Chapter Text
He was running before he realised what he was doing.
Weaving between the fighting around him, ducking beneath another attack that aimed his way blindly. Neither side knew which side he was on, so both took a swing at him. Another time, he would have been amused. Another time, he would have paused to have fun. But-
Sabo gripped his pipe painfully hard as he leapt from ice block to ice block, his coat flying behind him like wings.
Faster. He had to be faster.
All the while, he still didn't know why he had to get there. But deep down, something told him that if he didn't get there in time he couldn't- wouldn't- live with it. He just couldn't.
And to think, the mission had started so simply. Get in, grab as much information as possible, then get out undetected. Easy. And it really had been.
With the cover of the Whitebeard pirates attacking the Marines, it was like taking candy from a baby. No one was around to interrupt him as Sabo had rifled through the different documents. Fucking away a bunch of fascinating notes that Koala would have the time of her life with. He also managed to snag a baby black snail! It was a honeypot, really. He couldn't wait to gossip with Koala about it. And yet-
The moment he stepped out onto the battlefield, through smoke and fire he watched as a figure dropped to his knees. Sabo had been frozen to the spot, not breathing as he noted the agony on the figure's face. The pirate curled in on himself. His heart skipped a beat- and his feet carried him across the ice before he could stop himself. The tugging in his chest to hurry only grew as he drew closer to the pirate. The man who had been fighting beside the pirate turned around, and Sabo was close enough to see the pure horror as he screamed.
“LUFFY.”
Something snapped.
Pain ruptured across his head. Sabo gritted his teeth and mentally shoved it to the back of his mind. He jumped up, so close yet- He watched as Luffy reached forward from his position on the floor, his hands reaching towards a piece of paper. A paper that was burning fast.
Ace screamed out again and lunged forward as Akainu ran forward, magma gathering around his fist as he punched towards Luffy.
He wasn't going to make it.
He wasn't -
Sabo pushed his Haki into his pipe, and with a desperate move, he flung himself forward as Ace slid between the admiral and his younger brother, covering Luffy with his own body. Eyes shutting with an expression of reluctant acceptance on his face. So defeated. An expression that just ... didn't belong.
Sabo's chest tightened. His eyes widened.
“DON'T FUCKING TOUCH MY BROTHERS”
The words ripped from his mouth, the scream echoing around him. It felt like his chest had exploded with pressure. Hundreds of Marines and pirates alike dropped down to their knees, staring up at him in surprise. But Sabo's eyes were firmly locked on Akainu, whose attack slowed just a couple of seconds.
But those precious seconds were all he needed.
A loud crash reverberated across the battlefield as Sabo's pipe crashed against Akainu's fist. His Haki held strong against the burning magma. His entire body shuddered with the pressure, and he could already feel his arms straining against the powerful attack. But-
“Made it just in time.” He grinned.
“Who-?” Akainu snarled, his eyes narrowing in anger. Sabo smirked and set his feet, his mind racing on how to get out of this, preferably alive. He could basically see the anger steaming off of the man. An idea flashed across his mind, and Sabo's smirk widened.
“Gol D. Sabo.” He announced, the words ringing clear across the ice. He could hear the gasps of surprise and confusion around them. But all he could focus on was the fuming man in front of him and the warm presence behind him. He could feel how both Ace and Luffy stared at him, the surprise and burning hope in their gaze.
“Sabo?” Ace whispered, almost too quiet for him to make out, but he just caught it. There was a cut-off sob that Sabo could instantly pin as Luffy. He's still a crybaby.
“Another one?” Akainu hissed. He pushed harder against his pipe. The magma was starting to seep through the cracks, and he could feel his Haki starting to break. Fuck. He focused his Haki into the pipe, mentally preparing for the attack.
Trying to ignore how the magma burned into his arms, pieces of hot liquid seeped through his clothes as it sparked off of Akainu's fists.
