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mekachu04Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Additional Tags:
- Post Time Skip
- Pre-Fishman Island Arc
- filling in background moments
- Kidd Pirates unseen scuffles with BigMom
- hurt!Killer
- inspired by unofficial english translation of Chapter 928
This was inspired by unofficial English translation of Chapter 928. That translation stated Kidd went to Big Mom's territory as payback for her generals injuring one of his people. I believe the translation of that speach bubble in the official English version states instead they went to Big Mom's territory and injured one of her Sweet Commanders. I have no idea - I can't read Japanese. But the 'official' translation also calls him Zolo still and I have heard from others that *are* fluent in Japanese the official version is... lacking. Regardless, that first translation i read has stuck ever since, and doubled with the fact the my most recent Vivre card for Killer (not kidd) mentions the conflict with Big Mom... and thus we have this headcanon
otherwise - i can't actually decide if killer's injury is pre or post time skip. with the long sleeves and helmet, i can also believe that it is a much older injury. but that story will have to wait for another time.
While Killer was probably right - because he usually was about anything he chose to voice - in that they weren't ready for this fight - Kidd desperately needed to hit something right now, and if these half rate assholes wanted to start shit he was more than ready to end shit. There'd been a scant few scuffles since he'd gotten back on his feet after running a foul with the Red Haired Emperor's crew, but nothing that had really tested the new limitations he had, nothing big to challenge him to see if he was still just as strong as before, even after loosing his arm.
Like he told his vice-captain - he needed this. And if someone was stupid enough to come knocking, he'd have been a hypocrite to turn tail now.
The pirates who picked a fight with them flew the colours of Big Mom, but the emperor wasn't with them, and Kidd wasn't about to let a 'flag' bully him into submission.
It was a thrill to be able to let loose again. The high of getting back into a brawl was glorious and Kidd felt like he'd finally clawed his way back to where he was before his arm - No - He was better than ever! He was thriving!
One of Big Mom's Sweet commanders - a self proclaimed man named 'Snack' - was squared off against him, and it was exhilarating, each match blow for blow. They both seemed to be enjoying the match when shouting rose up behind him. One of Snack's men had come to attempt a hit to Kidd's turned back, a tall massive man with golden hair turned burnt orange at the ends, and he had met with one of Killer's scythes for his efforts.
But now Killer was slumped against Wire, and Heat was standing between them and the man, dealing with the man's devil fruit. Kidd ducked away from Snack, trying to both juggle the fight and find out what had happened to his partner at the same time.
Wire was carrying Killer - carrying- and Kidd knew that regrouping was called for. "Cover Wire!" he called out, throwing scrap at the man being ordered to continue his attack by Snack. The metal liquidized as it shot at him, and the general had to step back to avoid the still oncoming shrapnel. Kidd might not be able to win like this, but he could certainly fuck both of them up as his people exited.
It made him the last to the ship, focusing on making sure they weren't being followed or flanked. His crew was panicked but knew their roles well enough to get distance between them and the threat quickly. Then he was hunting down his own commanders.
Killer was lain out on one of the mess tables, Heat pressing soaked towels against his side as Wire ran for more cloth to dump in the sink now filling unattended with cool water. "What happened? What happened!!"
Wire ignored him; Heat just shook his head, his hand brushed the side of Killer's helmet and there was an awful hissing as the wet towel hit super heated metal. Kidd was at his side immediately - the smell of burning hair and flesh thick enough to gag him. Wire tossed more soaked towels over Killer, Heat tucking them around the disfigured and blistered bared flesh of Killer's forearm, bits of melted shirt still sticking to him here and there. Kidd tore his eyes away, looking at Killer's mask when the man made a shuddering whine at the contact.
"Hey, Hey, Kil'?" he touched the side of Killer's mask with his flesh hand, swearing at the heat still radiating off it and the fact the metal sunk under his fingers, so hot it had softened. "Fuck..."
Heat had stopped, and was looking at the distorted metal in horror.
