Chapter Text
Despite the slight pause in his escape, the air in freedom was still been different. Inhaling it, he seemed to do it much easier than in Udon, where it came out hard and tight. It was really difficult to breathe in the prison, as if it was too crowded for oxygen to circulate normally.
Kid was enjoying the gentle breeze, that was running through his hair. It somehow calmed him down. Made him take his mind off running through the same record. Music would be good right know.
They had already moved far away from their place of detention, the wasteland was still pleasing in its appearance. Kid was also thinking about it: how confusing the space around here can be. Whether it was from the fumes, or from the landscape, or from temporary insanity, but for some reason some places here stretched to eternity, and the others shrank to a one hour journey. He still remembers how he'd already started crossing some snow-covered forest when he saw Killer in one of the convoys. Or... Hitokiri Kamazo.
If he came up with this boring name, then this is still his Killer. Even if he was trailing behind him now, completely unrecognizable, and laughing softly from time to time.
For the first time, Kid didn't want to talk to him, although the need for communication was terrible right now. He wanted to get every bit of information from him. What happened after he was knocked out? What happened to him, to their team, what was done to Killer and what was he doing? In the end, it didn't look like he was imprisoned, and neither was Kid. Hitokiri Kamazo? Failed the shogun's mission? What does it all mean?
If he asked him about something now, he would definitely explode. He already yelled at him trying to get him to his senses. And all he got in response was laughter and tears. Maybe Killer knew where he was. But his mind was jumping somewhere out of reach. Perhaps this is some kind of Fruit user that had done something to him. Maybe he was just brainwashed. Maybe something worse. Perhaps-...
Kid hit the rock with all his might to calm his thoughts. Those days of training that he spent back at Udon was worth it: it split almost in half, forcing Killer to jump away from the debris that fell to the ground.
The sound of falling stones continued for a moment, until with each small pebble it disappeared completely. As a result, only the warm air and Killers stunned laughter remained to sound. Kid looked at him, seeing the shock in his eyes alongside with a wide-open smile.
"So!" He began, returning the smile, "Situation is simple: We're fuck knows where. Fuck knows what's wron with ye. My crew is also the fuck knows where. Conclusion: we're a fucked! Any ideas?"
Killer stood as he stood, saying nothing. There was no hope for him. He seemed to have come to his senses, but he still looked out of his mind. Maybe it's because of his outfit that this impression is created?
Frowning at the bridge of his nose from powerlessness, Kid asked bitterly:
"Are you even here?.." And Killer just smiled in silence.
***
"What time is it?" Kid asked, not hoping for an answer.
Killer seemed to be following him, but continued to stay away. By this time, they got dry, thanks to the incredible heat that was all over this area. They walked for quite a long time, - damn Wano with its strange landscape. Their path was marked by their small footprints disappearing in the sand. The heat began to burn through Kid's skin and dry his mouth.
He wonders what Killer felt? He seemed to start laughing more, or it was just tired sighs that were fused with laughter. That was strange. There seemed to be an inhale, - the beginning of a laugh, and then an exhale, - its end. Or a wheeze. Or snuffling. Kid couldn't understand anymore. Killer laughed loudly, and judging by his voice, he did it too often to break his voice. Even this was not completely clear, because Killer always had a broken voice. And not knowing something he wanted to know about - the most annoying thing for Kid.
"D' ya know at least somethin? Can ya talk? Or did they take it from ya too?"
It seems the sun has started to set. Kid was desperate, wanting to talk to his best friend, but unable to do so. He didn't want to be angry or sarcastic with him either. After all, this is his dear Killer. But now he was in turmoil. In the end, it's his fault that this happened to him. And you can't technically beat yourself up, so Kid have to be angry at everything he can, even if Killer will become a target.
"Where're we goin, Kill?" Once again, when he hear no answer, Kid turnes to him with rage, "Talk ta me, goddammit!"
Killer looked like he was sick. Apparently the sun was heating him too much. Although it warmed them up after the ice cold water, but, damn! - the heat was nauseating! And Killer could only laugh softly, or rather whine, because he was completely weakened.