“Yeah. Didn't think Ace would have a twin, did ya?” He couldn't stop the cheeky grin from replacing his smirk. It felt incredible to be able to finally refer to himself as such. Twins. It felt like something finally locked back into place, a part of his soul finally coming home. “Oh! You may also know me as the Revolutionary Gentleman.” He could see the exact moment the words hit Akainu, the man's eyes widening in shock, his attack momentarily faltering.
Sabo moved.
With a yell, he threw himself forward, the Haki he had gathered releasing against Akainu's fist with a powerful push. His pipe was melting, but Sabo shifted his foot. His attack had forced Akainu back away from his brothers, off kilter. So with a quick movement, Sabo yanked his foot out and swiped the Admiral's foot out from under him. The man let out a cry of surprise and tumbled back. The slope of the ice is working against him.
Sabo grinned ferally and carried forward the swing, his pipe slamming into the Admiral's chest with a sickening crack. The man flew. A couple of the Marines screamed and scrambled out of the way, Akainu's body slamming into a wall of ice.
Sabo let out a shaky breath and stepped back. Watching as the pipe finally collapsed in on itself. The blonde frowned and let it drop. Well, it had saved their lives, but- The weapons-smith had lied when he boasted about it being able to hold up against hell itself. Whatever.
He turned around only to freeze in his step.
Both Ace and Luffy sat staring at him. Both pale, shaky and covered in blood and dirt from their escape. The horror and shock on their faces chilled him to the bone. Gods, this must be so confusing to them- Sabo winced and lifted a hand to wave awkwardly at them. Flinching at the look of disbelief, Ace shot him.
“Sorry, we should get out of here.” Was what he said instead of the hundred other things he could have said. Starting with ‘I'm sorry’ and ending with ‘I love you'. But it did the job. Ace nodded sharply and pushed himself up, gently picking Luffy up and cradling him against his chest. The softness and care went straight to his heart, fuck. He missed them so much.
Luffy didn't protest to being picked up, instead he kept staring at Sabo, unable to tear his eyes away from him. And Sabo could understand it, his own gaze flickering between his brothers, not wanting to take his eyes off of them for a moment.
The fight seemed to resume around them, and one of the Whitebeard pirates ran up to them, his eyes dancing between the three of them before settling on Ace and Luffy. Sabo could sense the panic and concern the man held for them and relaxed slightly. It'll be okay.
He said something that missed, a sharp stab of pain shooting through his head. Sabo hissed and pressed a hand to his head. He could hear Luffy say his name, but he slammed his eyes shut. Willing the pain to pass. Fucking hell-
A warm hand touched his shoulder.
Sabo's eyes shot open with a sharp gasp. He looked over with wide eyes. Ace stood closer to him than before, Luffy now in the arms of Jinbe. Both of his brothers looked at him in concern. Sabo wanted to comfort them, but- He stumbled forward, pressure building against his temple, the pain growing more intense. Warm hands grabbed his arms, keeping Sabo upright.
“-Bo, Sabo!” There was a curse, and the warm hands were flinging Sabo's arm around his shoulders and pulling him forward, supporting his weight. Sabo just allowed himself to be herded, his steps uneven and his eyes pressed shut. Trusting Ace to get him out of here. Somewhere behind him, he could hear shouting, but seas above his head were pounding.
It felt like someone had shoved a hot pipe into his brain, the agony rippling through his body so intensely he could feel it in his knees. His mind was melting. Flashes of white shot through his mind. Images flashing quickly, making him feel nauseous; a forest, a tree house, a flag, their flag. A loud voice cracked through the white with a chest-deep laugh that echoed.
“I'm going to be the king of the pirates!”
Through the pained haze, Sabo could make out a commotion of some sort happening. The warmth pushed him onto someone else and disappeared. The lack of warmth was enough for Sabo to pry his eyes open, just in time to watch Akainu swing an attack down at Luffy and Jinbe. He watched as Ace cut the attack short in horror, Ace's flames curling from red to blue, then white. The man was screaming something at Akainu. But Sabo- Sabo watched as the magma hit Luffy's chest, his brother screaming. Jinbe was knocked to the side unconscious, and Luffy-
Sabo shoved away from whoever was holding him, and he was running. Sprinting past Ace and Akianu. He pushed his body faster. But Luffy- Sabo watched as his baby brother disappeared under the water. As he got to the water, he threw his hat to the side and dived without hesitation.
