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A Dance for Two

Eighteen – Eighteenth Error

Law watched Bepo's gaze narrow at him as they crouched behind some sort of black rubber conveyor belt, gathering their wits together after they were shattered earlier by Mr. 1's sudden appearance.

"You should really take those out," Bepo said, nodding at him sagely as if that was the only thing required for Law to know what he was saying. Law blinked for several seconds before realizing where his right hand had subconsciously gone. His fingers were fiddling with the golden hoops in his right ear, spinning them through his earlobe as he thought deeply about what they should do next.

Law sighed; he should have known. Bepo often bugged him about his earrings, and he always gave his bearish friend the same answer. "They're a reminder of what I was, what I am, and what I never hope to be, all in one. They have a lot of meaning, Bepo. Besides, it all ends here."

"That's what I hope," Bepo grumbled. "I don't know what you're planning to do next. How are we going to get to him first when Kidd's already ahead of us?"

"Trust me, Bepo. Crocodile's not stupid enough to put himself into an enclosed space. He'll make sure he has lots of tricky escape routes. We just gotta figure out where the crocodile's gonna come out of the sewer…"

"Easier said than done," Bepo whispered. "Could be anywhere! Do you have any idea how long I spent trying to find you?"

"Don't worry, I've already figured out where…" Law trailed off, pointing his chin to their right. "Unless he's going to escape this place by air, he's going to have to get a vehicle. And that right there, Bepo, is an attached garage full of cars. Chances are this is where he's going to end up if he needs to flee the scene."

"You seem sure of yourself," whispered Bepo.

"This is no place for doubt and uncertainty in this sort of situation. Which is why I want you to stay here. I'm going on ahead."

"Even after all that's happened!?" Bepo cried. "B-but–"

Law withdrew the gun he had hid away, flashing it in front of Bepo. "I'm going because I have to, because Crocodile won't kill me. He may try like he did in the past, but–"

"Crocodile left you to die in that room!"

Law shook his head. "No. If he wanted me dead, he could have killed me several times. But he didn't. And I'm willing to bet my life on this: I can kill him, but he can't quite bring himself to kill me."

"Why?"

"Does it matter why?" Law leapt to his feet behind their cover. "Bepo, let's go. There's nothing to gain by staying here. Unless you want to be left behind to guard the entrance."

Bepo met his eyes, steely determination on his face. "Which is more beneficial to you?" Law felt his jaw go slack. "It's better if I stay behind, right? I can't run as fast as you, and I can't climb things either. Plus you said yourself this is the escape route he'll most likely use. So I'll stay here, shoot him if he comes this way. But I know you feel like you have to do this on your own."

Law blinked back his emotions before they could blur his eyesight. "Bepo…thank you. I'll see you in a bit. Count on it." And then he forced a smile and left their cover, as staying any longer would only waste valuable time.

Truthfully, continuing by himself was a relief. He had been more than glad for Bepo's sudden appearance, but now that blood had returned to his brain he was thinking how horrible it would be if Bepo had gotten hurt. He didn't want to see Bepo hurt. Bepo was his brother in arms, sure, but that didn't mean Law wanted Bepo fighting where it was dangerous.

As he ran through the warehouse, ducking around corners and hugging walls with the warm steel of his gun in his palm, Law flexed his body and found that his limbs had become numb. He knew his thumb was wrapped around the trigger of the gun, but he couldn't feel it. How was he going to shoot Crocodile if he couldn't feel a thing?

The adrenaline was getting to him and, when he realized this, his vision became clearer and he became aware of how stiff his body really was, how far he had pushed himself. He had made it to the back of the warehouse, in a final cavernous room where steel machinery towered above him and gears of various sizes glittered in the faint light coming through the dusty windows. He lightly made his way forward, conscious of the metallic clinking of the loose grates under his sneakers. He heard footsteps and voices and hurried to a row of strung up hacksaws along a wall, blending in between them and a stack of steel tubes.

His hand holding the gun trembled violently, and he steadied it with his other hand, when he caught sight of Kidd. He was close enough to make out the details of his jacket, but far enough away to be rendered helpless when a shot rang out. His heart sunk as he saw Kidd drop to the ground, and rose again when he realized Kidd had merely ducked. The white gaseous steam rising from a long cylindrical container behind him had been hit instead.

He refrained from calling out to get Kidd's attention, instead blowing his cover by standing up to take aim at the brownish shape that his gut told him was his target.

