Title: Of The Sky

Author: auspizien

Pairing: Zoro x Sanji

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. All of it's characters, plot and witty humour belongs to Eiichiro Oda.

Summary: AU Set in modern-day. For the past four years Sanji has been stuck in the bottom of Impel. He'd been tested on, experimented with, and tortured in every way he thought possible. But when he escapes and runs into a certain green-haired man he finds that the evil of Impel runs deeper than he could possibly imagine...

Chapter 1

"If you were born without wings,

do nothing to prevent them from growing."

- Coco Chanel

Sanji looked up at the ceiling, his vision blurry. Through the haze he could see the fuzzy shape of a light shining down on him and the movement of something to his right. He moved to sit up and found himself restrained. Jerking his leg, he found them both bound securely, as were his arms, and the rest of his body. Leather straps tightly secured him to the table, even a strap across his forehead and chin kept him from moving his head.

Panic began to rise and he tugged desperately at his restrained wrists – the leather merely cutting deeper – the feeling of warmth trickling down his arm confirmed that the had broken skin. It took him only a moment to realize that it had finally happened; it was his turn.

"Let me go! Let me the fuck go!" Sanji yelled at the two men looking down at him, "I'll chew through this fucking leather and kill you!" He jerked his wrists roughly, "Fucking let me go!"

One man roughly grabbed his jaw, thumb and fingers painfully digging into his cheeks, he clamped his mouth shut tight, unwilling to comply, even as the pain increased.

"Open your mouth, you little cunt."

Sanji shook his head as much as the straps would let him – gritting his teeth – refusing to let them have their way.

Something cold was pressed against his neck, and there was the click of a button being pressed before he opened his mouth and screamed – pain lashing down his veins – his body desperately trying to jerk away from the pain, but was lashed down tight by the leather.

When the electrical current was shut off he couldn't find the energy to fight off the hand which grabbed his jaw tightly and forced his mouth open. He barely was able to concentrate on what the other man was doing. The edges of his vision blackening as he was slowly losing consciousness.

A plastic tube was shoved into his mouth and partially down his throat and he thrashed, struggling desperately to spit out. His body still wasn't responding; after the shock, and how weak he already was, his fight was useless. Sanji took rapid breathes in through his nose, still trying to gag up the plastic.

Through his peripheral he could see one of the men pick up a large needle, pushing the syringe until a few drops of liquid oozed from the top. He flicked it a couple times before setting it down and picking up another, repeating the routine. The other man was busy checking through all the needles already secured into Sanji's arms as well as the intra venous sacks hanging around him.

Sanji's eyes widened as he stared down at the dozen or so IVs that were injected into him. Each tube had a different colour solution within them; from neon greens to vibrant blues, blood reds and bright oranges, to supple purples and pasty blacks. All were slowly draining from the intra venous sacks hanging around him and into his body. He tried another desperate jerk, but none of the needles were even close to being dislodged.

The man returned with a large beaker of murky white solution and began to pour it down the tube, when Sanji felt it begin to trickle down his throat he renewed his efforts. Trying desperately to cough up the tube only made it worse, and it wasn't long till he was unable to draw any air into his lungs. The liquid was cutting off all oxygen, he thrashed as stark panic began to claw at his innards. He couldn't die. Not like this. Tears of exertion poured from his eyes and pain pierced his chest as it was deprived of needed oxygen.

His eyes rolled back into his head, darkness engulfing his vision, just as the tube was roughly torn out of his mouth. He was left to gag on the horrible tasting liquid before he was completely claimed by unconsciousness.

~X~

Sanji was snapped awake by the feeling of his shoulder colliding with the stone floor, his lethargic body sliding uselessly on the rock as his skin was easily ripped. He lay there, blood flowing from his wounds, limbs unresponsive and his eyes barely focusing ahead of him.

There was the clanging of metal and click of the lock. So, he was back in his cell?

The stone was cold against his skin, but it helped numb the throb of his wounds. He let out a tiny sigh and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds that had lulled him to sleep for the past four years. The sounds of fellow captives in their cells; screaming out as nightmares shook them awake, or pained cries as they under went transformations or failed tests.

Shuddering breathes; so loud in the dank cells that they echoed easily. Each man, woman and child – huddled alone in their cell – nervous exhales wracking their frames as they wondered when they'd be taken for testing. Each person listening for the dreaded foot falls of a man walking down the hallway, praying to whatever god they had that they would not be chosen.

