woosh, woosh, woosh...

The sound of the waves hitting the beach seemed to put Xander in some sort of hypnotic state. It had been years since he was separated from the Revolutionary Army and those years had felt like an eternity of torture. His deep wool jacket protected his body from the cold as he slowly shook back and forth to contain the heat within his body. He had never truly been the same since those days in captivity and to think he was still on the very island that it had happened. Looking as the deep blue water made his way up the sand. He would rise to his feet and make his way inside of the Revolutionary Base. Ironic right? An Army Base on the same island as a Black Site? Well both of them were extremely secret. Well, now only one due to the massacre created by Xander as he escaped from the place. He and the army had revealed the secrets of the Black Site and had set to destroy the World Government with this knowledge.

Xander still remembered those days of torture like it was yesterday. His memories would forever be carved into his mind and he didn’t know what he would be able to do in order to forget them. But a part of him didn’t want to get rid of the memories. That part wanted to keep them, treasure them, and hold them to a point that it fueled his rage of the World Government so that he could destroy them just as he had did the Black Site. As he walked, his Katana was held perfectly in his hand. The tip of the blade carving a deep line in the sand as he made his way back to the Revolutionary Base. All of the intense sounds mixing together seemed to send him somewhere else. Back to where it had all began.

Flashback Begins- 4 Years Prior To The Present Timeline (Island of Alabasta)

The infamous Revolutionary Soldier smirked as he made his way through the hallways and crevices of the Alabastian Castle. He was currently running a mission that would change the course of the world as they knew it. Xandernolaeus D. Hicklebottom was about to kill the King of Alabasta, but this mission was hard and he knew it was going to be tough to complete as the man was nearly always surrounded by guards of some sort. His infamous blade, Scalpel, was held neatly and outward as he ran to the king’s quarters. From reading the mission report, he knew that two guards would be posted outside the room. He didn’t know why the king felt as if two guards could completely protect him. As he neared the King’s corridor. He heard the voice of two men speaking. Arguing about if the world was coming to an end. If it wasn’t for the mission, Xander would probably be over there arguing with them.

Peeping around the corner, trying to see what kind of weapons the men possessed and how they were built. He knew he would have to plan this carefully as one mistake could ruin the entire mission. Nodding, he would fly around the corner in a spin as he let his blade fly from his hand. The two men were standing very close to each other and due to the sheer length of the katana, he knew that he could kill two birds with one stone. The sword had straightened out as it neared the two men. The long side of the blade imbedded itself into the necks of the men and would imbed itself into the door. Xander would only smile as he went to go retrieve his blade from the door. He would wait until the king would call out asking what was going on, but he didn’t hear anything and would assume the man was asleep. Slowly, he would open up the door to the room. It was currently lightened by candles, the fire giving enough light for him to see around the bed.

Running at full speed towards the King’s bed. He would leap into the air and hold his sword’s tip downward as he prepared to thrust it into the king’s head. But something had interrupted his attack. His blade would come to hit another with a familiar “ching” causing sparks to fly off of it. The force of the blade hitting another would give Xander enough strength to redirect his landing. His feet would hit the wall above the bed. Bending his knees, he would jump off the wall and do a backflip onto the floor as he faced his enemy. “Haha, I had thought the intel was only a fluke to lead us away from the real thing, but it seems like our little spy in the Revolutionary Army is quite the person.” Said a men dressed in a suit with the World Government insignia on it. Xander was about to run towards him and attack him, but his arms were held from behind as two men held him back.

“Xandernolaeus D. Hicklebottom....You’re only a child carrying out the plans of the general. If only you knew what your name meant. You’re not the first, but you’re surely one of the many “D” that we have finally captured. Though, you in particular I want to kill.” Said the man as he walked slowly to Xander. The man had sheathed his sword and pulled out a revolver. He would hold it to Xander’s stomach, leaning over. He would whisper into Xander’s ear and say “However, there is a fate much worse than death to come for you.” Instead of shooting Xander, the man would flip the gun and hit him in the head with it. The blow feeling as if he had been hit by a hammer. Almost instantly he had fallen into a heap on the floor.