He fired his first shot in the direction of Crocodile just as the ground started shifting. He wobbled with the backfiring of the gun and moved amongst the plates of metal that trembled as the factory's machines came to life. His eyes darted around the metallic landscape, picking out Kidd's bright red hair amongst all the brown and black and dirty chrome. From the looks of the panel near Kidd, this seemed to be part of the man's original plan before he noticed Law's presence.

Watching Crocodile go tumbling to the ground from his perch on an overhead belt that carried metal tubes to be soldered and assembled would have been priceless had Law not found himself under attack. Overhead hooks and mechanical arms grabbed the nearby tubing he'd been using for cover and spun them around closer to his head than he would have ever liked.

He flattened himself to his stomach, eyes up to see Kidd start towards him, alarm on his pale face. He saw Crocodile get up from the ground and make a lunge for Kidd before Kidd registered the movement, and watched as Kidd was flattened against the cylindrical container of gushing steam, denting it further.

The gleam of Crocodile's golden hook gave Law more than the shivers and he hesitated pulling the trigger just enough that the gun went off nowhere near either Kidd or Crocodile. He cursed and scrambled to his feet, very much aware of how Kid appeared redder than usual.

He did not want to think of the brutality of Crocodile's hook or the blood gushing down Kidd's face, only how he was going to end this and fast.

Since his aim was terrible, he decided the best course of action would be to rush Crocodile and shoot him at point blank. Sans bullets unfortunately was not a factor in this plan until he pulled the trigger on the gun only to find none of the usual noise and kickback.

It wouldn't have mattered if he'd managed to get in a shot at the man's head; he was too shaky now to point the gun straight anyway. He was bound to miss. The adrenaline had worn off upon seeing Crocodile's angered face. Now he felt paralyzed with the same fear that he hadn't felt since the incident in the cellar. The skin on his back crawled and his limbs suddenly weakened, gravity intensifying.

"Heart!"

That irritating euphemism for his name grated his fried nerves and he blinked the fogginess from his eyes. Kidd was calling out to him, and his legs automatically drew him closer to the man pinned by Crocodile's equally formidable figure.

Law threw himself at the two of them, bringing the barrel of the useless gun down on Crocodile's shoulder, as he moved his head away to avoid a good slugging. Kidd lost his footing as Law took their enemy off balance, and Law realized why Kidd's face was one of anguish when he saw the point at which the two men had connected. Crocodile's hook was sunken deep into Kidd's left arm.

He knew how shark Crocodile kept his hook. He'd felt it slice through his skin like a hot knife through a stick of butter, and he could only imagine how excruciating being hooked by the man would be.

As they fell together in a heap, Law positioned himself so he had a knee on Crocodile's breastbone and a hold of Kidd's arm. He used the momentary leverage to rip Kidd free, but at the cost of getting a heavy blow to his cheek from Croc's good arm.

Kidd staggered away clutching his arm while Law covered his bruised jaw and let out a long wheeze at the pinching pain. He could tell it wasn't broken, at least not yet. Crocodile had set on him, all snapping maw and furious eyes.

"You little shit!"

Law kicked at the man's stomach, trying to inflict damage while simultaneously trying to edge away from the man and his dangerous claw. Crocodile grabbed his tattered jeans and pulled him in, using his hooked forearm to hold him down.

"Should have finished you when I had the chance," snarled the man. "But you're done for now, Pet."

He punctuated his sentence with spit that barely grazed Law's cheek but stung all the same. Law went for a last resort headbutt, but Crocodile pushed him to the ground just as he began to rise and reared back for good measure. "Stupid boy, I would have left you alone to run off with your tail between your legs, but not now."

The heavy gold of the hook bore down on his chest and he gasped as he felt the point jab him bluntly through his clothing. He knew his skin hadn't broke, but the pressure was building and he couldn't squirm away fast enough. The hook was bruising his side…

A red blur and Kidd had knocked Crocodile off of him with a blow to the head. Law used his legs to propel him away from there and watched as Crocodile staggered to his feet and the two froze, each waiting for the other to take the bait and dive in.

It was Crocodile who started chuckling that chilled Law's blood.

"Don't think you're doing anyone any favours, Eustass," he growled. "You're just as dead as he is."

Kidd snorted, looking down at his arm. The blood ran steady, as did the blood from the wound on his head. It dripped down around his eyes and continued down his cheek, red tears that dripped off onto his neck. "Don't think a little flesh wound's gonna kill me, bastard."