The screams from upper floors echoed down as other captives were tortured, or tested on – it was always difficult to tell which was which. Machines constantly whirring up above, a light hum that was ever constant and sickeningly reassuring that everything was the same as when you had gone to sleep the night before.

Sanji vaguely wondered what time it was. Or what day. Month? Year? It had been four winters, that he knew for sure. The lower cells hardly defended against the temperatures of the world outside. How he desperately wished to go outside, just one more time. Then he would easily accept death. He tried to open his eyes and found them too heavy to follow his command.

It was then that he felt it; his breathing was quiet and small, his body barely moving with each tiny breath, his heart beats; that were so loud in his ears, were so tortuously slow, and his body was the best it ever felt, completely relaxed, devoid of pain.

Was this death?

A small, weak sob wracked his body, his regrets slowly piling up in his mind. There was so much he had yet to do, wanted to do. And this was it? The end? Goodbye? A regretful tear slide from his closed eyes.

His old life had seemed so dull – too normal. And there had been a time when he'd have given anything to have adventure. But now, that life seemed truly the best gift of all, and he'd give his hands, his legs – anything – just to go back for one more day. One last day to walk down the sidewalk of busy suburbia, bump into fellow pedestrians, smell the noxious gas of passing motorists, go for coffee at the local café. Things that he had taken for granted were now the utmost luxury.

Sanji let out a heavy sigh and shifted ever-so-slightly, trying to ease some of the pressure on his bloody shoulder. A sharp twinge of pain shot up his back and he grunted quietly. Seemed like he'd also injured his back somewhat. He tried moving again to ease both back and arm, but the pain only doubled.

His eyes snapped open, and he took in a shuddering gasp, hand gripping at the skin just above where his heart should be. Each thump he felt in his chest felt like it was pumping something foreign into his body, a hot liquid that burnt his insides. Spreading farther with every beat of his heart. As he stared at his arm and he could see each beat of his heart, the skin pulsating.

His body emanated pain, skin feeling like it was being torn away from his muscle, and his bones aching, as though each one was being put under incredible pressure. His spine and shoulders ached the most, the bones feeling like they were about to break.

Barely managing to pull himself up onto his hands and knees, he panted with exertion as he stared at the ground in horror, body trembling. There was something inside him that wasn't him. That wasn't supposed to be there. It felt so inhuman and wrong he wanted to claw at his skin until it left him. Whatever he had ingested – whatever that liquid was – it wasn't meant to be in a human.

Electric fire pumped through his veins reaching every part of his body. It corroded his bones, gnawing and chewing on them like a starving mutt; it wound itself into his muscles, squirming and nestling deep like slimy maggots, and his skin began to sizzle and itch, as though he was being cooked alive. With each passing second it fused deeper into his body, and as Sanji felt it begin to pierce his organs he doubled over and retched violently.

Barely supported by his elbows, he held himself up, body quivering, the foul taste of acid in his mouth as he took in deep, shuddering gasps. His body was covered in a heavy sheen of sweat, and a thick strand of the white saliva infused concoction trailed from his mouth. Blinking several times, he focused on a black stone on the floor, trying to gather his thoughts.

After vomiting, the pain had seemed to diminish somewhat, and he was able to take in much larger and calmer breathes. His whole body continued to throb with pain, but it was bearable. Just as he felt reassured that the worst had passed and that he had survived the bastardized experiment – a small tingling could be felt at the base of his spine.

It slowly travelled up his spine becoming more painful the higher it climbed, inching further and further up each vertebrae, the pain growing the further it travelled. It reached the base of his neck and a sudden pain lanced through his head; with a final pain riddled scream he slammed his head forward on the cold floor, knocking himself unconscious.

~X~

Sanji blinked tiredly, staring at the filth coated cement floor that he was so accustomed to seeing. After years of waking up and seeing that same floor it had become a somewhat bittersweet sight. Part of him took comfort in the notion that he was still in his cage and alive, and he hadn't been dragged off to be tested on, but another part mourned the sight, knowing that he was still trapped inside the dank hell and that he hadn't managed to die during the night.

As he moved to push himself up, he froze. He felt different, his entire body felt different. The pain he had experienced the night before and all the wounds that had accumulated felt better. He looked down at his arm and gasped.

