Phoenix One Piece x Reader

9 - Panic Room

I remember when I first saw a normal human. Yes, I was scared and surprised that not everyone looks like me. Honestly, seeing a normal human is what first got me curious about the sea. To most, the unknown is a scary thing, but I've always been a strange child. Not completely different, just curious. To me the unknown excites me. Never would I have imagined that the unknown would fear me however.

What did I expect? Everyone would be happy and accepting of my difference from them? Probably. Seven is a naive age. Well, technically I'm eight now. By the time I woke up, sunlight poured through the small hole in the wall of the cell, it was already the next day. How long did I sleep?

A feeling of deja vu coursed through my bones, and not the good type. I scoff, a low, exhausted scoff. I wonder what's worse, a cell with scientists running mysterious experiments on my drugged body, or a cell that someone I thought was nice, and was good to me, threw me into after I had gotten so badly beaten, I thought I was going to see God. 

Remembering the event that had taken place, anger couldn't help but to boil in my veins. How could they do this to me? If they were to go to my home, I'm sure we wouldn't treat them in such a way. The worst part is probably the fact that some of them looked like they enjoyed it. How sick.

Before anger could take complete control, Smoker-san's voice cut through the metal bars. "You awake kid?" Is he the actual person who put me in here? Does he fear me too? Is that why he put me here? He hates me too then, doesn't he? What if he wants to kill me? What if he wants to hurt me too? My arm itched, but my other arm hurt too much to itch it.

My thoughts came one after another, they prevented me from answering Smoker-san. Even if they didn't, my hoarse voice would have made it impossible for me to answer. He sighed and started to walk out. He stopped when he heard a loud growl coming from my stomach. I might have felt embarrassed if the hunger wasn't adding on to the other pains I was feeling.

"You're hungry? I'll get something for you, what do you want to eat-" For some reason, without thinking, I hurriedly sat up and yelled. "I don't eat kids! I-I don't eat people..." I groaned from the pain that shot through my body. I scratched my forearm and spat out small amounts of blood. Smoker-san looked at me with pity over his shoulder. "I never thought you did."

Tears started to pool in my eyes. His words may have seemed simple, but to me, they meant a lot. It meant he wasn't afraid of me. My hoarse voice trembled when I told him my favorite food. I stopped scratching my forearm to wipe my tears. Although, wiping away tears doesn't mean they leave right away.

When he came back with my food on a tray, I had managed to crawl my abused body to the cell bars. He came into the cell with me, leaving the door wide open. The food was placed right in front of me as he sat next to me. I stared at the food in front of me and let out a whimper. Smoker-san wiped my tear with his finger and placed the utensil in my hand. 

"I want you to know, I'm very grateful to you. Thank you... Also I..." he sighed as I slowly fed myself. "I'm so sorry, about what happened to you, it was wrong and horrible, and unfortunately I don't speak for them." He was looking down at his hands now. I lean into his side as a way to accept his apology. He wasn't the one that did anything wrong to me, but I still appreciated it. "I also wanted you to know that I put you in this cell for your safety. Out there, in the town, you wouldn't be safe." He paused to sigh, "It's sad that I don't trust those people to not attack you again." I was unconsciously scratching my arm and I started to sweat. The thought of it happening again scared me to no end.

I shivered when a breeze came through the mini window. My sweat only made me colder. Smoker-san wrapped a new jacket around me. "Those friends of yours said you wanted to give this to me. Did you make it?" When I looked up at him, he was already looking at me, I nodded. He smiled and said, "It's a bit big but I'll grow into it. Thank you." I smiled back at him.

Once I was finished eating, Smoker-san spoke again, "Look, I don't know how to say this in a 'nice' way so I'm just going to say it. Last night I called in a 'friend' otherwise know as my superior. I asked him to take you somewhere safer." I frowed and my breath hitched, the sweating came back.  He sighed and scratched his hair. "As for your friends, well," his voice was low and sounded tired, "I told them you were going to be okay but once my superior gets here, you won't be able to see them anymore." 

He looked genuinely sorry, but I couldn't help but hate the idea. "I-I don't want to go, not with a stranger!" He sighed again, it's starting to really bug me how much he's sighing. "Kid, I'm sorry but... I'm not giving you a choice-" My breath got caught in my throat. The rest of what he said blurred from my hearing. I quickly pushed him away, flying back towards a dark corner. My hand reached for a short feather and I threw it at him. I nicked his ear.

~ FLASHBACK ~

!TW!

I was trapped. Strapped down to a table. Bright lights were everywhere. I felt blinded. Voices around me sounded muffled. I felt dizzy. Breathing was a hard task. I felt like I was underwater.

A dark chuckle makes its way to my ears, I turn my head in that direction. "You think you have a choice?" The male voice scoffs, "I'm not giving you a choice!" The golden haired man said from under his helmet. My body wiggles and jerks around, trying to break free. I cry out, a sharp pain prices my back where my spine is. It hurt. More sharp pain pricks at my forearm. It's itchy. 

Painful burning liquid goes through my veins. I scream and cry. My vision blurs as the last thing I see was a smirk from the man next to me. Watching me was the man I knew as Vinsmoke Judge. 

~ END OF FLASHBACK ~

"Kid?! Hey! It's me! Calm down!" Looking towards the voice, I saw blurry golden hair. I grabbed more baby feathers and threw them at him. He never dodged, he just took the hits. Once the man in front of me got close enough, he grabbed my shoulders and held my arms together. I blinked my tears back. "Get away! Get away from me!" My voice was still slightly hoarse. "Y/N, It's me! I promise I'm not going to hurt you! I would never hurt you!" I squeezed my eyes shut once I recognized Smoker-san's voice. Is he really on my side? He's a human, just like that golden haired man. Can I really trust him? A dark voice in my head told me.

"That's a lie! Y-You're human, just like the scientist guy! Y-You'll hurt me too! If not now, then I know... o-one day you will!" I was now looking up at him, tears streaming down my cheek. The full memory of what they did to me is still unknown, but having just a part of the memory was bad enough. Why couldn't they have just left me alone? Those feelings and memories. Now I'm here questioning Smoker-san, who has been nothing but kind. Why did they have to follow me from that room. That room where all I felt was panic. 

Smoker-san pulled me in and hugged me. "Where you experimented on?!" His whisper was low, dark, and angry. Almost like a growl. "Do you know the name of them?! Would you recognize him? I'll get the one that hurt you! I'll get that -" With tears streaming down my heated cheeks, I hugged him. 

"I'm sorry." My voice was muffled against his shoulder. I had just realized how badly I cut him. Thankfully nothing too serious. Just cuts everywhere, some deeper than others. Guilt puddled in my chest as I held onto his shirt. His hand gave my back a pat. "No need, from what I can tell... yesterday wasn't the first someone has treated you this way. It makes me sick." He growled at the last part. "This is why I want you to go with this 'friend' of mine. Trust me, he'll take good care of you." I nodded my head and pulled away to wipe my tears. 

It didn't take long for his friend to show up. He was a tall man with gray hair and he had a goatee. On his left eye he has a scar like a reversed C. My Chikara told me he is a very strong man. "Is this the girl, Smoker?" He asked. When he looked at me I could tell, for what seemed like the thousandth time since I left home, I'm going on another crazy adventure. Welp, I guess this is what I signed up for.