Fuck.
The water was freezing.
Sabo swam as fast as he could. His eyes darted around as he searched for his brother. Shit. What if he missed him? What if-
There.
A familiar figure was sinking fast. Sabo gritted his teeth and pushed himself as much as he could. His arms and legs were burning from the effort. His head was pounding in time with his heart. He was quickly losing his breath and felt the panic grip his chest. He needed to save Luffy. With a strong kick, Sabo managed to catch Luffy's ankle. With a quick yank, he pulled the teen back until he was able to wrap his arms around Luffy's chest. Sabo immediately began to swim upwards but- he glanced at Luffy.
It felt like his heart had stopped. His blood ran cold. Luffy had his eyes closed. Closed and lifeless. And his mouth- fuck. Fuck. He was- No. No. No.
Please. Please.
The words repeated in his mind. Both of them are drawing closer to the surface. His lungs were begging for him to breathe, and Sabo was hit with such a strong wave of dizziness that he nearly let the rest of his oxygen out. The memory assaulted him painfully, his scars burning. Sabo tried to push it away but even his limbs felt heavier, Luffy feeling like weights against his arm. Bubbles slipped out. The corners of his vision were spotted with black.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He wasn't going to make it.
He couldn't afford to fail again.
He would not fail again.
Sabo kicked as hard as he could; the arm that wasn't holding his limp brother reached up towards the light. The light that was so close. He couldn't stop. He wouldn't. Not now. Not when he was so close.
A hand reached down. Sabo grabbed it without hesitation. With a splash, he and Luffy broke the surface. Sabo took a gulping breath and pushed Luffy onto the ice. Ace immediately turned him over, swearing as he started CPR. His hand dripped with water. Sabo pulled himself onto the ice, his body trembling below him. The blonde pushed the wet hair away from his eyes and stared at Luffy.
“Come on, Luffy. You can't do this. Not to us.” Ace said harshly. His eyes glistened with unshared tears. Sabo felt his heart crack. He dragged him after closer, his eyes on Luffy's pale face, absent his usual D grin. And gods, it felt so deeply wrong. That barely touched on the scorched skin that Ace was pressing against. Burns he knew, were painful. Sabo swallowed and felt tears burn in his eyes. He slipped a hand into one of Luffy's limp ones.
“Please.” He begged, his voice hoarse. Ace's eyes flickered up for a moment before falling back on their baby brother. The silence around them was suffocating.
Please.
Not Luffy.
Then, Luffy spluttered and coughed, his chest heaving suddenly. Sabo let out a sob and helped Ace move Luffy onto his side so he could expel the water in his system. Ace let out a half cry half laugh as Luffy coughed and slumped against Ace's chest. Looking up at them with a weak grin. Sabo felt a pressure against his hand and looked down to see Luffy squeezing it. The tears finally fell, rolling down his cheeks. He shuffled closer and kissed Luffy's forehead. Letting his own forehead rest against Ace's, who leant forward. Both of them cradling their youngest.
“Thank the seas you're alive.” He breathed. Ace let out a relieved laugh. They stayed together. Just breathing. They each had so much to say. To explain. But for now. The fact that they were alive was enough.
Sabo couldn't tell how long had passed. It felt like forever, but in reality was probably less than a minute. But a voice cut through the bubble of safety they had created.
“Hey. Over here.” Ace and Sabo moved back and looked around. Over in the water was a bright yellow submarine. And whilst his crewmates got out the boardwalk, their captain stood against the bars, waving lazily over at them. “Bring him over. I can provide medical assistance.”