“What? Don' tell me you have a sunstroke. Where can I find shade or water for you? Suck it up. You're a Massacre Soldier, dammit! Remember? Oi?" Kid impatiently grabbed him by the collar and shook him.
Killer's body dangled freely in his hands until the torso weakly leaned back, not falling only thanks to Kid's hand. His head was pointed upward, directly at the sun, where his glassy eyes stared with a sleepy smile.
"Oi, are ya with me? Kill. Killer!" He wasn't, "Fuck!.."
Kid quickly threw him over his shoulder, his body suspiciously thin and limp, and ran in an unclear direction.
He is not good at orienteering. If he had his other hand, where he embedded the Logpos, then maybe yes. But now he was nothing but a crippled prison escapee with a piece of laughing shit on his shoulder.
The extra load on his back only added coins to the pile of problems he was having right now. It was necessary to do something with the crew, find Victoria, cure Killer!...
The sun was hot even during sunset. Kid was burned in all exposed places. His hand was reddened and covered with peeling skin. Later he will definitely have a huge red imprint on his body in the form of a cutout of his jacket.
As soon as they were able to stop at some cliff, he leaned against a stone, completely dehydrated. Sweat soaked his body completely, dripping from his neck and sticking to his skin. He had to take off his fur coat and pull back the ends of his clothes to let at least some (suffocatingly hot) air inside. He was thirsty. For the same reason, their punishment began to be remembered. There was so much water, but they couldn't drink it.
While thinking about the heat, Kid looked at Killer lying on his side. These bags of clothes and bandages. He must be boiling hot in them.
From here it seemed that he slept peacefully, but upon further investigation, his permanent smile could be seen. He smiles even in his sleep. Looking at him, Kid felt powerless. He felt like he'd made a mistake. Although it's really difficult to make him feel guilt, but now he's angry and blames himself for it all. How could he have screwed up like this? Maybe if he hadn't been sitting on his ass at Udon fooling around with Straw Hat, then maybe...
"Damn," Kid hissed quietly.
Now's not the time to feel defeated. A temporary pause in the plan to destroy Yonko? Yes. A complete defeat from him? Yeah, as if! Eustass Kid was coming out of the battle against the Emperor in the worser state.
Now they had two main problems: the missing crew and Killer's strange condition.
Kid is one hundred percent sure that if his partner is here, then so are his bastards. The idea of their demise at the hands of the Beast Pirates was as ridiculous as the alliance with Hawkins and Apoo. Those traitors. Another important thing is to kill these two fuckers when they see them next time. They'll pay the price for bending under the Kaidou so quickly.
Kid had been in the tank for too long, cut off from the world and its news. He doesn't know what happened here in these three weeks, and he doesn't know where he is right know. It almost seems that they'll walk endlessly through the desert until they die of heat or exhaustion. The only one who can know about anything is Killer. Who's not himself right now. And Kid don't know what's wrong with him for sure. Perhaps this is the effect of some kind of fruit. Temporary insanity, perhaps. Kid didn't like to speculate much. He loved facts. And the only fact is that his partner was now lying next to him and laughing softly in his sleep.
Killer inhaled heavily, but signed with a laugh. Even in his sleep, he can't control his laughter. And he will have it permanently know? It must be terrible to smile all the time.
But that wasn't what he needed to worry about right now. The sky began to turn purple. The desolate suffocating heat began to change to a gnawing frost.
As soon as it got on the sweaty skin, Kid breathed out a steam cloud with a shudder. Succumbing to the first thoughts in his head, he looked at sleeping Killer.
Although his smile seemed to be permanently stuck on his face, he looked like he was freezing. He was trembling slightly from the intensity of the temperature under his baggy clothes, which had not yet dried out from the torture of cold water.
It reminded Kid of something. An old distant memory. Vague, but nostalgic.
It was the same cold night, but instead of Killer, Kid was the one who's lying and shivering. His partner asked him more than once "Is it cold?", but he always answered to him with a barely moving lips "Nah, s' warm!". Despite the fact that he was proud and stubborn, afraid to undermine his status as a man, Kid's pride couldn't warm him. But Killer with one of his conspiratorial smiles said, "But I am! Move, hothead!" and brazenly broke into his personal space. And he wasn't cold at all. Hot as a fire. But Kid couldn't go against his friend, already twice his size. As a result, he snored with him in his arms, because without him, Killer couldn't do anything - he would frooze to death.
