Changes

A run in with Garp

Two months later

    Penguin and Shachi watched the two people arguing on the deck from the door, snickering. Law had finally met his match in a little raven haired woman named Athena.
In all the years they had known the man, he'd always had the upper hand in any conversation, any deal, or fight he'd been in. Athena seemed to be the only one that ever got under his skin, pulling strings they hadn't even known he had.
Penguin elbowed Shachi lightly, gaining his attention. "How long you think it will be before they end up together?" He asked tilting his head towards Law and Athena.
A shit eating grin took up Shachi's face. "Six months."
Penguin tilted his head. "Why so long?"
  "Are you kidding me?" Shachi looked at Penguin like an idiot. "Have you noticed how most of their real conversations are more fight then talk anymore?"
  Penguin shook his head.
  Shachi sighed.  "They are fighting the attraction oh ye blind one."
  "I give it four months, if that!" Ikkaku said walking over to join the conversation. "There is to much sexual tension built up between them, the tops gonna pop soon."
  They had surfaced awhile ago, right off the shore of an island Law wanted to stop at for information in the South blue.
  And he wanted Athena to help him!
  "Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope , Nooooope. Fuck that noise, fuck you, fuck this shit, fuck this place. I'm not doing it!" Athena said in displeasure, shaking her head vehemently, her arms crossing into a big x in front of her.
"Your the only one who can, we need that information Athena." Law was getting irritated and frustrated.
"I can't pull miracles out of my ass Law, that's now how this works. Besides someone will recognize me." She stabbed him in the chest with her finger. "I'm. Not. Doing. It."
  Law threw his hands in the air. "Who Athena-ya? Who will recognize you? Because as far as we know the government thinks your dead. There has been nothing in the paper, no wanted poster, no whispers. You're a ghost." He crossed his arms giving her a pointed look.
Athena copied Law's posture. "I don't know. But you haven't given me a solid reason why I should help either, Trafalgar Law."
He glared at her. "Because, you can keep their attention on you. After that show you put on when we stopped for the supplies you needed for those phones..."
"I was just fucking around, trying to pay you back what I had to spend you dolt." Athena leaned forward a little, cutting him off. She knew she shouldn't have shown off those three days they had been docked..
Law mimicked her. "That just fucking around is what we need. I have to get to that whore house unobstructed, my contact is there."
Athena took a small step forward, putting her just a few inches from Law. She wasn't happy she had to look up to meet his eyes. "I fucking hate you right now. This shit better be worth the dam hassle of me not finishing my upgrade."
Laws eyes softened a little. "I'll get you more sea stone if that's what you need to finish it, all I ask is that you keep all eyes on you."
She growled at him. "You know I do. I've been asking you for over a week for more, dam manipulative ass hat."
She shoved him away, infuriated at the situation. "I knew you where withholding it for a reason."
Law stepped back. "But it was a good reason"
"No it wasn't." Athena turned away from him stomping for the door. "If you would have just given it to me when I asked I could have finished my dam upgrade by now. Not to mention if you would have asked me sooner I could have a better plan in place and not something thrown together on short notice."
Penguin, Shachi, and Ikkaku moved away from the doors to let them pass.
"Fifty berries it takes six months." Shachi laughed at the other two.
"One twenty on four or less." Ikkaku smirked at the men.
Penguin shook his head. "I know better then to make bets with either of you. I'm out."

Two days later

"All your phones are synced to the same radio wave. They'll act as walkie-talkies so if you get separated, don't hesitate to use them." Athena said, handing each person going with Law an ear piece. "This is so you don't have to pull the phones out to talk. Just tap it against the phone real quick and they will connect." She handed the last one to Law.
"And for gods sake don't fucking lose or crush your transponder snails. Those things where a bitch to figure out."
Said phones where similar to hers, small white touch screens instead of her favorite color black. She'd used her phone as a blueprint to replicate them somewhat, though theirs only did the basics. Phone calls, texts, and some new things like the walkie-talkie feature she had built in. It had taken a month to make the twenty she'd done, and another two weeks to figure out how to make the stupid snails into portable cell towers that linked to computers in her work room. They where a mix of living tissue and wires, the dissection of them a dam nightmare. Had it not been for her nanos guiding her and magnifying her vision, she would have destroyed more then a few.
She had cursed the creator of them more then once in the two weeks she had been working on them.
"Thank you Athena-ya."
Athena looked at Law, his confidant smile and posture, pissing her off. "Fuck you."
"You got everything you need for the show you're gonna put on honey." Ikkaku asked, slipping the ear piece on."