It took a couple of seconds to place the face, but the second it clicked into place, he couldn't help but relax. Trafalgar D. Law. Captain to the heart pirates. And somewhat of a friend after they met on a mission a couple of years back.
Ace glanced over to Sabo, tilting his head in question. ‘Should we?’ He met his brother's gaze and just nodded. He knew Law wouldn't offer his services without a good reason, and even then, Sabo knew the man wouldn't slack off when it came to his practice. So Luffy would be in safe hands. Law wouldn't hurt his brother.
The way Ace just nodded without hesitation and pushed himself to his feet, gently cradling a barely conscious Luffy who was watching everything through half-lidded eyes. The trust he had in Sabo, without a second thought, filled his chest with such warmth that for a second, he forgot he was still wet and cold. The fact that despite the years that the both of them had been separated, his twin undoubtedly trusted him. It honestly meant everything to him. And Sabo could feel his heart rekindling the love and trust between the three of them. The memories slotting into place and the emotions attached to them making their home in his heart.
The fire user glanced back and raised a brow at him. Sabo chuckled and pushed himself up onto his feet. Ignoring how the world swam around him and followed his brothers to the submarine. To the side, he could see the Red Hair Pirates sailing close, Shank's on the deck, staring over at them. The red-haired man sparked a memory, and Sabo hesitated in his steps. Glancing around them. Ah- there.
He stepped away from his brothers and bent down, picking up Luffy's straw hat. His treasure had been knocked off when Akainu hit Luffy, luckily not getting lost in the waters. He knew if Luffy had been anymore aware, he would be panicking about the location of the hat. Sabo held it gently, his eyes categorising every scratch and patch that hadn't been there the last time Sabo had seen it. Three gashes on the top were the biggest change. And hidden in the ribbon were a couple of pieces of paper. Including one hurriedly stuffed paper that Sabo recognised as a vivre card. And assuming from how it had been burning when Luffy was on the ice- it was probably Ace's.
Sabo glanced up when he felt eyes on him. He met Shank's gaze. The man just grinned and waved at him. Sabo snorted and waved back, pulling away his gaze to look at the submarine. Ace was now by the hatch of the submarine, glaring down at one of Law's crewmates as he passed down Luffy. Law, already in doctor mode, was muttering to himself as he eyed Luffy, ignoring Luffy's weak wave and attempting to talk with the doctor. Sabo rolled his eyes. Even injured, his baby brother was a menace to all. Although he was curious about when they had met. He couldn't wait to sit down and catch up with his brothers. Seas knows how much he had missed.
Sabo let out a slow breath and glanced around himself. Now where was- ah! Not that far from where Luffy's hat was, his own top hat and goggles lay on their side where he had thrown it in his rush. He grinned and took a step forward.
Pain shot through his head.
He stumbled, the hat slipping from his hands as Sabo gripped his head. The low throbbing in his head had suddenly spiked. And fuck. It was painful. He tried to breathe through gritted teeth. But the pain was intense.
“Sabo?” Ace's voice cut across the ice. Sabo forced his head up. Through his slit eyes, he could see Ace standing on the boardwalk, his hand outstretched towards him, concern and… terror on his face. Sabo opened his mouth to say something. Anything. But the pain that tore through his body left him screaming.
His legs gave out beneath him and his knees slammed into the ice. A yell broke out but his hearing had dissolved into a high-pitched ringing noise. His vision was greying at the edges. Finally, finally. Sabo stopped fighting.
The last thing he saw before his eyes slid shut was Ace running towards him, looking so scared. But Sabo-Sabo was so tired. His body trembled with agony, and his brain was melting.
He fell forward.
Warm arms caught him before he hit the ground. A warm chest and a comforting beat. Sabo let himself give in, welcoming the darkness gladly. He had done his job.
He saved his brother.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Ace felt something in his chest crack as Sabo collapsed to his knees. He barely got there in time to catch his, not-so-dead, brother. His heart was beating past and the panic was clawing at his throat. What the fuck? His eyes roamed his brother's face, looking for anything, anything that would explain his brother's disposition. Cataloguing the scars, the burns, how flushed he looked. And even though Ace was made of fire, he could feel how hot Sabo was against him.