He stared down at his once malnourished, skeletal arms that seemed to have undergone fast muscle growth overnight. Skin looking healthier than it had in years, muscle which had long ago deteriorated had formed again and he found himself filled with an inexplainable energy.

Sanji pushed himself onto his feet staring down at his body which looked like it had before he had been brought here – looking as strong and healthy as it had 4 years ago. Testing out his arms and legs he found movement to be an easy task where as before walking had been somewhat of a challenge. He let out a laugh of both amazement and disbelief.

He twisted and felt something twinge on his back; like a muscle that was stiff, or a scab that had just formed. Sanji reached back tentatively and touched his shoulder, freezing in horror as his hand met the unusual lump that should not have been there. It was soft, but even the light pressure he put on it hurt. As his hands explored as much as he could with his arms bent backwards he soon discovered two bulbs that had grown until they covered his back entirely, each one taking up half the expanse.

With each movement he could feel the skin stretching and whatever was inside seemed to squirm and writhe with life. Whatever that was on his back – that had grown overnight – wanted out. His stomach began to tighten at the feeling and he soon found himself once more on the floor, coughing up the remnants of gastric acid in his stomach. Besides that, his stomach remained empty, and he found himself dry-heaving.

The sensation slowly passed, but he remained on his hands and knees, head beginning to swim from nausea and pain. Frowning, he blinked as he concentrated his focus on the floor. Like a piece of gum stretched too far, he could feel the skin on his back slowly give out. The seconds ticked by, seeming like hours, as he bit his lip waiting for the moment.

In a sudden jerk, the skin tore, ripping apart and falling away from his back, as the two things emerged from his back. A liquid that had been in the bulbs splattered out, drenching him and everything around him. He remained curled up on his knees, biting his lip as pain ripped through his body. His entire back stung, now raw and bloody from having all the skin torn away.

He heard voices and struggled to raise his head to look up the two scientist out in the hall, one with a camera and the other, a clipboard. They were muttering to each other as one was furiously scribbling away on his clipboard.

"Bastards." He managed through gritted teeth.

He remained on his hands and knees, body shaking in exertion and pain, drawing in shaking breathes. Whatever it was behind him, he could feel them, like any other part of his body. The joints felt cramped and he could feel the cold air of the cell on them.

Casting a tentative look over his shoulder he froze.

The appendage came into his vision; a large, grotesque wing that was easily larger than himself, was slightly expanded, and with a quick glance to his left he saw the other matching one. The large expanses were covered in feathers that were drenched in a sticky liquid. The same liquid which was currently running down his back, and that had been in those weird pods.

Sanji tentatively imagined stretching them and on cue they followed his command. Both wings, which had before been folded behind him, stretched up and out high above. Spanning as much as they could in the cramped cell, the feathers on the wings having strands of the liquid strung between them, the sticky substance dripping from some.

He flapped them experimentally, flicking some of the substance off of them. With a few more flaps the wings looked remarkably cleaner – although they still had a thin layer of the pink goo – and they appeared to be a brilliant white underneath.

Sanji pushed himself to his feet – a little unsteadily due to the sudden weight ratio that was affecting his body – but nonetheless upright, before casting a glare to the men outside who watched him seriously. The one had completely forgotten his clipboard as he watched Sanji with something close to awe. He ignored them and turned his attention back to the wings.

The crowns of his wings were easily over his head, and the tails dragged lightly on the ground. He reached out tentatively, touching one. The feathers felt natural, albeit wet and sticky, and his mind felt the touch to the wing. As he continued to massage the feathers and the muscles in the wing the pain slowly started ebbing from his body and he found himself becoming calmer.

He pulled his hand away sharply, shaking his head lightly, it was too weird, trying to process these sudden feelings. In his mind he had always known each appendage with a casually familiarity, but now... Now his brain processed these sudden attachments as if they had always been present. His nervous system seemed to have expanded, and it felt all too natural. A fact that was unnerving.

The cage opened with a clang and two Blugory entered – the official bodyguards and muscle of Impel Down – they came toward Sanji, their blue cloaks swishing ominously and their electric wands swinging menacingly from their belts. Sanji took a step back as they neared.

It seemed the experiment had been a success; but now where was he being taken?

