Chapter Text
The red building came into view as he turned around the corner. Luffy could almost hear Jimbe complaining about his tardiness. How to tell his boss that he accidentally slept in after setting five alarms? He decided it was best not to say anything. Pulling up in the parking lot behind the station, he heard the bells going off. He saw Pedro first leaning off the fall with a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips.
“First of the day?” Luffy called out.
“Luffy! It’s the second, we have been at this all morning.” The older man informed him dropping his cigarette and stamping.
“Sorry, I’m late, dumb alarms didn’t go off,” Luffy mumbled walking up to his co-worker, “Where is the fire?”
“The government hospital,” Pedro replied, “3 trucks have already been deployed but they need more.”
“Damn it. Let’s go!”
Luffy walked into chaos. All the fire fighters were running around gearing up, the phones ringing on every desk and in between it stood Jimbe finishing a call.
“Captain Luffy!” Jimbe greeted him as he walked closer to the older man, “You are up next. There are many casualties and your priority is to transfer them.” Jimbe fired out instructions which flew in from one ear and out of other. Luffy grabbed his coat of the hook when he heard, “Do not jump into the building. The rescue team is already at work, are you listening to me, Luffy?” Jimbe gave him a stern look.
“I can’t promise anything Jimbe,” Luffy met his eyes, “I’ll ask the team to transfer everyone but if they need help—I’m going in.” With that Luffy turned on his heels and walked out of the room with Jimbe screaming behind, “Luffy be safe.”
“Will do!” Luffy called back and walked into the almost empty fire station parking.
Luffy signalled Pedro that he was ready. The rest of the team was already piled up inside the small cabin of their fire truck with some of them lounging on the container with all the necessary equipment. Someone passed him the earpiece that he quickly plugged in to address the team.
“Hello, hello, can everyone hear me?” he asked in the microphone. He heard a mumble of yes’s and a couple of thumbs. “I guess Jimbe had already briefed y’all. I just wanna say that I’m going to jump in rescue if needed. Make sure to transfer all the casualties and be safe.” He heard a couple of yes and hoots before he turned off the microphone.
The site had four fire trucks waiting as they pulled up. Luffy jumped off the container and threw it open. He grabbed a fireproof blanket and beelined to the adjacent truck. He pulled on a random suit lying there.
“Hey Luff.” A deep gravelly echoed from beside him. Luffy turned to his best friend and police officer, Zoro.
“Hey Zoro, how bad is it?” Luffy asked pulling on a jacket.
“Looks like a work of an arsonist,” Luffy clicked his tongue zipping up the jacket, “The investigation will be on for a while.”
“The team–are they still in?” Luffy asked.
“Yeah, doing the last checks.”
“I’m going in.“
“Is it necessary?”
Luffy eyed his best friend curiously a manic grin crawling up his face before he pulled on his mask, “Of course it is.” Zoro waved him off.
Luffy wrapped the blanket around himself and entered the building through the fire exit where the fire was contained. The brunt of the damage had been taken care off already, leaving only first and second floor ablaze. Luffy took two steps at a time and made it to the first floor. He found an officer waiting by the fire exit door.
“All clear?” He asked. The officer nodded.
Luffy shook his head and brushed past him to do the final checks himself. Most of the floor was still on fire as he knitted through the winding corridors. After making sure the floor was empty, he tried to make his way back but the path was blocked. Sighing, he started looking for another exit. A few corridors down, he found some stairs leading upstairs. Luffy made his way up and started inspecting the second floor.
Luffy could feel the spray of water through the windows as he passed. He was about to turn the last corner of the floor when he heard a faint whimper. Luffy looked around but couldn’t place the source. He traced his way back and heard it again. It came from the closed door on his right. Kicking it open, he was engulfed in the smoke for a moment. Waving it off, he called out.
“Hello! Is anyone here?” He took a couple of step into the room craning his ear to pick any noise.
“Help…” he heard a weak voice.
Following the sound, Luffy called out again but all he heard was whimpering. Passing through the smoke he found a figure huddled up in a corner holding a little girl. Luffy ran up to them and asked, “hey, are you okay?”
The man in scrubs opened his eyes weakly and mumbled, “Help… help… my sister please.”
Luffy nodded plucking the blanket off himself and wrapping it around the two. He swept the two off the floor and dashed. He ran past the officer at the entrance, glaring at him in process as he made his way down stairs.
“Please don’t die on me.” he mumbled in the hair of the man in scrubs.
Luffy walked out the fire exit and dashed towards the ambulance in front of the trucks.
“They need help.” he said approaching the van. The medic saw the child and picked her off the man.
“You can set him down there.” the man who picked the girl pointed at the pavement. Luffy’s hand tightened around the man in his arms.
“Isn’t here a stretcher or a spare chair or something?” he asked.