"Yup, now I just got to get to the town square and set up." Athena smiled brightly at the woman, giving her a hug. "I'll let you know when I'm finished and then mute the line so you guys don't get feed back from it."
"You sure you don't want someone to go with you?" Shachi asked happily, popping his ear piece in.
"Na, I'll be fine." She turned to Law, glaring at him. "Don't take to long. I want to get back to my work A.S.A.P."
Law had the gall to laugh at her, freakin laugh. She was going to shove her foot where the sun didn't shine if the guy didn't freakin stop.
"Shouldn't be anymore then a few hours Athena-ya." He smiled brightly.
She almost melted right there where she stood.
Why dose this man have to look so dam good? Why couldn't he have been ugly?
Then she remembered why she was mad at him.
"Better not be. I don't want to be out in the open longer then necessary." Athena huffed at him, turning to grab her bag of art supplies and the stool.
"Call me when you're done so I can rap up and get back here."
She headed for the dock, some of the other crew members following behind so they could pick up supplies.
"Athena-ya!"
She turned to look back at Law, one brow cocked.
He smirked at her."Be careful."
She flipped him the bird and continued her trek to the town square.
She settled by the fountain in the middle of town, pulling supplies from the bag.
The last couple of months had been lively, but something continued to feel like it was missing.
She just couldn't put her finger on what it was. It wasn't like much had changed from the other world now that she had a work space to call her own. She woke up, ate, worked out, and then holed herself up inside her room to work.
She'd even managed to upgrade her nanos a couple times.
So why did her heart feel so dam empty?
For the next three hours she found herself not only painting and drawing portraits but spinning her tails of other worlds and the rise and fall of gods and men.
Before long, people had started to stop in masses, listening intently.
Her ear piece beeped at her, letting her know it was time to go. Thankfully she was at the end of her story.
"So did Hercules live a long and happy life after he reached Trachis with his wife?" A man asked her.
Athena finished the drawing of a couple and handed them the paper."
"I'm afraid not." She said sadly. "He went to war again after they had been settled for awhile. Hercules won of course, and He took the dead Kings daughter, Iole, as his concubine. He sent word to his wife that he wanted his best shirt to wear for a festival that was to be held for their victory."
"What happened then?"
"Deianira, now fearing Hercules was fonder of Iole, soaked the shirt in the blood of Nessus and washed away the stains, leaving only the poison. She sent the shirt to her husband who, without a second thought, put it on. He felt like he was on fire and was seized with agony like he'd never felt before. He tore the shirt from his body but the poison was already on his skin. Since he was a demi-god, he couldn't die quickly and suffered as the poison penetrated his body. Slowly he became weaker and weaker. Deianira, realizing she had been tricked by Nessus and had killed her husband, hanged herself."
She started to pack her things up, dumping the money she had made into her bag, ready to get back to the Polar Tang.
"At the realization that he was dying, Hercules gave away all his possessions. After he climbed up Mount Etna by himself and built his funeral pyre. Once he was done he laid down with his head on his club, dressed in the Nemean lion's skin and set fire to the pyre."
"What a sad story." A familiar deep voice chimed.
Athena froze in the process of zipping her bag up, not wanting to look at the man who had just spoke.
She knew he was in this world, knew there was a slim chance that she might even meet him. But it hadn't been under these kind of circumstances.
"May I ask where you learned the story at?"
The voice was cheerful, like she remembered from childhood, but without the familiarity. It was to be expected, this man didn't know her here.
Forcing herself to look up, she met the blue weathered eyes that bore into her, hitting her like a sledgehammer. Her eyes ran over the scar that rounded his left eye and took in the black suit he wore.
Not official business.
"My grandfather." Athena was shocked the words came out even, her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as it rammed against her rib cage.
This worlds Garp looked back at her, a knowing look in his eyes.
His smile widened. "Would you mind if I talked to you a bit longer? I would really like to know more about this story."
Athena schooled her face. "I'm sorry, I'm actually getting ready to leave."
"I could walk you to your destination!" Garp laughed. "I really want to know more about this Hercules and these gods you spoke of."
"That's not necessary sir."
Athena forced a smile and picked up her bag.
"Oh but I think it is." Garp said a little more forcefully.
The crowed she had amassed started to drift away when they realized she wouldn't be telling anymore stories.
Athena's smile faltered. "It's really not."
She could feel her anger building up, replacing her shock. It seemed some things didn't change. The Garp here was just as stubborn as her Garp.
"Oh but I insist, a girl as beautiful as you shouldn't be walking alone."
Dam it the old fart wasn't going to leave her be. Kizaru must have told him about her, and it sent him into search mode.
