Trigger Warning:
Strong language and themes of depression.
*****
"Grumpy! Become my daughter!"
Alex stood there stunned, for split second she didn't even understand what he had said.
What?
Then cold hard panic set in, Alexandra's breath hitched in blind mortified terror. Her eye grew wide, she could feel fear taking over as her brain registered his words.
He knows? How!? HOW DOES HE KNOW!? WHO TOLD HIM!?
Papi? Did papi meet him and tell him!? No, when would he have? The mortified child had always been with papi, not once had he ever mentioned meeting him.
Then maybe mother!? That was possible, it's not like she had seen her in like 11 years, who knows, maybe she had met him?
And told him! WHY WOULD SHE TELL HIM!? HE WAS- Wait, didn't he say 'become my daughter' not 'you are my daughter'... Then the Yonko didn't know... then why would he say something like that?
Is this some kind of sick joke?
She felt sick, so much so that Alex could have thrown up, that was if there was anything in her stomach to actually bring up. She was shaking violently, the dark bag under her red raw and dry eye was only making her head hurt more, the pressure was so very uncomfortable and suddenly the day caught up, it crushed her in a rush of emotional agony.
She felt frozen stiff, she was hungry, she was tired and she was thirsty. Alex's chest was painful, her breathing wasn't so good, which was probably because she hadn't taken her medication today. Everything else that was happening, seemed so much more important at the time. Not to mention the girl didn't want to look weak and pathetic to the imposing and terrifying pirates.
More then anything she wanted to break down in tears. Alex had reached her limit.
I don't want to deal with this anymore. I can't deal with it. Just go away! Why can't this go away! Please leave me alone!
Alex wanted to go home... she wanted her papi. With teeth bared and trembling lips, fingers that dug into the cold rock beneath her, that made her wince in pain, as her frozen pale skin was turning almost white. She felt like a ghost, something that didn't belong. That felt empty, like something was missing but couldn't do anything to stop that agonising reality.
Her trembling hand finding it's way up to her missing eye. She couldn't even feel it under her touch having gone numb a long time ago.
Why did this have to happen? Wasn't losing everything enough! Now this! What did we do to deserve this! Papi didn't deserve this! He was- is a good man, he cared about me and he had to go away too! Is it me?
Alex was slowly starting to break down, her face starting to turn onto a blank empty stare, looking haunted. As if the young girl was seeing it all play out before her, but she was detached, so desperate to get away from the emotional turmoil that she had just up and left her body. But of course, that was not the case, Alex could not escape so easily. She was trapped in her own head, the shadows she wished didn't exist were all too present.
Now my stupid- this man is messing me around! Laughing at me! This sick twisted game he was playing with me. Why'd he have to say something like that? This is the worse possible thing he could say. Why can't he just be cruel in the normal way, tell me I'm pathetic or call me gross or even wish me dead! Why that? How did he know how much that would hurt?
He was reason she was missing an eye! The cause of so much of her life being a horrible nightmare, all because the stupid Marines slapped Edward in front of Alexandra!
Everyone hated the Yonko, be it Marine, other Pirates or simple civilians! Then there were the one's that had been brutally attacked and lost things to them. Lost things to him... It's not like they could get revenge on the strongest man in the world, how could they kill him? They couldn't... Nobody could.
Simply put, they couldn't get revenge. That was, not directly. But wait! Whitebeard has a stupid daughter that he's never even met! Guess she's just like the real thing, right?
She could answer for his sins. Thus, Alexandra became the punching bag, the easy to make suffer Whitebeard 2.0. It did not matter if she knew him or not, it didn't matter that she was nothing like him.
The only thing Alex could see that they had a little resemblance on was the blonde wavy hair, so she made sure it stayed short.
She lost everything... and she had no idea why. Not only had the girl lost her home and the only family that cared about her, she had to deal with being highly dangerous criminals' child.
WASN'T THAT ENOUGH! HADN'T THE WORLD TAKEN ENOUGH FROM ME! Couldn't life be like it used to? Was that even possible? So, when Alex released the final bit of emotional blockage from her system, her mental screaming rang in inside her like a sad pathetic bell. She was left numbly wondering what would her mother and papi would think of her pathetic life?
They would ashamed to even call me their family, I'm a failure. I'm not like an Elbafthen warrior, heck I'm short even by human kid standards. I'm nothing like a giant at all.