Kidd immediately went for the latches, Killer's comfort be damned, needing to get the mask off and see the damage underneath. He used his prosthetic hand to grip the metal to avoid burning his right hand more, but it was caught on something, not lifting away without a protest. Heat leaned over to sneak a peak at what was happening in the sliver of space that had been revealed. He make a unhappy noise that Kidd did not care for, reaching up to test prying the mask away little more.
"His.. His hair melted to the mask, but it looks like its just his hair. It's breaking when you pull."
"Can we cut it?"
"You might as well just pull it off, I think a blade is going to be more dangerous."
The skin on the left side of his face was lobster red but lacked the blistering on his arm for the most part, at least on the front. Killer's hair was destroyed, broken and burned to the scalp in a few places, giving him the unflattering bangs of his youth across the rest of his face. His left ear though was bad; Kidd avoided Killer's pained gaze for a moment as Heat handed him another soaked wet towel to press against the newly exposed burns. It wrapped about the back of his head, and Kidd realized the unhappy noise he was hearing was himself as Killer's hair broke away in his hands when he pulled the back half of the helmet away.
Killer must have realized the attack coming and turned his head away; the worse of the damage across the back of his neck, his shoulders and back. The button up he was wearing crumbled when touched where it's was not already fused to his skin, and more wet towels are being shoved to try and hurry and cool the skin back down.
Kidd rested Killer back down on the sopping mess, focusing on his friend's face and Heat and Wire continue to work on his arm.
Killer's blue eyes are glazed over, he wasn't quite looking at Kidd, not looking at anything really, making pained whimpers with each exhale. Kidd held the towel to his face with his right hand, stroking the fleshy pad of his thumb across Killer's cheek bone, "Kil-Kil, you there man? Look at me, you with me?"
He gets no reaction from that, turning worriedly to Heat. Wire is taking some of the older towels away to re-soak them, the panic energy has started to ease up. Heat crowded him, turning Killer to face him for a moment before resting his fingers under Killer's jaw and was counting quietly. "His pulse is still fast - he's probably in shock." Heat warns.
Kidd stepped back from the table, moving to lift Killer's ankles and detaching his arm under Killer's calves to keep his legs up. Heat checked Killer's breathing - still shaking and pained but steady, before adjusting the towels so his head was not propped up so much.
Wire returned with new towels, and the three of them swapped out the oldest ones around Killer's shoulder. Wire kept one help back, smothering the punisher with it as it crackled and hissed, metal still super heated. Kidd watched as he readjusted the towel to a new wet spot, the punisher drying it almost instantly again. Wire's long fingers carefully checked Killer's hand where its still wrapped around the grip. "Turn his arm, let me see if I can get this off of him."
There is a soft tearing sound as Kidd twisted the remaining punisher around until Killer's hand is palm up. Even lax, his fingers remained griping the weapon; Wire confirmed the skin has fused itself to the leather wrappings. It's a slow painful process, Wire delicately separating the worst of the burned flesh away and uncurling Killer's hand. Kidd focused on breaking the gauntlet open instead of trying to pull Killer's arm out of it, showing off the internal gears before pealing the mechanics away to Killer's arm underneath.
The rest of his shirt sleeve had mostly burned away, but the fabric under the metal had just melted instead. Kidd and Wire carefully pulled his wrist free, before Kidd -pushes- the punisher away, the metal clattering as it hit the ground, sliding across the tile floor to rest next to the stove.
It will take hours to carefully pick all the fabric out of the burns, to very gently wash Killer's hand and arm, the man tense and whimpering in Kidd's grasp throughout the whole ordeal as he tried to keep Killer grounded as Wire and Heat worked. Heat had his own mix of burn cream that he was soaking bandages in and Wire assisted him in wrapping.
The rest of the crew filtered in and out, Kidd allowing it as long as no one lingered on their side of the mess hall; any curiously killed instantly at the somber faces, and the heavily medicinal smell with burnt undertones. UK - Killer's protège in the kitchen - had stepped up at one point to get food going, plates set aside for the four of them. Bubblegum and House took away the no longer needed towels, Compo and Moai the Captain's Go-Fo's in the meantime. Papas was the only one still lingering about, helping UK clean and prep for later, mixing something up alone when left to his own devices.
