, I...broke character...I shot him, a..and then everyone started yelling outside...I...Did I screw up your plan, Kid..?"

I'm a fucking monster.

Killer gingerly took the pistol out of (Y/N)'s hands and started to inspect her for any injuries, keeping one hand firmly grounding her by the shoulder. One of her bra straps had been snapped, and I could see bruises in the shapes of hand prints starting to form upon her skin. She was bloody, too, but there was no telling yet whether it belonged to her or the man she had killed.

"Don't you dare say sorry, okay? You're gonna be okay. What did he do to you? You need to tell me so I can help you, (Y/N)." Killer was obviously seething with unadulterated rage, but he was keeping himself steady. It was more than I could have ever hoped to do. Usually, I would have flown into a fit of violence, but all I could do was stand there, looking down at what I had caused.

Are you happy now? Look at what you've done. You're pathetic.

Instead of answering Killer, (Y/N)'s (E/C) eyes turned to mine, swelling with tears. It made my stomach flip and churn.
"Was...I good enough..? Did I do a good job..?"

I couldn't answer her. All I wanted to do was let myself fall to her level and apologise to her, to tell her that she was good enough. To tell her that I was the most disgusting creature alive to have ever put her in a situation like this.

Killer took over the situation in my stead, pulling (Y/N) into his chest and smoothing down her hair.
"You did an amazing job, and you'll never have to do this again. We promise." He soothed, using his free hand to pull the coat up and around her before lifting her with him as he stood up. "I'm getting you out of here. You've been through enough."

He was cutting me to ribbons with his hidden glare, and I took it willingly. When he pushed past me to leave the room, I took one look at the fresh cadaver before picking up the discarded pistol and following after my partner. If he even still wanted to be my partner after this.

Killer kept (Y/N) close to his chest upon exiting the barracks building, and Wire rushed up to us the moment he noticed, the rest of the crew dealing with the remaining soldiers. They had done well to cut so many down in such a short time.

"Is she okay?! Oh, the poor sweet thing..." He fussed over her cowering form, but didn't go to touch her. He knew better when he could see how we were carrying ourselves.
"I guess alive is all we can be thankful for right now. I'm going back to the ship." Killer brushed him off and continued on, and Heat turned his attention to me.

"Boss, we've almost finished them off. Did you wanna go start collecting the gold, or..?" He shied away when I looked up, and I had to bite down on my tongue to avoid saying anything other than a direction.
"Kill every man you see, and bring the gold back to the ship. I'm not dealing with shit right now."

The pasty man stammered his understanding before leaving me to follower after Killer, who didn't even bother looking back to me. What was I even going to do when we got back? I was going to be the last person she wanted around her, so why was I ignoring riches in favour of staying by her side? It made very little sense to me.

Because you're a guilty fucker.

Complete silence engulfed us, even once we arrived back at the Victoria Punk. I just tailed Killer as he sat down on the deck and cradled her in his arms, moving to sit a distance away. (Y/N) was no longer conscious, but in the dimming light I could see tears streaking her face. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach.

"Kid...you're my brother, and I'll always follow you...but you're a fucking idiot..." Killer finally spoke, voice still brimful with anger. "I am too. I shouldn't have just rolled over and let you talk her into this as easily as I did..."

I know. I'm more than just an idiot.

Slowly, cautiously, Killer lifted the fur of the coat that was covering (Y/N)'s lower half, releasing a short sigh before covering it again.
"I can't see any bruising, so I don't think he got...that far, at least..." He murmured, his helmet settling against her messed hair. "Hopefully she's just in shock. She may have killed before, but I doubt that she's ever shot someone at point blank range. We can only pray that's the extent of it..."

It doesn't matter. Either way, this is my fault. It could have been even worse than this.

Even in her unconscious state, (Y/N) buried into Killer's touch, a weak, shaky breath struggling through her throat.
"Paulie..." She whimpered, almost too quietly to hear, and my nails dug into my bare arms.
"Aren't you going to say anything? I know you're already beating yourself up, and you fucking should be, but are you really just gonna sit there with your lips zipped shut?" Killer growled, his protectiveness over the small woman on full display.

He's better for her than I am right now. He always will be.

"When she comes to, she can take as much of the gold as she wants and leave, if that's what she chooses. I ain't forcing her to stay here any longer..." I spoke quietly, unable to draw forth any of my anger towards myself, or the men that had a hand in doing this to her. Not yet.

"Of course that's all you have to say..." Killer scoffed bitterly, standing and readjusting the girl so her head was supported by his shoulder. "I'm taking her up to the infirmary to check her out. Do whatever you want, Kid. You always do. We can talk more when I'm not about ready to slit your damn throat..."

I just watched him leave, eyes unable to tear themselves away from her horrifically small form, so weak and vulnerable. What was wrong with me? That was one of the things I hated most in the world. Weakness. Why did I feel so disgusted with myself seeing you like that? Why did I want to fight God himself to turn back time and beat the very idea of this stunt out of my stupid, cocky head?

Biting down on my lip, so hard that a burst of copper flowed down into the cup of my jaw, I threw my fist out and smashed the wall behind me, splintering it straight through to the galley.

She's gonna leave, and I can't blame her. If I managed to hurt her like this, what else would I end up doing if she stayed..?

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
***No, it wasn't to that extent. She was able to blow Swailes' brains out before he got that far.

I just watched One Piece: Stampede for the first time. Did I nearly cry when Killer got stomped on by the big dumb bad guy? Yes. Did I actually cry? I'll never tell. (Yes. I'm an emotional wreck at all hours).

Have a lil stressed smonking Killer to lighten the mood.

Next Time: Avoidance***