“Everything is pretty occupied officer.” the man replied handing the girl off in the ambulance, “Also he is a doctor, he will come around soon enough.” That statement brought a frown to his face.
Luffy turned around without a word and carried the man to his own fire truck pushing his mask off his face. Setting him on the edge of the container, he looked around for something to help the man. He found a oxygen mask but it was in the far corner of the truck. He jumped in and something tugged at his pants.
“Please…” the man whimpered, “Stay…” he coughed.
“Just getting the oxygen mask okay, I’m right here.” he assured the man and walked into the truck. He grabbed the SCBA and portable cylinder to drag back to the man, who had passed out leaning on the side of the truck. Luffy quickly secured the mask around his mouth and cylinder clicked in place. Luffy was about to head back into the building but something stopped him.
The man’s earnest pleas and the medic’s bland ignorance towards the man faltered his step. Sighing he sat beside the man and wondered how had they missed these two. The man also didn’t ask about his sister again. He looked at the face of the unconscious person beside him. He had a frown etched on his face with his beard unkempt. Probably might be a busy doctor Luffy mused to himself. Looking down he found his hand. Intrigued he laced their fingers to inspect the tattoos of them. DEATH stared back at him. Why would anymore willing write that on themselves, Luffy wondered.
“Captain,” One of his subordinated came rushing to him as Luffy quickly slipped out his hand, “The building is clear.”
“I found him on the second floor when I went in.” Luffy stated.
The man turned to look at the doctor wide eyed, “Captain, he had gone rushing in himself to find someone. We told him to wait out but he was gone before we could catch him.” The subordinated explained. That answered the wariness the medic had towards the doctor but it still didn’t excuse his behaviour.
“He found a girl there.” Luffy said shortly, “Check the building again for people, its a fucking maze in there.” Luffy turned on his earpiece and barked the same instructions.
Luffy turned to the man just to find a pair of wide eyes staring back at him.
“Hey, are you okay?” Luffy asked gently. The man nodded but looked wary nonetheless. “I know you are a doctor but—” Luffy was cut off at the man’s puzzled expression, “Did you hit your head?” he asked jokingly. The man shook his head. Luffy nodded, “I need to check you arms.”
The man cowered in pulling his legs close to him to put some distance. “L-law can do it him-himself.”
Luffy cocked his head, “Are you Law?” the man nodded. “Hi Law, I’m Luffy the fire fighter. Do you remember what happened?”
Law had a distant look for a moment as he recalled his memories. “My sister! Did-Did you s-save my sister?”
“Yeah, she is safe with the medics.” The man visibly relaxed and coughed slightly.
“You have quite a young sister.” Luffy said casually looking his arms and legs for burns.
Law stared him titling his head, “My sister is two years younger than me.” Law stated.
It was Luffy’s turn to stare shocked, “How old are you, Law?” He asked tentatively.
“I’m six in my little space.” Law said pulling off the fogging mask and started coughing again as the clean air hit him. Luffy stared at the thirty year old man.
Luffy cocked his head side to side trying to understand why would a grown man say he’s six. It didn’t make sense. The word ‘little’ stood out to him but he didn’t know what it meant. Luffy watched him as the man looked around the place, he was shivering despite the blanket covering him. His knees were pulled to his chest as he coughed in them. Luffy wanted to tell him to put his mask on again but he sat frozen beside him. Law’s frown was replaced with raised eyebrows, his eyes seemed wide in wonder and he looked tired Luffy noted.
“It’s time to get your checked.” Luffy decided for them and jumped off the truck. He lifted the man easily through the protest. Luffy made his way to another waiting ambulance while the man gave up the fight and clutched his jacket. His eyes were drooping. Luffy increased his pace when a brick wall stopped him. Looking up he realised it was just a large man.
“Captain!” The man shrieked looking at Law, who cracked his eye open and mumbled something. Luffy pulled Law impossibly close to him as he eyed the man in scrubs similar to Law’s.
“How do you know him?” Luffy asked.
“I’m his assistant doctor.” The man replied reaching out again, “My name is Bepo and I can take him from here.”
Luffy tightened his hold on Law and took a step back, “You know him?” He asked Law to which he nodded meekly.
“Please he needs help.” Bepo took a step ahead.
Luffy reluctantly handed over the doctor as he explained, “He seems to have inhaled a lot of smoke before I got there and might have hit his head. He had an oxygen mask on for a while before he woke up.”
“Thank you.” Bepo gave him a curt nod before taking away the doctor. Luffy had the urge to follow them but he stayed rooted in his place. Something about the man made Luffy worry about him. He seemed to be too vulnerable and soft for the world. Luffy has the inexplicable urge to hold him again and hug him. His earpiece crackled with static before the message floated in. Luffy grounded himself to the present and rushed to put out the fire.