Most of the crew filtered out by the time it came to address the burns on Killer's neck and back. They'd wrestled Killer out of what was left of his button up and Kidd found himself sitting on the table itself, Killer tucked against him as Wire attempted to pull Killer's hair back - the heat damaged locks just breaking apart in his hands. Kidd had taken his left arm back, the metal fingers delicately holding back the remaining strands Wire handed him.
Killer's left ear had taken the brunt of any of the burns to his head, likely because of being pressed flush against the helmet, the back of his neck blistered but having gotten off possibly the lightest of the burns. Those were wrapped easily enough. Across his back however - Oven must have caught him in mid air - the sharp burn line from his shoulder to hip that would been difficult at any other angle. It wasn't as harsh as his arm, but trying to remove his shirt had caused most of the blisters to tear and weep. Not even mentioning the feet and feet of hair that had burned away in a moment, and the more still that continued to fall away.
After the first layer of gauzes had been set, Heat and Wire wrapped again with a protective layer of bandages. "Keep the gauze on" Heat warned, "Just keep layering over it for the time being and then re-wrap with clean bandages for now."
Papas approached then, still hanging back but clearly waiting to be acknowledged. Wire caught Kidd's eye, tilting his head and in turn Kidd looked over, curling defensively around their first mate. Subsequently, Papas seemed uncowed, just met his glare and waited.
"What do you want, Papas?"
Papas held up one of the larger mugs, Killer's straw sticking out over the rim. "Its mostly coconut water, but with some ginger and lemon. For the hydration. I got more mixed up, Killer-san should probably drink as much as he can stomach, and often, for the next few days."
"Thank you Papas," Heat responded, and Kidd nodded to let his man know it was alright to approach. Papas handed the mug off to Wire as Kidd loosened his grip to set Killer upright to see if he was aware enough to drink. He'd never fully passed out but hadn't really been there either since returning to the Punk. Wire pressed the straw to Killer's lips and he drank on reflex. Kidd watched for a moment before turning back to Papas once more. "Thank you." he said, low but sincere, "Everyone, today. Thank you."
Papas only nodded, "Of course, Boss," before dismissing himself.
The four commanders would linger in the mess hall a little longer, UK's food eventually calling them to eating some of it, even if they couldn't get Killer to eat any just yet. They did get another mug of the water mix into him though, before the three got Killer up to his feet and set up in Captains Quarter's for the night. By next morning, he was still clearly in agony, but had his wits about him again. Kidd sat with him and they talked though the early day, before Killer was up and making an appearance in a replacement helmet by dinner.
PT would be rough, but Killer was up to the task, and by the time the crew had sailed withing range of Big Mom's roaming fleets once again, he was more than ready to repay the favour. The crew wrecked havoc, but the commander and general responsible for their set back seemed no where in sight. What they did find though was a bigger take - a rubbing of Big Mom's Poneglyph.
"I think this is a good repayment," Killer offered to his captain, holding the sheets delicately. Kidd hadn't been as sure; blood for blood would have been preferred for someone attaching his people, but a Poneglyph was a big step to his own dream. Killer offering that to him, his own retribution for Kidd's Dream....
"Are you sure?"
Killer only nodded.
They still made a point to sink the two ships, Kidd would have to take that as payment instead of the two men who'd actually deserved it. But if it was enough for Killer, Kidd would call the matter closed.
Besides - there are other cogs turning, and he's got a weapons deal coming up to snoop in on - and Killer says he's okay now. Kidd felt them even now, and if Big Mom felt otherwise, he was more then happy to keep this grudge match going.
Kidd looses an arm to the Red-Hair Pirates. Killer gets badly burned by Big Mom's Commanders. Having faced the underlings of two of the Emperors, Killer comes to understand that the strength gap is too big for them alone, and starts pushing Kidd- against his wishes- to team up with some of the others of the Worst Generation. He doubles down on it after news of Trafalgar and StrawHat working together starts to get out.
We know the rest.
