mekachu04 | petite reprise

petite reprise ! Story now has a name!

The adrenaline crash was inevitable; The red head glared at two of them, but the slump to his shoulders said everything. The boys wont ask for help, but it was clear they'd hit their wall. Zoro scooped the leader of the two, chuckling at the token protests as the child was lugged around as if he was just another bag of supplies. Sanji lifted his own groceries on one shoulder, the little blond tucked up on his other hip - more mindful of the injury on the small child's arm.

The peace lasted only as long as it took to board the Sunny. The group was swarmed immediately when Sanji and Zoro returned; a maelstrom of activity. Even if the boys had started to doze off on the walk over they were fully awake now. The tiny charge in Zoro's arms was ready to throw down immediately when he believed them to be attacked, a powerful push from the exhausted tiny little body to clear the way, but the toll was paid immediately. Even as he raised his hand for a more targeted attack, Red slumped against Zoro, eyes threatening to roll back, as Zoro dropped his supplies to gently pull the tiny arm back down. The boy's breathing was harsh, but attention quickly turned from him to the explosion of violence from the boy in Sanji's arms. He moved like he was possessed, working himself up into a panic, elbow jabbed quick and harsh into Sanji's neck and was kicking to free himself to get to his friend.

Sanji quickly handed his groceries off to the many sprouting arms of Robin that had bloomed to assist him as most of the rest of the crew took a step back to give them space as he tried to keep a gentle but firm hold on his charge even as he wheezed to catch his breath back. Only Luffy remained up in anyone's space, frozen in place by Zoro's elbow to his face from where he'd been trying to crowd the two. The captain watched as Sanji avoided the worst blows, softly talking down the fearful child. "Look - everyone's okay. Luffy was excited to say hi. No one's trying to hurt either of you..."

Luffy looked back between the duos from around Zoro's hand in his face - a guilty smile in that disarming grin of his, laughing kindly and sheepishly at the scared children. "Sorry, sorry!" he raised his hands in a mock surrender.

One of Robin's sprouted arms remained lingering, a warm steady presence on the blond boy's back, rubbing it soothingly. Many people found her arms unnerving, but the boy either didn't realise it yet or was so overwhelmed with everything else it plain didn't register. But it did seem to help, and while he was still tense, he stopped fighting and just slumped in Saniji's hold, gaze locked on Red, who was coming back around a little and was slowly engaging in the mild argument starting between Zoro and Luffy, but whose side he was on was hard to tell.

Another hand bloomed to gesture Sanji's attention to see Chopper at the door of his infirmary, nodding he was ready - having smelt the blood before anyone had finished boarding the Sunny in the first place and made to ready the room. Sanji headed over, Zoro and Luffy not far behind.

The exhaustion was clear on both boy's faces as they where set down together on one of the beds, the rest of the crew loitering in the doorway, watching over Luffy's shoulder. Zoro playfully shoved their captain back out the doorway before Chopper had a chance to shoo them away, and Luffy beamed at them once last time as the door was closed behind Sanji to leave the doctor to his work, captains words clear even if muffled though the door - "Sanji! Meat for our friends!"

Any excuse to eat. "Maybe we should start with juice and crackers?" Sanji's offered answer came back, not sure when they boys had eaten last. They also looked pale - and with the blood loss - some orange juice would probably go over well.

Soon as the crew's voices disappeared, leaving just the stare down was happening in the infirmary.

Chopper's nose twitched at the smell of fresh blood but distrust spoke louder. Ideally, the tiny doctor would see to the patient actively bleeding first, but the murderous look Red gave him for even looking at his friend told him to tread carefully. "Do either of you know who I am?"

They might just be tiny look a likes - nothing more than a strange coincidence of the Grand Line - but the nose knows and even small, the scents of the other two supernova's remained unchanged. Unfortunately, it didn't mean they knew him - it didn't surprise Chopper that both boys shook their heads no.

"My name in TonyTony Chopper. I'm a reindeer who ate the human-human fruit. It's nice to meet you. What are your names?"

"I'm Eustass' kid" the boy declared, the possessive article catching Chopper's attention, but he didn't comment - only taking the boy's offered hand in a firm handshake. After, Kidd gestured to the increasingly uncertain boy sitting next to him, "This is Killer. He's my best friend."