"Well then how can I refuse." She said sarcastically, picking a boogie out of her nose with her pinky.
Flicking it away she pulled the bag on and picked up the stool, walking in a different direction then the Polar Tang.
Garp fell into step beside her, they walked in relative silence for a moment.
Once out of sight, Garp grabbed her arm and pulled her down an ally way.
"Ill cut right to the chase, they say you're my Granddaughter!"
He released her arm and turned to look at her.
"You want the truth or a bunch of bullshit? Because the truth will be a hard pill to swallow." Athena was now more irritated then anything. She didn't like being grabbed like that or man handled for that matter.
Garp glared at her. "I want the truth girl. Because at this point I feel like I'm being lied to. I helped Dragon bury that nasty woman and the child he lost. I grieved the loss of a grandchild, I grieved for my son. I think I deserve the truth."
Athena glared right back, cocking her hip and resting the stool against it. "You're not going to turn me in once I've told you, are you?"
"Why would I do that?" His face scrunched up into confusion.
"Kizaru was bound and determined to put me in a dam cell because of this shit. Why wouldn't you be the same? Even if I am who you think I am, you have always followed the dam rules." She snapped, feeling like the two Garp's where one in the same in that aspect.
"Because you've done nothing wrong as far as I can tell." Garp shrugged, scratching his chin. "No reason to take you in."
Athena rolled her eyes. "I'll keep you to that you old fart."
He smacked the back of her head.
"Don't talk to me like that. Now tell me, is it true?"
She gave him a sour look, rubbing the back of her head. "I don't know how to explain it properly so I'll just say it."
She shifted the stool to rest against her stomach, leaning back against the wall behind her. "Your granddaughter from this world is gone."
"So you're telling me.."
"Let me finish asshat" Athena chided the older man, cutting him off.
She had to duck so Garp couldn't hit her again. "I'm not from this world but blood tests would tell you that I'm your granddaughter."
Garp's face was back to being scrunched in confusion. "How's that possible?"
"I'm from a parallel universe, I got dumped here after one of VegaPunks machines went haywire." Athena explained.
"VegaPunk? You mean that kooky old man that the government has employed for Science experiments and crap?"
She nodded. "That would be him."
Garp's look turned skeptical.
"Look I was born to one Monkey D. Dragon and one Jaylinn Marks almost twenty seven years ago."
Garp froze. No one knew the name of the woman Dragon had been with, besides a few higher ups, himself included.
"Jaylinn died in childbirth due to bleeding out during a c section. She couldn't have me naturally because of scarring on her uterus from botched abortions when she was a prostitute. The only reason I survived was because the doctors called Dragon when she refused the c section, she didn't want to have scars on her body from having a child she never wanted. Dragon told them to do it anyways and they sedated her."
Garp remembered being with his son when they had went to check on Jaylinn and how the pregnancy was progressing, only to learn she had died during childbirth because she refused the c section that would have saved both her and the baby. Jaylinn had refused for the same reasons that this girl had just given.
But one tiny detail was off.
"Dragon never got a call girly."
Athena srugged. "I also said I'm not from this world Garp. Or did you forget?"
"You have no proof."
Athena pointed behind him.
Garp turned and watched in amazement as pictures and little clips started to play on the opposite wall from Athena's point of view.
Dragon sparing with a younger Athena, teaching her. Dragon commanding a unit in front of a military base. Dragon showing her how to wield a sword and properly use a gun.
Dragon being celebrated as a hero for the same thing he was infamous for here.
The clips changed to Garp training an older Athena. Him and her playing with a baby Luffy, training both as Luffy got older. Her chasing a young Luffy through a home playing tag, then teaching Luffy how to read and write in preparation for starting school.
She continued to play clips of her life growing up. She then fast forward to the day she was sucked into the machine and waking up here.
The clips and pictures blinked out.
"How did you do that?" Garp looked back at Athena wide eyed.
"My worlds tech is far more advanced then this world. I've got things called nanos that make me capable of the things your worlds devil fruits do."
A ding rang in her ear letting her know Law or one of the others was trying to get ahold of her. She ignored it.
"So, like I said before. I'm not the child that was lost here, but I am her from another world. I can almost guarantee my DNA would be a direct match."
Garp looked like he was trying to process everything she had just showed and told him.
She'd shown the man clips of better times, when both Dragon and Garp had acted as father and grandfather. Seeing the man in front of her, she knew they didn't share all of the same values.
Garp's brows furrowed, a frown turning his lips down. "Then you are my granddaughter."