As the rage slowly subsided, Alex's muscles ached, she was tired and miserable. All she wanted to do was disappear, cease to exist.
It had started to rain, just her luck. It's not like she could get any wetter anyway. She turned her back to the ship, the girl could hear the pirates shouting at her vaguely, it was just loud nonsense in her ears. She couldn't muster the will to care anymore. She just didn't care.
What's even the point?
There was a rumble, it made her frown. Was that her stomach growling, no, it was way too deep and guttural for that. The rain was way too thick to be water, it was like drawl or something... Alex sniffed the air, but her nose was stuffy, she grumbled a little. Turning her eye towards the sky, something was blocking out the stars.
A sea king was staring back. A long deep greyish blue body, a head full of sharp teeth and red glowing eyes. Its fins were tattered, clearly this thing had seen many battles over the years. Alex didn't so much as bat an eye, she wasn't scared, actually she didn't feel much of anything other then a sense of relief, finally something to end this. No more sitting around waiting to die, at least this way things would be much simpler.
Welp... I guess fighting a giant sea monster is good way to go out. Pretty cool way to die, I guess. A warrior's death. Could be worse.
"Alright you over grown snake! Let's go!"
She leapt straight at the things head, digging her claws into its flesh. Screaming it flung its head back, Alex shifted as she was sent flying into the air, putting all her strength into my lion claws she struck it as she fell once more, snarling, she hung on as it was tried to shake her off. Using her sharp teeth she bit down hard, blood filled her mouth, which she may add was gross, the sea king seemed hate it so the lion carried on.
Pain erupted in her side as she was slammed into the rock, stunned she released the monster, almost tumbling into the water as it landed. She was dizzy, however Alex managed to roll out of way as it came crashing down, sharp daggers for teeth snapping. She stumbled to her feet, paws shaking as she tried to regain her balance, blood was oozing from her flank in a star shape, thankfully, right now the adrenaline was pumping around so she couldn't feel much. She jumped at it again, aiming for its long slender throat, her jaws caught on one of its gills, it wreathed, desperately trying to dislodge its small assailant. The stench of fish blood filled her nostrils, she could probably smell it now because she had her whole face shoved into its wound.
In a last ditch effort, the sea king tossed its long body straight into the sea, as soon as Alexandra hit the ocean her strength left, she couldn't move. Her teeth disconnecting from its gills as the current spun as the beast struggled, she was caught up in it, dragged along in the waving tornado of water. Blurs of blues, greens and reds was all her eye could pick out as she started to sink, however it was peaceful, the soft lull of the sea, Alex smiled. So, this was it...
Sorry Papi... I never did meet up with you again. I wish I could have seen you at least one more time.
_____________________________________________
Izo had appeared on the surface of the water, dragging the stupid little brat with him, who was coughing and hacking her guts up "I got her! Now get me out!" Newgate sighed, leaning over the barrier with an offered hand, his son grumbled a bit more as he took it. Lifting the lad up with no difficulty, Izo was dragged from the water. As soon as the former samurai was on the deck, he unceremoniously dumped Grumpy on the blonde man, huffing "What a stupid kid! Fighting a sea king!"
Newgate gave the girl a once over, he nodded, she seemed to be breathing fine or as fine as someone who had almost drowned. The wound on her side wasn't nearly as bad as it looked, the most damage the hit from the rock had done was break the skin. He was surprised how resilient the brat was, she just took whatever crap was thrown at her, didn't seem to matter. Maybe she was just too stubborn to actually care about that stuff. It seemed that Grumpy was out cold, which was probably for the best, she was quite a cute kid when she wasn't scowling and biting the man.
"Izo, are you alright?" He turned his attention back down to Izo, who retorted with a resounding "Do I look okay to you father?" The youngster was sopping wet, his normally well done hair was in a straggly mess and his makeup was running, Newgate snorted mockingly, his son's attitude was still as fiery as ever, that's all that mattered.
"Don't just laugh at me!" Izo snapped, his face had gone bright red like a tomato. Newgate simply ruffled his hair, mostly to irritate him more, he didn't disappoint as he let out annoyed growl and tried to push the man off. "Pftt, now, now son, that's very unbecoming of a samurai."
