Doldrum Chapter 2

[mekachu04]

Doldrum by Mekachu04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags:

Post-Wano Arc Egghead Island Arc Victoria Punk has been destroyed Kidd Pirates don't survive well - about a third of them do but most do not hurt!Kidd hurt!Killer Sick!Heat

Smile Fruit Shipwrecked and Stranded no on screen deaths but bodies mentioned Emotionally Compromised!Kidd he's not so much suicidal as he is depressed and doesn't realize it but it does colour him with a melancholy that could be fatal

this was written during egghead when bonney was still with the strawhats so... she's here for the moment., just roll with it.

Summary:

The Kidd Pirates might still outnumber the StrawHats, but there is a such a feeling of loss about them that their numbers feel small standing before Monkey D. Luffy. A crew once over 30, now nothing more than a bakers dozen. And half of them don't look like they should even be allowed standing at this point, but the need for a united front out weighted all else.

Kidd has known since Saboady that Monkey was more than he appeared and had never taken the youngest of the Worst Generation any less serious than he took any of the others.

The bitter pill to take was he didn't want to admit to was that he'd also known since Wano that he'd lost his spot as The Worst. That he'd only had it in the first place because Blackbeard sold out right before Kidd had gotten to the end of Paradise. And now it was Blackbeard and Monkey tying for the top, while he'd been thrown from the race all together.

Now all he could do was force himself to stand tall before the tiny man, to force a grin and pretend his body and pride hadn't been thrashed. Pretend this wasn't the second time in a row he'd been brought down only to be found by fucking Monkey first. At a dark moment, he almost wanted to switch with Killer- his partner could do nothing but smile at the situation, and Kidd would love to hid his face from this humiliation right now.

Unfortunately no one would be hiding; Killer's mask was also still fucked. Though it might have presented a better front for him to have left it behind so the StrawHats didn't see such a blatant weak spot out in the open -  the metal ripped apart from Red-Hair's blow to leave the left half of his broken face exposed - Kidd also could not ask Killer to do that, the man clinging to what remained of the metal shield like it was the only thing keeping his sanity intact since they themselves reunited.

Kidd could feel Monkey's crew looking - especially Roronoa - and he made a point to step in front of Killer's exposed side, even if his own leg twinged angerly as he did so, knee threatening to give up completely. Kidd's magnetism had always been stronger with his left, and Killer had naturally gravitated to his right to compensate. And other than the brief time right after he lost his arm to Beckman, Killer had trusted Kidd in turn to cover his weaker left.

Twice Kidd had failed his partner in that regard, and now twice Killer would bear the marks of his mistakes. And that didn't even touch the debacle of the Kaido fall out. There was no chance that Kidd was going to lower his guard now. Kidd will eat his leg before he leaves Killer unguarded right now.

Wire stepped closer to the gap left on his left, Heat behind him. Heat was also putting on a front, Kidd knows. Hell at this point, half his crew is running a fever of some kind, broken and sick one way or another. If Monkey was him - they'd all be dead by the afternoon's end.

Kidd will not beg - but he only just holds back a snarl as he finds himself in the shoes of the crews he once delighted in tormenting in the years before. He certainly doesn't feel humbled - just angry.

And because he's not Kidd, Monkey just smiles at him, not as beaming as usual, but that soft private thing he'd given Kidd in Udon when they'd both been left too battered and tired to even sleep some nights. "Hey Spikes." he greats them, before titling to wave at Killer, "Mask Guy"

"Fucking Spikes now?" Kidd grumbles, forced smile falling away as he groans, batting down Killer's hand as he goes to wave back, "Monkey, I swear to the Four Blues...."

"Oh... did you like Gaizou more? Cause I can stick with that... Was just trying something new..."

Kidd just glared at him, hand still resting on Killer's arm, wondering if it was worth even dignifying Monkey's comments with a response at all. His attention is drawn to the newest person with the StrawHats, "Traded Trafalgar out with Jewelry, huh? Probably an upgrade." he commented idly, locking eyes with the only woman of the worst generation.

They'd crossed paths in Saboady before shit it the fan, and she'd been cool to cruise the archipelago with. And now she was allied up StrawHat. Killer hadn't considered her to ally with just because she seemed to be on her own mission of sorts - sightings of her bouncing around the map in no discernible order and no way to pin down where she'd be next.

"Well," Kidd says finally, "welcome to Camp Kidd. Hope you brought your own booze, because we dun got any."

Killer laughed abruptly, and Kidd glared at the StrawHats, daring them to react as his partner turns away to collect himself. They didn't exactly have food either, but like hell was Kidd admitting that. Killer, Pomp, UK & Papas headed back to what exists of their camp to scrounge something up and to give Killer a moment.

Any thoughts of their assorted group following him where blocked as Kidd firmly stood in place, and the StrawHats were just going to have to deal with that. Monkey took it in stride and let them leave with no comment, instead keeping his focus on Kidd. Roronoa remained at his captain's side, his expression masking any and all thoughts - if he had any to start with - on the situation. Jimbe and Franky looked curious at Kidd - and Kidd could fell the last man eyeing the scraps of arm he'd built for himself over the last few days. It was a poor replacement and the last thing he wanted was judgement from the other man. Mosh stuck to Kidd's side, his larger form a physical barricade between the two groups.

StrawHats' little doctor - affectionately named ChopDoc by the Kidd Pirate Crew in Wano - had a nose for his job and immediately hounded in on Heat, who had - for the most part - managed to keep from hacking his lungs out in mixed company, but was also struggling to maintain the facade. The tinker Usopp followed uneasy along with Chopper's bag, Nico Robin and Brooke behind him. Wire, Jaguar & Boogie filled ChopDoc in on Heat's condition since they arrived and Kidd briefly caught Heat's look of 'help' over the crowed.

Kidd only shrugged back. He didn't like it either, but right now they all knew the couldn't afford to turn away the little doctor.

The last little group consisted of the creepy little cook, Sanji, StrawHats' own red head, Nami, and Bonney herself. They'd folded themselves in with the girls left from Kidd's family well enough, though Kidd would step in with that group if the cook failed to behave himself.

Monkey followed his gaze, but it was Roronoa who piped up in the end - "Nami'll keep him on his leash, don't worry."

Kidd worried none the less.