Crocodile's chuckling deepened. "Maybe not, but a little poison will…"

Law gagged, his tongue a toneless waste of muscle. No wonder Crocodile was so calm. In his eyes, he had already killed one of them, the physically stronger of the two. It was only a matter of time before Kidd dropped.

Kidd himself didn't even appear the slightest bit fazed. Then again, Law had learned Kidd's face rarely revealed what he was really thinking, and seeing Kidd charge at Crocodile and throwing his full weight at the man was not something that Law could have predicted. Crocodile landed on the conveyor belt, Kidd on top of him and fighting to stay that way.

Law didn't think, climbing up on top of the moving belt with them.

He doubled the effort emulating Kidd's actions, trying to disarm Crocodile. Literally. Law went straight for holding Croc's arm down, and felt himself grow pale when he saw Kidd's hand, the one attached to his injured arm, and forcefully yank the hook from Crocodile's body, while at the same time injuring himself further.

He smelt the crude odour of the poison, so strong he could have tasted the air and thought himself infected.

Crocodile snarled in rage and threw them both off. Law fell off one side of the conveyor belt while Kidd rolled off the other side backwards and out of sight.

Law landed on his back on the cement, his head up enough to avoid the worst of the fall. His eyes met Crocodile's, and as he thought the man wobbled to his knees and made to come after him.

He was the one that hadn't been affected yet, and thus the one to kill.

Instinct made him stagger to get away, and he broke into a run to put distance between them. There was no clear cut path, and everything was a chaotic mess of moving parts, screeching gears and the occasional stack of concrete blowing red hot steam loud enough to deafen Law. He did not look behind him, for over the clatter of everything else he could hear the devil's cursing and heavy breath as he pursued Law. The path narrowed and Law found himself climbing back up onto dangerous equipment, blind to the safety bulletins and fencing that had sectioned off machines. He was halfway up his second level of fencing when Crocodile grabbed hold of his ankle. In one furious tug he was sprawled out before the greasy haired slimeball, close enough that he could make out every stitch mark that ran across his face.

There was no lofty, triumphant grin, only a burning hatred and steely determination to dispatch of Law, with no more mistakes made.

As the stub of an arm wrapped around Law's throat and choked him, Law opened his mouth and then remembered his resolve to never beg for his life. He shut it firmly, biting his tongue. But there was no way in hell he was going to give up. Not this easily.

He struggled and kicked, landing a couple blows to Crocodile's shins until at last Crocodile brought him to the ground where he had no leverage to use to his advantage. His mouth was filling with blood, some amount he had no idea the quantity of, only that the sharp tang was all he could taste and indicated that he'd either choke on his own bodily fluids or from air deprivation. The black haze that set in around his vision and the faintness he experienced made him think one of the options was more likely than the other.

He squeezed his eyes shut and focused on trying to conserve the last bits of oxygen in his lungs, experiencing his the fear of drowning. He hadn't felt that fear so immediately since the night where he'd jumped in Kidd's pool unthinkingly. The reminder was a broken flashback in which his mind scrambled even further before throwing the bits and pieces to the ground in defeat.

All of a sudden, he felt Crocodile drop him in a heap. He sucked in air. At first it made no difference, but the more he heaved the more he started to come back, and he turned his face so it rested on its side. The cold metal of the humming machine they were perched on felt delicious on his cheek.

However, what he saw next stole the precious air from his lungs again, and he knew why Crocodile had dropped him.

Kidd had the man locked in his grip, but the entanglement was short-lived. Law could do nothing but watch as Crocodile redirected Kidd's weight and fed him into the machine's teeth.

He knew then that horror movies were hardly accurate.

Kidd fell below his field of vision, but he had seen and heard enough to know that Kidd's arm had been shorn clean off. His gut twisted and a combination of disgust, anger and sadness bubbled up inside of him. Crocodile's raucous laughter filled his ears.

"Now you look just like me, Eustass!" he bellowed. Over Crocodile's voice Law could hear Kidd's agonized groaning below them. He was afraid to look, not knowing what gruesome scene he would see before him.

But first he leapt up and knocked Crocodile from the top of the machine, watching him land hard on the concrete below, far out of reach.

His gut tore him in two different directions.

He was the one who was supposed to kill Crocodile. But then what of Kidd? Crocodile's beady eyes watching him dive over the side to get to Kidd. He slipped in the puddle of red beneath Kidd, kneeling and peeling off his sweater. He thought Kid had fallen unconscious, but some movement of the man's eyelids and muttered swears assured him he was still alive.