A hand roughly gripped his wing, and he hissed sharply at the Blugory, before one of the sharp electric wands was brought down sharply on his arm, giving him a burn. He struggled further, trying to wrestle out of the men's grips, until a stronger current hit him and left his muscles weak and spasming.

Sanji was bodily dragged out of his cell and off down the hall. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings as he was carted off, but much of his thoughts were still a jumbled mess from the electric shock. It was like attempting to put together something that kept jumping and moving around and he could never hold on to one piece for long.

All the hallways looked similar, metal siding that had gotten blackened and tarnished with blood over the years, and occasionally there was a door behind which screams were partially heard. Sanji could only imagine the testing being done to others in this wretched place.

They enter a rickety elevator that reminded him of something out of a horror movie and he giggled. The shock still seemed to be affecting him somewhat because he found that once he started he couldn't quite stop. This whole place was like a horror film, worse than any he had seen by far, but the fear that had engulfed him body and mind upon first arrival was now gone. After months of enduring fear that was physically painful, everyone eventually succumbed to the knowledge that they would eventually die within these walls. His time had unfortunately not come yet.

As the metal grates slide closed the elevator rose toward the higher levels and Sanji's giggles finally ceased. And he just hung limp like a doll in the men's arms as they awaited to reach the desired floor. With a sharp ding and a jolt they came to a stop, and the sliding of steel on steel rung out as the doors opened once more.

Sanji was dragged along several more dazingly similar hallways until he was brought to a rusty door which looked like all the rest labelled; 5907. It was unlocked and he was hastily brought inside.

He was deposited on the floor and continued to stare off into the distance, his thoughts still not quite wanting to return to any semblance of order. A sharp clack and a cold tightness around his ankles brought everything back together in full clarity far too quickly. Sanji stood immediately and glowered menacingly at the men who were coming toward him with cuffs for his hands and neck.

It seemed their experiment had worked, did that mean this was his new room, where the real testing would now begin. One man brandished a long wand, the end crackling with electricity. Sanji immediately shied away from it out of pure animal instinct of not wanting to experience the pain again.

When the men attempted to cuff him he reluctantly let them as he watched the wand with a nervous eye. The men finished and back away as Sanji snarled angrily, baring his teeth and lashing out at them with his wings. They backed away rather quickly and Sanji smirked lightly.

The chains jerked to life and were pulled taught; his arms were stretched up and at an angle so his entire body was exposed. His wings swished back and forth ominously behind him as he awaited whatever they had planned.

A sudden icy blast hit him from behind, water spraying and washing away all traces of the weird goo from his wings and back, as well as the blood that had been due to his torn skin. The power of the spray stung his sensitive wounds and he jerked angrily, trying to arch away from the source of his pain. He hissed as they seemed to sense his discomfort and only turned it up stronger, blasting the cold water at his injured skin. His teeth dug sharply into his lip, blood running down his jaw.

His back soon became numb and he could hardly feel the pain nor the icy water, and he just let himself hang from the chains as they cleaned any and all filth away from his body. The main blasts shifted to his wings and Sanji watched the pink tinged water swirl around his feet and flow away to go down a drain.

The spray eventually stopped and he was unshackled. He was thrown a pair of clean pants which he hastily put on before he was immediately shackled again; hands, feet, neck and wings. A Blugory grabbed the chain attached to his neck and lead him out of the room like a dog. He followed reluctantly knowing that if he struggled he'd just be shocked and potentially strangled by the chain on his neck.

There was only so much struggling he could do before it wore himself out. And while it was rewarding to make them have to work every step of the way to make him do what they wanted; he had just received a bath and clean clothes, things that he hadn't seen for nearly 4 years. So just this once he was going to be somewhat obedient.

As he was guided down various hallways and up stairways, he actually took in everything. It was the first time he had been so far away from his cell in years. Mostly he had just been taken to the testing floors where he'd been given shots and weird experimental foods before being sent back. But up here, even the air smelt cleaner.

They stopped outside a pair of large double doors. The guard punched in a series of numbers, and then air hissed out from the door, before a series of mechanical locks clicked, and the doors swung open revealing a room like nothing he'd ever seen.

It had to at least be the size of a couple football fields, and the roof was almost just as high. It made him wonder again how big this facility really was. He entered and noticed that he was not alone; other Blugory stood around at other test subjects watching them with wands raised at the ready.