Ace swallowed painfully and slid his hands under Sabo's knees and back. Lifting his twin up in his arms. Any other time he could imagine the embarrassed squawk Sabo would let out over being held in such a way. But- the blonde's head lulled against his shoulder. Not a protest in sight.
He stumbled over to the submarine, screaming for help. One of laws crew mates looked over, then down at the blonde in his arms and instantly jumped into action, helping Ace get into the sub. Ushering him below deck. And it was all the fire user could do to follow behind as they hurried through corridors until they got to the medical bay. He was guided over to a spare bed, and as gently as he could, Ace lay Sabo down.
Only to watch as his brother seized.
The air left his lungs as Ace gaped at him. The crew snapped into action, one of them dragging him away from Sabo. Law swore loudly, glancing over at Sabo with narrowed eyes. He looked back at Luffy. Obviously, trying to figure out which one to tackle first. The choice was decided for him when Luffy lifted a shaky hand and pointed at Sabo.
Law swore again and ordered one of his crew to help Luffy. Then he spun around and stormed over to Sabo, muttering about idiot Revs and reckless brothers.
“Time?” He snapped out.
“4 minutes and 30 seconds.” Someone turned their eyes to the clock. Law inhaled sharply, glancing down at Sabo with an intense look. Someone had moved a pillow under his head, but that was the most they had been able to do. Sabo's body was shaking and twitching in such a way that Ace was terrified Sabo would break something. Like his body would snap.
Then-
Sabo stilled.
Law lunged forward, a hand wrapping around Sabo's wrist. A second, then another, and- Law let out a harsh fuck and the entire room ripples with movement. People shoved forward, hooking Sabo up to a couple of machines. And Law… Law was doing CPR. He-
Ace's heart finally shattered.
No- no no no no. Not again. Please. He couldn't do this again.
Luffy let out a whine. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at Sabo, his expression heartbroken. Something snapped into place, and Ace forced himself to pull himself together. Through the mess of movement, Ace stumbled over to his bedside. A hand finds Luffy's and grips tightly. Ace swallowed and looked down.
His brother was pale. His chest was fucked. The magma had burned deep into his chest, and Ace could see where he had to do CPR. The damaged skin was torn and bloody. He could see just how much Luffy was straining himself to stay awake, his eyes never leaving Sabo. His eyes were fluttering with the attempt, and the hand Ace was holding was getting weaker the longer he held out. Shit.
“Shachi, Switch,” Law called out. Ace inhaled sharply. His head snapped up in time to see Law pull away from Sabo. Turning to Luffy and eying in carefully. Behind him sabo was still, but… his chest was moving, and there was a beeping that echoed underneath the talking.
He was alive.
Ace couldn't explain how the fuck he had missed it but- Sabo was okay. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed him, and it took everything in him not to collapse then and there. Luffy let out a sigh of relief and relaxed against the pillow. His eyes slipped shut. Ace's eyes widened as Luffy's hand slipped from his grasp.
“Wait. No- Luffy-” he cried, his voice cracking. Law huffed out a breath and said something, but the ringing in his ears was too loud.
His brothers-
his baby brother-
Both of them-
It felt like his heart was collapsing under the pressure. Fuck. This was his fault. If he hadn't gone after Teach. If he just- If he wasn't weak. Luffy wouldn't have- Sabo would-be
His vision blurred. Hands closed around his arms, dragging him away from Luffy's slumped form. Pale, barely breathing, bloody-
“Get off me!” Ace lashed out, trying to pull his arms away from them. But the hands held firm.
“Luffy-” Law gave him an indecipherable look, but his vision swam; he couldn't breathe.
He couldn't lose them. He had to-
His knees gave out.
The hands holding him never let him hit the ground. But his mind was falling deeper than his body. The darkness wraps around his consciousness and drags.
He failed.