"I'm nothing. You don't even know me." Athena had to remind herself for the hundredth time this was not her Garp. They looked alike, talked alike, but they seemed to be like two different people in some aspects. She didn't think this worlds Garp would have hurt her like her worlds Garp had.
"No... You are my granddaughter, another world or not..."
Her ear started to ring again and she had to hold a finger up to stop Garp.
Pushing the little button on the back of the ear piece, she barked. "What?"
"Garp's here, you need to get back to the Polar Tang now." Law sounded almost displeased.
"I already know, he found me."
She felt Garp poke her ear and she batted his hand away.
"Are you okay, he didn't hurt you did he?" Now he sounded unhappy.
"Nope, I'm good. I should be back shortly." She jumped as Garp looked at the ear piece closely, his face almost smashed against the side of hers.
"Do you need us?"
"I'm fine, seriously. We are just talking. No harm done!"
Garp grabbed her head tilting it to the side.
"What the hell is that?" Garp poked the ear piece again with his thumb.
"It's an ear bud, can't you please stop." She scolded the older man again.
"Look, I'll be there in a bit. Stop worrying so much. I'm hanging up now." She hit the button at the back of the ear piece to end the call, cutting off Laws reply.
Pulling her head from Garp's grasp she stepped away giving him a look of sympathy. "Look, I know you think you have an obligation to look at me like your granddaughter, but don't. Just go about your life like before. I may be the Athena from here genetically, but we are not the same person."
The old man clucked his tongue at her in irritation. "You say that but I'm not gonna be able to see you any other way Athena."
She shook her head. "I'm not giving you a choice Garp. Now I'm going to walk away and forget this ever happened, you should do the same."
She turned to the mouth of the ally and started to leave. Her heart felt oddly heavy.
"Athena."
She turned back to the man.
"Did you at least have a good life growing up with me and Dragon?"
Turning away from him,she nodded, partially lying. "Yes"
"That didn't sound convincing girl" Garp said gruffly.
"What would you have me say, that life was rainbows and shit living with the two of you?" She asked scornfully. "Dragon severed my spine when I was six because I ran away from him in fear during a sparing match. He wouldn't let anyone move me while my nanos went about fixing the damage. I laid there for almost five hours, most of it spent in pain since I didn't know I could command my nanos to deaden it.
  You almost gutted me in my world to prove that I wasn't ready to join the military when I was ten. Right after my seventeenth birthday you had me forcefully discharged to get me out of the way of your plans for Luffy."
She turned to face him, anger taking over.
Garp looked at her aghast at what she was saying, his face twisted in horror.
"Things in my world are different. Just like the story of Hercules, there where no happy endings. As civil as my world was, it was harsh growing up with the two of you. I never got the chance to be a child, never formed friendships or bonds, because there was to much risk. That was one of the first things Dragon taught me. Anyone could want to use me to gain favor with him or you since you both sat high on the food chain. They could want to harm me just to get to Dragon, to bend the man to their will, so they could play their little corrupt games."
"Athena, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry won't undo what happened Garp. It can't fix what I lived through in my world. Just know that there where some good times mixed in with the bad." Athena was tired all of a sudden. Maybe telling him what had happened, even if it wasn't the right Garp, had helped to let go of some of the the pain.
"I never would have done any of that, you know." Garp said sadly. "I wish you could have lived in this world, I would have taken care of you the right way."
"I don't know if I believe that, but thanks anyways." Athena smiled sadly.
"Luffy was happy, even though I wasn't around much. He grew up to be a strong person, always has a smile." Garp was quiet for a moment. "I could have done the same for you."
Turning back around, she left Garp behind without a word. She honestly didn't know what to say.
  She hadn't seen Garp since he'd sent her away all those years ago. Seeing him in this world just confused the hell out of her. This worlds Garp seemed so different in the fact that he seemed genuinely concerned and curious about her. Her Garp just wanted her to be top of the class, rise through the ranks, be a perfect soldier. She could never seemed to do what he wanted.
  Maybe it was the difference between the worlds?
  Hers was harsh, civilization having advanced and wars changing everyone into different people, that it felt almost cold now that she thought about it.
  Here the world seemed almost blinding, life and everything that came with it so vibrant that it felt consuming. She felt more alive here then she ever had in her own world.
  The thought was sobering.
Did she even want to go back? She didn't know.
Was it possible to go back? Probably not.
  Did she think that she was hiding from making real connections in the world?
Yes
  Thanks to Garp she now knew why she had felt like something was missing. She hadn't been trying all that hard to actually form bonds or make a life here. Yes, she had been helping on the Polar Tang, going through the motions of talking with the crew and being friendly.