There was an area not far off that looked like an equestrian riding course and a horse was making its way through it – or what appeared to be a horse. On closer inspection the horses head was replaced with the torso of a man. Sanji stood frozen on the spot as he stared at the weird creation.

Was this the result of some of the experiments?

He looked around and spotted a man whose knees bent the opposite way. A woman's face on a lionesses body. A leopard with bipedal abilities. A wolf with anthropomorphic features. A bull with some transplanted human limbs. And even a man that had strange giraffe like features.

He had to forcefully tear his eyes away from the abnormalities that were beginning to make his stomach churn. The inhuman creations were almost beyond what he could imagine. Was this the extent of what Impel could accomplish? Was there even more complex creatures and experiments hidden in this place?

Sanji muscled down a shudder and forced himself to stop thinking about it as he was lead over to an area that seemed more devoted to aviation and height capabilities. Large posts of varying heights were positioned in random order with small square platforms at the top of each – Sanji had to crane his neck to see the top of some – they must have been at least 30 meters high. Additionally there were high bars and nets of the same heights.

The Blugory took off his shackles before leaving, all except for one who remained by his side with another one of those menacing electric wands. A rather funny looking man with a lab coat and a clip board approached Sanji, flipping through his notes. His curly hair was dyed an odd blue, and his feet looked a little to large to be normal.

The scientist pushed a button on the top of his clip board and began speaking to himself.

"Subject No.19114109; Aviation Unit. Regular injections of endolymph[1], testosterone[2], biphosphonates[3], and teriparatide[4]. As well as daily anti-biotics. Vitamin C and D supplements triple normal GDA. And..." The man flipped a couple of the pages over and tapped something written hidden from Sanji's view, "Epidermal infusion of cDermo-1[5]."

The man walked a circle around Sanji and he noted the name tag said Dr. Indigo. Sanji quietly snorted as he found the name oddly fitting. Indigo finished his circle and came to a stop in front of Sanji. "Says here you've had regular injections to stabilize your vestibular system to accommodate your recent appendages. Also says you've had several other medications for cognitive and muscular enhancement. Sound correct?"

Sanji just stood and stared, he had honestly only understood a handful of the words this man had said. The confusion on his face must have shown because an annoyed tick started near the man's eye. He abruptly pushed Sanji's chest, Sanji stumbled but recovered and watched Indigo carefully.

"Equilibrioception[6] seems adequate enough." Indigo spoke to the clipboard and didn't seemed fazed anymore, "Subject is able to walk and move with relative easy, no overbalancing or movements equating to improper weight distribution." He checked something off before grabbing a handful of feathers and harshly yanking them out.

Sanji winced but restrained himself from doing anything. Attacking and being troublesome to guards was one thing, but attacking a doctor or scientist was a one way ticket to a world of pain that he didn't feel like being part of at the moment. Indigo made a small noise and checked something else off, "Nociception[7] seems fine. How have you found them so far? Movement easy? No cramping?"

Sanji shook his head, "No problems."

"Subject admits to proprioception[8] being of proper standards. Testing should reveal any abnormalities or irregularities resulting in termination."

Sanji frowned at 'termination', he didn't like it nor did it make him feel comfortable in the current situation. What would they be terminating? Him? His wings? Fuck, they probably would kill him if he was just a failed attempt. Then they'd fill his cell with another poor sap to undergo the same treatment.

"Alright," Indigo tapped his clipboard with his pen, "We're going to do some basic equilibrium and kinaesthetic testing to see if your wings will actually be able to allow you to fly. The first post should prove as a fair scale to how operational your wings are."

Sanji turned toward the post that Indigo had mentioned and just stared at it for a few moments before glancing back at the scientist, "What exactly am I–"

"Test your current strength. Jump to the top. You may use your wings if you can."

The post looked about seven meters tall and there was was no way he could jump that high; no one could. No matter what injections or medication they gave him; it was just simply impossible. But he supposed that if he didn't try he'd probably get hit with one of the wands he heard crackling behind him.

Sanji sighed in resignation, rolled his shoulders and unfurled his wings. He beat his wings experimentally a few times, finally free of his cramped cell to be able to test the limits of his wings. There expanse was astounding, easily twice his height. With just a few flaps he found himself already feeling weightless; his feet coming off the ground ever-so-slightly. Maybe he could do this? Bouncing on the balls of his feet he quietly psyched himself up while assessing what he was about to do. He supposed that he might as well try and see how high his wings could thrust him. Running full tilt at the pole he stilled himself as he neared.