Before Chopper could offer his hoof the Killer - mostly just relieved to confirm the boys identities were indeed what his nose had suggested - the blond boy had turned to look to Kidd questioningly, eyebrows knitted in confusion, his strange smile pinched and painful looking.

The hurt on Kidd's face was just as jarring, and Killer looked panicked, gesturing gently to his chest. As the outsider, the exactly meaning was lost on Chopper, but Kidd seemed to read it just fine. He didn't look happy, but at least not hurt anymore. "Yeah," was all he said, swallowing thickly. He gently punched his friends shoulder. "I'll tell you later."

Sanji would come by not long after with small snacks and juice cups for the boys. Chopper had checked Kidd over by that point - other than over exerting himself with his own devil fruit, he was doing well, but the snack would do well to perk him up.

Killer wasn't so straight forward - in whatever conflict the children had been in - something had cut his forearm up pretty bad. Worse yet was trying to stitch it closed though the thick scar tissues that ran the entire length of his arm. Chopper was confident the local anesthesia he'd administered kept the boy from feeling him work but he didn't like how hard it was to pass the needle though the rough scar tissue. Killer seemed nervous about the injury - giving it much the same side eye Kidd did with his residual limb. Battles they'd yet to live through but scars already engraved into their bodies.

Kidd sipped on one of the juices as Chopper worked - Killer himself still just as quiet as he'd been since the start - almost like he was afraid to make a sound - but seemed more than happy to let Kidd do the talking for both of them. In turn, Kidd seemed to know the other boy well enough to pick up on unspoken questions.

He didn't make a single sound as Chopper stitched, not a single reaction as the needle pricked his skin over and over. The blond didn't even seem like he was breathing, ramrod straight and still as death. Even after stitching up Zoro - the master of stoicism while hurt - the reaction made Chopper uneasy. To try and sooth the boy - and his own nerves - Chopper rambled as he sewed.

He wasn't even sure where in his story he was when Kidd pipped up - "Are you real Pirates?" Chopper was met a frown as the boy sat up straighter on the bench, thinking hard for a moment as he studied his friend, voicing for him the question forming, "Are you going to sell us?"

"Pirates, not traffickers," Chopper assured them, uneasy with how fast a child's mind would go to such a thing.

Killer... it was hard to to tell with the smile frozen on his face, but it didn't look like he completely bought it. Kidd however seemed alright with his answer, up on his feet and peering out the small window in the room, "Are we on the ocean?"

"Still docked at port, but ... I guess so. Technically."

Kidd looked back at Chopper, the gleam in his eyes almost too much to behold, "Whose your captain? Do they have a bounty? Where have you sailed?"

"His name is Monkey D. Luffy, you met him before on deck. With the straw-hat. And yes he has a bounty. About 3 million beri now. The crew started in the East Blue, and entered the Grand Line though Reserve - "

"Where are we now?" he asked. The excitement gone, and more dread starting to set in. He might be a child but he hadn't survived this long without being quick at putting the pieces together.

"Most of the way through the New World section of the Grand Line. We're probably closer to Reverse Mountain at this point than Mary Geoise."

"That's... really far from Kutzk..." Kidd murmured, and any colour left in Killer's face drained away.

Kidd looked at the stump of his left are with a growing look of dread.

"Is Kutzk your home island. In the south blue?"

Killer looked questioningly at Kidd, sitting up straighter on the bench and the two regarded each other quietly. Chopper gave them a moment before starting to wrap his finished work on Killer's arm.

Kidd nodded, "Have you been there?"

Chopper shook his head negative, trying not to feel bad when both boys shoulder's slumped, "I've never left the Grand Line."

"Eh, you're not missing much,' Kidd declared, tearing his gaze from the window even if he clearly wanted to go outside. He joined Killer on the bench, looking pale and worn out himself, looking over the clean white bandages, before pulling at what was left of the sleeve Chopper had cut off.

"It's kinda a bad ass look if you cut the other sleeve off for him too," He suggested to Chopper. Killer studied his own arms for a moment, before holding his right out for Chopper.

Chopper wasn't sure 'bad ass' was a look an eight year old should be aiming for, but if it made them happy, it wouldn't hurt anything.

The smile on Killer's face was notable brighter and Chopper couldn't help but smile back. He shimmied a little in place once he was done. He wasn't happy or anything. Don't be silly.