He took the sleeves of the sweater and tied them around Kidd's neck with the bulk of the sweater pressing against the wound. If only he could stop the bleeding better…

He could see through the machinery and the fence where Crocodile was. The man seemed to be staring at them as well through the fence. Law made the most hideous face, and as Crocodile moved off, he furrowed his brows in surprise.

No, he's fleeing, thought Law angrily.

The bastard was fleeing the scene like last time! But why? Law wasn't dead yet…or was he so insignificant that Crocodile didn't have time to deal with him now that Kidd's fate was sealed?

He smelt the smoke around the same time Kidd's bloody hand touched his cheek. He looked down into Kidd's wide open eyes, his pupils shrunken in and his skin unbelievably pale.

"I…set fire…to the breaker room," Kidd wheezed, and Law could tell he was fighting off nausea. He seemed to get control of himself and grasped Law tighter. "There's…propane tanks next door."

Law had taken enough chemistry classes and lived a life of common sense to know what that meant. "We have to get out of here, Kidd."

Kidd grunted but didn't stir beyond that.

"C-can you get up?"

Kidd's eyes flickered to his face and then to the fence they would have to scale. Law wasn't sure if there was true recognition of what they needed to do in those hollow eyes.

"I'll carry you?" Law whispered. Kidd's eyes settled on Law's face.

Law got a grip of Kidd's side, one arm around his back and the other around his front, and tried to lift him. A flicker of hope was sparked when he realized Kidd was trying to get up, leaning most of his weight on Law.

"Come on…" Law muttered, "You can do it…"

"There's…another way around," Kidd growled through tightly clenched teeth.

Law looked, taking in his surroundings. He hadn't focused on them before, having eyes only for Crocodile and Kidd, but there was a narrow path to their left. They would have to pass sideways through it.

Once Kidd was on his feet slouched over onto Law he seemed to regain more of his strength, taking a few staggering steps sideways. With Kidd's weight shifting Law found himself bracing himself and putting all he had into steering them both.

At the pace they moved along at the path seemed to Law to be never-ending, and when it did finally end and he looked back to see the trail Kidd had left in their wake. He knew Kidd needed a blood transfusion, and fast.

They came upon a wide area of concrete Law recognized from before. Crocodile's presence there shocked him, and he knew that masked bandana man anywhere.

"Killer!" he breathed. He continued forward with Kidd. He knew the way back to Bepo, and with Bepo's help he knew they could get out. But Killer was blocking the exit and trying to keep the scaly lizard from breaching it. He was armed with what looked to be two machetes attached to gauntlets. Crocodile eyed them warily, and glanced over at them when Kidd and Law approached from Killer's side. Blood dripped from the stump where his hook had been. He still had the same cocky air he always did, like he was going to win no matter what Law did.

Killer was without his sunglasses for once, and Law could see the concern in his eyes and in the way his forehead wrinkled. "Get Mr. Eustass out, I'll stay here."

Law knew now was not the time to ask Killer how he was even alive, and so tugged Kidd along through the gap Killer made for them. Crocodile said nothing, and Law had so many evil things he wanted to say to that man that he almost hoped Killer wouldn't murder the man with his knives.

Instead all he could say to Killer was, "Kidd says there's a fire in the break room."

Killer cursed, and Law took it that Killer knew they had limited time and carried on. By now Kidd's stream of muttering had ceased and the adrenaline in his muscles was starting to lose out to the blood loss he was experiencing.

This wasn't how Law envisioned this going. This was all wrong.

He reached Bepo or, rather, Bepo reached him. Kidd had fallen unconscious, his weight becoming too much for Law to bear. He sunk to the ground on his knees, trying to keep Kidd propped up.

"H-he needs an ambulance," Law wheezed as Bepo ran up to them. "Get him out of here Bepo."

"What happened!?" Bepo cried, looking over Law with hungry eyes. Law knew he was covered in blood, probably looking like he was just as much injured as Kidd.

"No time to explain, I'm fine, give me your gun," Law managed to grind out. "Or can you not carry him by yourself?"

"No, I can carry him…" Bepo trailed off as Law viciously snagged the gun from his left hand. "Law! Is he there?"

"Yeah. And I won't miss this time. Just get Kidd out of here, Bepo. This place might blow up…"

He didn't allow Bepo enough time to stop him, and knew that leaving Kidd in Bepo's care was the best thing he could have done for the both of them. Bepo would get Kidd out of the hellhole, at the same time ensuring his own safety. Bepo didn't have the nerve to leave a dying man on the ground to go after his best friend. Law knew now he had potentially saved two people.