Kicking off from the ground with all his might and instinctively snapping his wings down he launched himself at the top of the pole. With the added force of his wings he felt himself practically thrown toward the top platform, and he flailed before he bodily hit the trunk a few feet from the top. He immediately wrapped his arms and legs around the pole not wanting to fall from such a height and break his knees.

Sanji chanced a look behind and couldn't quite believe he had just jumped to his current height. With a couple flaps he managed to get on top and he stood for a few moments glancing around the room. He had a much better view of all the other prisoners from here. Some had actually stopped and turned their attention toward him.

The Blugory below looked a little in awe and Indigo was merely smirking happily as he scribble away on his clipboard, he was also murmuring something into the microphone, but Sanji couldn't quite make it out. He let out a relieved sigh, for now it seemed like he had done something right.

"Alright," Indigo announced, his clipboard now tucked under his arm, "Now get down."

Sanji looked down at Indigo skeptically, "How?"

"Jump, fly, fall. I really don't care; just come down." Indigo smiled maliciously, "Be careful not to hurt yourself though. You do know what they say about a horse with a broken leg."

Now standing on the top and looking down he felt his previous nervousness come back and hit him full force. There was no possible way he could fly, and this height would undoubtedly hurt him. And Indigo's threat was bouncing around the back of his brain. If he fucked himself up would they put him down like some animal?

Sanji sighed resignedly, he supposed he might as well try. Maybe he would surprise himself like last time. After all how hard could flying really be? He just had to flap his wings, right? He took a deep breath and stepped off the platform the same moment as he beat his wings.

Flapping definitely slowed the fall and for a moment he thought perhaps it wouldn't be too hard. But maintaining a constant, steady beat of his wings was harder than he thought and when one wing pushed down a little too hard he completely overbalanced and fell the last couple meters to the ground.

Not able to recover well because of the bulk of his wings he landed on his side, crumpling one of his wings underneath himself. He rolled over onto his stomach and off of his wing giving a groan of pain.

Fuck, that hurt.

He remained face down, not wanting to get up nor be forced to try again. A large gloved arm gripped his bicep and he was yanked to his feet by the Blugory. Sanji sighed irritably as he was shoved toward the expectant scientist. The shock was delivered once more and Indigo informed, "Alright, now try again."

Sanji scowled at Indigo as he stalked past and made his way to the post yet again.

~X~

After what seemed like hours Indigo finally seemed convinced that he would make no more progress with Sanji, so he was dragged off to be returned to his cell. He had never looked forward to his cell before, but now he wanted nothing more than to curl up in his cage and sleep.

The cage was unlocked and for once he was not roughly shoved to the ground. Instead they let him walk in by himself before locking the door. Sanji snorted quietly, before making his way over to the far wall and taking a seat on the cold floor. It seemed that now that he was a success they were going to be a little more gentle with him. Fucking fickle assholes. He rubbed his arm where he had gotten a particularly large burn, and let out a low growl as the Blugory finally walked out of sight.

"You okay, son?"

Sanji turned in surprise, noting an old man through the bars in the cell next to him, he nodded lightly, "They're the one's that aren't okay."

"That is true." The man nodded solemnly, "Have they been torturing you this whole time?"

"No." Sanji paused, "Well, yeah, I guess. I mean I wasn't exactly doing what they wanted me to; so you could say that it was my fault." He sighed and looked up at the black ceiling

Sanji let out a low growl when his wing had unconsciously curled around his body. Grabbing the appendage with fury and throwing it aside, but it seemed instinct brought it back around himself once more as some form of comfort. He gave up on trying to control it for the moment and turned back to the man.

"I don't know how they expect me to fly," Sanji muttered in annoyance, "I just got these fucking things and they expect me to just immediately know how to use them."

The man remained silent for a while, his head resting back against the stone wall. When he finally spoke it was very gentle and kind, "They're quite beautiful, you know."

Sanji snorted and brought his knees up to his chest, holding them tightly, "That's hardly a consolation. But thanks anyway old man."

The man laughed, "I'm not that old. Lived a full life before coming here." His voice lost it's humour, "Can't imagine the same for you though. How long you been here?"