  But otherwise she had holed herself up in her work room, shutting everyone out as much as she could so she didn't get attached, old habits clinging to her like a parasite.
She was keeping herself at a distance on purpose. But did she have the courage to step out of her comfort zone, let others in, and start building something here? Maybe becoming part of the family that Law had created with his mismatched crew?
Her mind became a tangled mess as she made her way through town blindly.

Law stood at the railing watching for Athena, worried about her run in with Garp.
She had managed to divert a lot people from the whore house. Hadn't stopped Eustass Kid and the woman he'd been with.
That had definitely been interesting meeting.
Kid had been at the bar, just drinking.
Shachi being Shachi had asked a question about the man that Eustass had over heard.
It somehow angered the red head and he'd thrown a bottle of liquor at them.
Law had just come down the stairs and had to stop the brute from going after Shachi.
Apparently he'd been waiting for the girl that had come out of the back with the proprietress.
  She'd been a snarky little thing, reminding him somewhat of Athena.
  After he'd pulled them out of the building, he'd contacted Athena to let her know about Garp, his contact telling him the man had showed up not long after they had before he had left the room.
  Athena appeared at the end of the dock, looking almost lost.
  Law jumped the railing
  Before he could stop himself, his arms where around her, his worry abating. "He didn't hurt you did he?"
  Athena pushed Law away. "No, just talked. Can we please leave now?"
  Taking the stool from her, he put his hand at the small of her back and they headed for the sub.
  "So what story did you tell the crowd?" Penguin asked as they headed through the hatch doors.
  "Some of the ones I've told you recently, and the story of Hercules." She gave him a small smile. "Drew more people then I originally planned."
  Ikkaku patted her shoulder. "That's a good thing, right?"
  Athena nodded half heartedly. "I guess."
  "Are you okay Athena-ya?" Law looked at Athena concerned, not liking how lifeless she almost seemed. It wasn't like her.
  She waved him away. "I'm fine, I think I just need some food and sleep, haven't been getting enough of either over the last few months."
"Why don't we get you something to eat and a hot shower?" Ikkaku pulled her to the dinning hall, grabbing Athena some rice balls.
  "Sounds like a plan."
Athena ate them slowly, trying to untangle her thoughts. Garp had given her a lot to think about, not knowing that he'd said things that had opened pandora's box inside her head.
There where so many what if's and doubts now.
Ikkaku walked with her to the shower room, closing the door behind her.
"Athena"
She looked at the other woman as she disrobed and stepped under the steaming water of the shower head.
"Are you sure everything's okay?"
The sympathy In Ikkaku's voice rang out, breaking Athena's resolve to stay strong.
"I don't know."She whispered.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
  Athena thought about it for a second. Maybe getting an outside perspective could help. She gave a small nod.
Pulling a bench from the wall near the door, Ikkaku put it in the middle of the room and sat.
Taking a deep breath, Athena started from the beginning of her messed up life, explaining how she was raised, as the water ran over her.
Turning off the water at some point, she'd wrapped a towel around herself and sat by the woman.
Ikkaku listened in shock as Athena gave her the sordid details. It was no wonder the woman had been so detached, staying to herself. How did you undo years of mental and physical abuse? And that's what it was, there was no sugar coating what Athena had been through.
"How the hell did you get through all that?"
"It's all I've ever known Ikkaku" Athena couldn't look at her, though she felt like a weight had been lifted somewhat from her shoulders. "But the question is, how do I break habits that have been a part of me for as long as I can remember?"
"May I suggest something?"
"I'll take anything at this point." Athena gave a self deprecating laugh. "Something has to change if I'm going to start over, take the reigns of my life back."
Ikkaku pulled Athena into a hug. "Take it one day at a time, start small" she gave a short laugh. "Like instead of keeping yourself stuck in your room, why don't you stick around and talk to us at breakfast, get to know who we are on a personal level. Don't work so hard, and try taking it easy every once in awhile."
Athena looked up at her, hope sparking. "You think that would help?"
"It's worth a shot." She smiled softly.
"If I start slipping will you remind me what I'm working towards."
"In a heart beat girly."
Athena hugged Ikkaku back. "Thank you."
"Any time honey." Ikkaku squeezed Athena a little tighter, hoping she could help, even if it was just an ear to listen.

  Yes, yes I just did that. I pulled Kid and Calypso into the story😂. I've actually didn't have that planned out funny enough. This chapter wasn't even part of the original story I had written, but I figured if I'm going to make it interesting it was time to change a few things. Not to mention I needed Athena to confront her traumas and one of the people who had a hand in making her who she is, so it works in the end I guess🤷‍♀️.