Law followed the trail of blood back to Killer and Crocodile, coming upon them locked in close combat. Crocodile was trying to turn Killer's knives on himself, and Killer was working to impale Crocodile with them. Law got the gun ready, pointing it to the ground. He couldn't shoot with Killer right there for fear of hitting him. He waited close by for his opening, hoping Crocodile hadn't noticed him hugging the wall yet.

Dark smoke was billowing out across the roof, and Law coughed some from his lungs, trying his hardest to remain concentrated on his target when his nose started to burn. Whatever the fire had been set on, it had caught quickly and was spreading even quicker.

Crocodile pushed Killer to the ground with one powerful blow using all his weight, and Law saw his opportunity to shoot. He raised the gun to eyelevel and fired it, aiming for the center of Crocodile's chest.

The impact was immediate. Crocodile reeled back clutching his chest, and Law saw the blood run out closer to his heart than he could have ever hoped. Hands shaking, he lowered the gun and went about trying to get the next shot ready. Meanwhile, Killer leapt up and froze, unsure if Law was going to fire the killing blow or if it would fall to him to dispatch the man.

The moment of hesitation between Law and Killer, unsure of what the other's intentions were, proved to be enough time for Crocodile to dart past Law and begin running in the direction of Bepo and Kidd.

And the garage full of cars, Law thought, his heart sinking.

They might have made a fatal error. Kidd was up ahead, and Bepo, and Law didn't know if they would be alright with Crocodile coming their way.

He took off after Crocodile, Killer right beside him. The blond's armaments jingled and creaked as they ran, the back of Crocodile's greasy head never far from their sights.

"I'm sorry – I let him – get by," Law panted with every footfall.

"Shut – up," Killer said. He sucked in a deep breath and shouted, unbroken, "If he escapes there's no telling if we'll ever be able to catch him again!"

Law knew what meant. His evil subconscious had been waiting years to see Crocodile again. To give him the full burden of what he deserved. Crocodile was not going to escape. They were gaining on him.

"Give me the gun!" Killer cried. "I can shoot him down!"

Law slowed slightly to safely pass the gun to Killer, who took it and sped up. Law caught sight of Bepo hauling Kidd ahead of Crocodile.

"Bepo! Look out!"

Bepo turned at the sound of his voice, wobbling a bit as Crocodile came at him. But Crocodile was gone just as soon as he'd come, and though Bepo's knees gave out Law was incredibly glad nothing worse had happened. He stopped by Bepo to help him back up. Kidd was thrown over his back, still comatose. Killer raced past in pursuit of Crocodile. Law was done, there was nothing he could add to the fight. He could only play the doctor and get the wounded off the battlefield with Bepo.

Together they carried Kidd back to where Bepo had gotten into the warehouse. Law's mind wandered, wondering what was happening on Killer's end.

"It's not that much farther," Bepo kept mumbling. He said that again within the next couple paces, Kidd supported between them. Law knew Bepo had a strong stomach for accidents…but even this would be getting too much for him. He had to be just about at his limit now.

"How are we going to get an ambulance?" Law wondered aloud. He knew that was to be figured out when they knew they were safe, but the nagging question kept pestering him. "I'm not letting him die out here!"

The smoke was thick when they reached the door, and Law held Kidd up while Bepo fiddled with the knob to get it open. The sunlight beamed down on them as they stumbled out into the sand. They both took a moment to get their bearings, and it was Bepo who pointed and said, "Look!"

Law blinked at the black and white blotches that dotted the sand and the ants that surrounded them. Cars and people. But not just any cars and people, they were uniformed.

"The police?" whispered Law. "Oh, hell."

They didn't have to walk much farther, as the police officers set on them like their police dogs would have. Once it was determined that they were indeed not the enemy, and that the pale man between them was indeed Eustass Kidd, Law found himself empty handed and looking back anxiously at the warehouse door.

"There's a man of Mr. Eustass' still in there," he told one of the police officers. "Long blond hair, wearing jeans…he went after Crocodile. Crocodile's looking to escape through the garage entryway…"

He watched the man stalk off to tell the others, and hoped that the policemen that had already gone inside would recover Killer quickly. He could feel Bepo's heavy hand on his shoulder and turned into him, only to find Bepo was no longer wearing the same outfit.

He looked up and his face paled. "Ace? What the hell?"

Ace's freckles beamed down on him. "Apart from looking like a Dalmatian, you look like you're alright…"

"Ace!" The man enveloped him in a great big bear hug and squished him into his chest so Law felt all of his mild injuries anew. "How did you get here?"