Sanji shrugged, "Hard to tell. This coming will be the fifth winter."

The man nodded thoughtfully, "Four years and still sane, I'm impressed son. You got a name?"

"Sanji."

The old man smiled, "Ray."

~X~

As the temperature dropped in the cell, and nighttime was presumably covering the outside world, a minion made his rounds delivering the trays of sustenance pills to each captive. But when Sanji heard the scrape of a plate being placed on the floor, he looked up and froze at what he saw.

There were the usual pills laid out, but next to it sat a small chunk of bread. He remained curled up in his corner for a moment, just staring. When was the last time he had ate real food? When was the last time he had swallowed something that wasn't a pill or some odd fluid?

He got up and crawled over to the plate. The pills were the standard; hydration, protein, mixed Vitamin and mineral supplements. He bypassed them and picked up the bread, feeling the rough crust under his hands and hearing the crackle as he crunched it lightly in his grip. He raised it to his lips and took a small inhale before sighing happily.

Sanji took a savoury bite of the sweet bread but paused when he heard a small sound. He turned and saw a tiny girl in the cell next to his. She was drawn in on herself, arms hugging her knees to her chest, but her head was raised as she looked at the food in Sanji's hands with awe.

Sanji paused for only a moment before crawling over to the edge of the cage and proffered the bread to the little girl. She looked at it hungrily before looking up at Sanji. Her wide amber eyes looked strangely bright against her grimy face and tangled hair, they blinked up innocently as she refused to move.

"It's okay." Sanji reassured, "You can have it."

Slowly – ever-so-slowly – she let go of her knees and crawled toward Sanji. When she was just in front of Sanji on the other side of the cage she knelt and placed her hands respectively in her lap. She didn't move, but continued to just watch Sanji silently.

"Do you have a name?"

The little girl was quiet for a long moment before whispering, "Apis."

Sanji smiled reassuringly, "Well, Apis. It's very nice to meet you." He offered the bread to her once more.

"But it's yours."

"I'm a big boy." Sanji grinned, "You're still growing; you need to eat."

Apis took the piece of bread from Sanji's hand and held it with reverence before her hunger got the better of her and she took a large bite, "Thank you." she mumbled through a mouthful. Tears began to leak from her bright eyes, streaking her face as she continued to chew, "Thank you."

Sanji shifted until he leaned against the bars and he managed to sneak part of his wing between the gap in the metal poles. He wrapped as much of his wing as he could around the girl and then reached an arm through to gently stroke her hair. She was shaking from her withheld sobs – not wanting to draw the attention of any of the guards.

"It'll be okay." He murmured soothingly as he stroked her hair.

She soon quieted down, nuzzling into Sanji's wing as she slowly ate the last of the bread. Somehow having such simple human contact and conversation had improved Sanji's mood. Deep down he was boiling with rage that men would kidnap a child – especially a girl – and torture her. But just being able to comfort her and make her feel safer was enough to make him feel human himself again.

"I'll be here until you wake up, okay?" He whispered gently as he kept stroking her hair.

Apis nodded and curled into his feathers, small hand bunching around a tuft as her eyes already began to drift shut. She looked so innocent and fragile that Sanji wondered how it was possible for such humans to exist that would want to hurt her. Sanji wrapped his other wing around himself for warmth and settled down to sleep.

A/N:

[1] Endolymph; a fluid within the inner ear that is linked directly to the hearing and balance of the human body. With the added weight of Sanji's wings his balance would need to be corrected by higher levels of endolymph.

[2] Testosterone; a steroid hormone that increases muscle mass. With the added weight of Sanji's wings his body needed a larger muscle mass to stay up right without falling over.

[3] Biphosphonates; a class of drugs that help with osteoporosis(bone loss). In recent studies it has been discovered that it can not only strengthen, but help grow bones. This is the main drug that attributed to the growth of Sanji's wings.

[4] Teriparatide; a class of drug that also helps with osteoporosis(bone loss). Helps increase bone mass. This is another drug that helped in the growth of Sanji's wings.

[5] cDermo-1; an avian embryo that is responsible for the growth of feathers and scales. Obviously this was used to grow the feathers on Sanji's wings.

[6] Equilibrioception; the sense of balance.

[7] Nociception; the ability to feel pain.

[8] Proprioception; awareness of the body.

Sorry for all the science talk. Haha.