"You can stick your unbecoming crap up your ass!"
Newgate burst out laughing, his kids were the best. "GURARARAA! I think you've spent too long with pirates" Izo rolled his eyes, he was still crimson. Finally ducking away from the captain's hand, he marched over to the side of the ship to where his brothers had been fighting the sea king. Thatch who had dispatched the beast was currently sat on it, the corpse split in half, straight down the middle. "Oh, boy... bro you good? May I just say your hair is lovely" Thatch teased causing Izo swear loudly.
"That's it I'm going to bed!"
"Awww! Come on Izo! Thatch doesn't mean it, come back, yoi" The brunet sniggered, causing Marco to sigh, he gave Thatch a sideways glance from where he flew "Fuhaha! Yeah I did! Marco you have seen his hair, right? He looks like a troll"
"Nope! Screw you, good night!" Izo spat.
Thatch scowled, however Marco gave him his well practiced stern big brother face, finally he mumbled a "Fine, I'm sorry..." Of course Izo took the opportunity to look down at Thatch with a smug grin "Thank you, Marco" In response the brunet stuck his tongue out at him. Newgate watched as the two of them devolved into a pair of little brats, making rude gestures at each other, why did Marco even bother? He shook his head fondly, leaving them both to it. Ah, well.
"Why are they so stupid, yoi?" Marco asked coming to land on his fathers out stretched arm, the man shrugged in a good humoured way. It was just a squabble among brothers. He didn't really care, as long as they weren't being exceptionally nasty to one another.
Newgate readjusted his arm, so Grumpy was in much more comfortable position, she had curled into the crook of his elbow. The corners of his mouth slid up ever so slightly in a smile, though it was hidden from view by his moustache. Before disappearing completely as he finally realized just how unwell the child looked. She was deathly pale, shivering from the cold and her breathing would hitch, causing her to snore.
She's so little... and thin. Poor kid looks half dead. Maybe I should have dragged her in sooner. Probably wouldn't of helped the trust issues doing that, but still... A moment later Marco echoed his thoughts "She's so small, doesn't look well at all, yoi" The Phoenix was bent over the kid, poking at her, most likely assessing the problem, doctor face firmly in place.
"How old do y'reckon she is? She's probably younger than Haruta, right?"
Talking of Haruta...
Newgate turned slightly, not making it obvious as he chuckled softly. His eyes fixing on a small red-haired child, he knew they had been there for a while. The kid was being hushed by their older brother, who was trying to get them to move away from the corner of the cabin they were hidden behind.
Marco who was unaware nodded "I think she's probably 11 or 12, she could be younger considering how she acts, yoi."
The blonde man sniggered again, he didn't bother to spin around as he loudly uttered "Haru, Namur come out. I know you're there"
"Told you Haru..." Namur said with a tired voice, he padded out from their hiding spot followed by his sibling, who complained "Not my fault, you kept talking"
"No, I told you to be quiet cause you were being too loud"
Marco leapt down from Newgate's arm, landing in front of the two apprentices with hands on his hips, he gave off his normal tired big brother aura "What are you two doing out of bed, yoi"
"You expect us to sleep when there's a crazy kid on a rock trying to fight a sea king, come on Marco" Haruta replied sarcastically. Namur was nodding in agreement, maybe he wasn't quite as loud as Haru, however that hadn't stopped him from looking overly enthusiastic either, even if it was worn out.
The Yonko sat down on the deck cross legged, giving them both a big cheerful grin, settling Grumpy comfortably against his chest, he lent over backwards to look at Marco's unamused expression "They have a point"
"Is that them?" Without hesitation Haruta clambered up onto his knee, they frowned down at the girl, jabbing their finger into her face."They don't look very well" Newgate's grin dropped a little, he give his kid a gentle rub on the head with one of his knuckles "Doll, I don't think she is, but hey, she'll be alright once she's had something to eat and drink. Maybe a bath, has warmed up a bit, she'll be up and telling us to go fuck off again."
"Did she really say that?" Namur said with a raised eyebrow, he was perched next Haruta, making sure they didn't prod Grumpy too much.
"Nah. But she did call me a banana tree"
Haruta burst out laughing "Ah man, she's weird. I like her already!"
Newgate couldn't agree more. Marco and Namur simply sighed, too tired to deal with their family.