"I was already here," Ace muttered. "And when I got out thanks to that Eustass guy…I got the police to come here. I had Smokey's personal cell number of course. But Law, I was so worried. They told me they had you too…my gut said otherwise, but…"

Law drew back to look at Ace in full. He swallowed, his mouth dry. "You look like you've been tortured…"

"It wasn't as bad as it looks now," Ace said, looking away. He had bruises down his jawline and his hair was matted to the point where it looked like it had to be shaved off. His clothes were dirty and rumpled, and Law had no doubt they hid more bruises beneath them. "Living with Luffy toughened me up for this sort of thing…besides they lost interest in me after they realized I was the wrong guy. Plus I told them I was HIV positive, so they were too scared to draw any blood. I'm a bloody good liar."

"Still, I feel terrible for getting you dragged into this," Law whispered. "If only they'd taken me instead of you, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Yeah, but you would have been dead for sure," Ace replied. "I'd rather have my partner alive and my body a little bruised instead of having you dead in the sand."

"I'm just so glad you're alive," Law muttered.

"I don't know if I can say the same about your client though…" Ace muttered. "He's on his way to the hospital in Smokey's cruiser, but it didn't look good Law."

Law nodded, rendered speechless as the gruesome images flooded his mind.

"I can't believe he got hurt like that," Ace mumbled. He locked eyes with Law. "Wow. Did you ever strip for the wrong guy."

"I should have gone to the hospital with him," Law said. "But I–"

"What's that?" Ace asked suddenly, cutting him off. Law followed his gaze to the large column of black smoke that had emerged from the back of the warehouse. Law could hear a faint sizzling, almost like the frying of bacon.

It's going to blow up, thought Law, and no sooner had he realized that when a flash blinded them all. The deafening boom and resulting whoosh of air knocked them off their feet and flung sand all over them. A smaller boom followed the first, and Law opened his eyes to see the tsunami of sand come at them before squeezing them shut and feeling the impact sting his skin.

Ace was on his feet again long before Law, and pulled his friend up. "Holy shit."

"Yeah," Law breathed, his feeble voice lost to the aftermath of yelling ones, giving directions, trying to count up people, and generally just taking stock of the explosion. "Killer…"

"That was an explosion straight upwards," Ace said. "It blew out the roof, but look, the sides are only a bit damaged."

"Do you think Killer's alive?"

"What?" Ace asked.

"He saved my neck…a few times now," Law explained. "He was still in there when I got out…"

"…I don't know, I'll go see what Smoker says," Ace told him. "You should get out of here, go to the hospital. And for the love of God, Law, get rid of that gun in your pants. I know it's in there."

"You do?" Law squeaked.

"Yeah, I know your package pretty well," Ace said with a wink and a cheeky smile. "It's not exactly the size or shape of a .9 caliber gun."

"How should I get rid of it?" Law wondered absently.

"I dunno, you're the brains here," Ace said. "See that guy headed to that car? Albert's going to write up a report from Eustass' perspective, so tag along with him and see if the guy's even okay. I'll look out for your friend, I heard your description of him earlier."

Law just looked at Ace with exhaustion, and Ace pushed him in the right direction. "Go. Knowing you, you've done enough."

"But, Bepo…?"

"He's over there talking to the officers."

"And Crocodile…"

"Let it go, Law."

At last Law nodded and caught up to the officer Ace had pointed out. He had specks of grey in his black hair and a few wrinkles, which furrowed with surprise as Law jogged up. He pointed back at Ace, "He told me you were going to the hospital."

"Yeah," muttered Albert. "Smoker's orders. We've got more guys coming to the scene, and an explosives squad. We can't do much else until they get here. Get in the backseat and don't mind the cage."

Law hopped in and shut the door, the hard seats a relief after all the running and standing and panicking he'd been doing. He sunk into the fabric, marveling at how he had managed to end up in a cop car after all of this. It seemed surreal, all that had happened. His mind had been moving so quickly through everything, so the lull in action driving away from the scene came as a shock to his system.

He found his head drooping, and every time it did he jerked it back up and stared out the window. But there was nothing to see but swirling sand, and his mind was so drained that thinking about Bepo, Ace, and Killer, those he had left behind, was impossible.

His head continued to slump forward, and after so many times trying to keep his chin up, he finally succumbed to fatigue and let his head fall.

A.N.: Back from the dead with another terrible chapter that has not been edited! My apologies. Also, sorry about the arm thing Kidd, don't take it personally but it had to come off some time.