It was just like that! Killer was always freezing, so he huddled to him for warmth, and Kid couldn't help, but give him this warmth, because unlike him, he was always hot. Yep. Always.
"Damn, Kill, ye can't do anythin without me help. How were you livin 'ere without me, hm?" Kid was asking gently as he took off Killer's kimono.
If he's lucky, he'll be able to dry it before dawn. He just need to find some firewood.
The comment about Killer's helplessness proof to be true. The bandages all over his body were soaked with more than just moisture. Poorly tied, as if hastily replaced, the bandages on his chest were completely red.
"Who did this to my partner?" Kid muttered glumly, tying the bandages properly.
As soon as it got wrapped tightly around the wound again, drops of blood spurted out from under them. Killer let out a whine-like laugh, and Kid tensed, but his partner didn't wake up, continuing sleeping.
"Fuck, sorry, Kill," He apologized anyway.
And when did he get into the habit of talking to himself? Not that Killer could answer him at all.
The absence of a kimono only added to his body's trembling. The temperature began to drop so much that Killer's eyelashes began to cover with frost. If this goes on, then any brushwood here risks being unusable. It's better to act faster if he doesn't want them to freeze to death.
He untied Killer's bandages on his face, while examining him for something that was bothering him. Kid didn't pay much attention to this at Udon, but now he could notice dark circles under his partner eyes, already on the way to becoming bags. There was a barely noticeable bruise on his cheekbone, healing, but causing worry. Along with his goatie, he managed to grow a noticeable stubble. He looked like a hobo in some way. What happened to him? There are too many questions and no answers. In order not to burden himself with thought processes about Hitokiri Kamazo, Kid took off a tight bandage from his golden hair, which caused a whole hairy explosion. It was funny.
For now, Kid threw his coat on Killer as a replacement, and spent the rest of the sunset looking for suitable firewood for a campfire. Remembering their old days in the garbage hole, Kid somehow fired it, cursing all this time. Yeah, Killer could've handle it much better. Kid was more of a builder in their survivors duo. Sheds, shelters, fortified bonfires - everything that required an engineering approach, but not knowledge of how to light a fire, which berries are poisonous and which trails are belongs to animals.
But what if Killer doesn't recover at all? Kid squinted at him.
Killer was already blushing from cold, but he at least he stopped shaking. Under this fur coat, he looked too petite, despite his usual appearance.
Never in his life Killer was small. Strong and reliable. There were no limits to his loyalty, which was reflected in his acts. Back when when Kid lost his arm, Killer swore to him that he will become stronger to never let it happen again. They both needed to become stronger back then. A strong captain needs a strong first mate.
They seemed to share each other's grief. When Victoria died, - they cried together, when Kid lost his arm, - Killer almost burned his own, when Kid was fighting to the end with Kaidou, - Killer stood shoulder to alongside with him, when Kid lost this battle, - Killer...
If fate do exists, it is especially cruel to them. Sharing both joy and sorrow. Truly, they were two halves of the same soul.
"For seas sake, Kill" Kid exhaled, unable to control his emotions.
If it was all his fault... If it was because if his weakness, then shame on him. He was supposed to be their captain, be a shield for them and their example. In the end, he lost so shamefully, unable to even lay a finger Kaidou. What a shame. How humiliating it is when your crew begs for your mercy. Otherwise Killer wouldn't have let himself to get caught without a fight, if it hadn't been for Kid's life.
"You're stron'. Stronger than anyone I've ever seen. So be okay. Please..." Kid begged him, looking at his sleeping unresponsive body.
If it's a matter of fatigue, then he's ready to wait as long as it takes. He will wait and try to do everything to bring Killer to his senses. They will spend the night in peace. And tomorrow they'll start looking for clues. As well as medicine for Killer, if there's a cure for this. They need to rest now. Get enough sleep to be ready.
Not immediately, but Kid fell asleep and slept until half the night, until the most frightening thing related to Killer happened...