Present-

The memory would cause Xander to fall on one knee as he neared the entrance to the base. His capture then in Alabasta had been the starting point of everything. If he could have just held his own against three men, then his mission would have been completed and he could have went back to the Army safe and sound, but no...There had been a spy in the army giving away precious details that put everyone in the army at risk. The spy had been found and killed, but that was a story for later. Walking through the cave, flashes of his time at the Black Site would come in his mind. He had been tortured in a place too similar to this and the memories came back each time he walked through the entrance. Walking to the back of the cave, he would open a door that led into a base that carved out the inside of a mountain.

As he entered the base, it looked as if the army was preparing for war, but this was a everyday thing. In one corner people were training in hand to hand combat. In another people were being educated about the history of the world. This wasn’t your ordinary Revolutionary Base, it was the starting point of each soldier. A place where they would train to become a perfect pawn for the Revolutionary Army. Xander had never been through one of these personally as he was trained in the more guarded facilities, such as that of the main base. However, he had been stationed heard until his mind was fully healed. Physically he was still a teenager, but mentally, his mind had almost been broken to the point of no return.

Walking down a flight of stairs, he would head to the cafeteria. It was around dinner time, so everyone was finishing up with their activities and heading there as well. As he neared the cafeteria, he would take a seat at one of the tables and waited until the food was served. He would lean his head into the palm of his hand, however this action would cause him to slowly fall asleep......And this is where our story would truly begin.

For years he had been tortured, however the men were becoming more lenient on him. He had still not given information after all of this time and they couldn’t exactly kill him because they still wanted to study his body and see what the “Will of D” actually was. At the moment his hands were cuffed and arms strapped to a table as his head was held onto a table. The Torturer, or his real name “Edward Stowington” held a syringe in his hand as he stared at Xander as if he was fresh meat. “You see, with the world constantly evolving. We have gotten the opportunity to develop a truth serum. This formula puts you into a deep hypnotic state. If this doesn’t make you talk then it has already been decided that we kill you afterwards. As he was being held down, he would try to formulate a plan that would get him out of this situation. He could no longer be in this place and needed to escape. He had been planning his escape for years and knew it was possible seeing as he wasn’t being watched as closely when he first got here. A lightbulb would appear over his head as he thought of the perfect plan. Looking back at the man he would see the syringe being injected into his arm, but he didn’t allow he man to inject the liquid as well.

His right foot would come to hover off of the ground as he would kick the man into the stomach. Sending him back into the wall of the lab, breaking it in the process. The syringe would snap, leaving the needle stuck in his arm. The brute of a man that had been holding his head down would lift his head up and attempt to bang it on the table, but Xander would slip out just before his head plunged into the metal. The hand of the man would hit the table. His legs not being cuffed, Xander would kick the man in the side of his knee. Causing the leg to bend at a awkward angle and snap. Flipping himself over the man’s body. He would use the chains keeping his cuffs together and attempt to suffocate the man, acting as if he had forgotten about Edward.

Edward, who had already risen from the pile of rubble would get up and walk toward Xander with a pole of some sort. Electricity bounced off of the pole as Edward would shove it into Xander’s back hard. As he was going unconscious Xander could hear Edward screaming “Guards take the D to his room and prepare him for his execution!”

Xander had woken up quickly as he lay on a floor with a drain in the middle of it. The room had a single window that was filled with artificial light. Blood was dried up on the walls and the floor. Blood from all of his previous torture sessions. Attempting to stand up, he would see that both his hands and legs were cuffed. “Well at least they made it harder”. He whispered out loud as he crawled his way to the wall and leaned up against it. He would maneuver his hands in a way so that he could get the fingers of his right hand to his left forearm where the needle was still stuck. Rubbing his finger along his arm, he would feel the little bulge in his arm. Moving it, he would shudder a little as the needle punctured his skin, the silver of it reflecting the light that hit it. Getting grip of the needle, he would stick it in his mouth.

Now was the hard part. Inserting the needle into the small key hole of the cuffs. He tried his best to find the correct combination that would open the cuffs. For about ten minutes as he randomly moved the needle around, he would hear a not so familiar pop as the cuffs fell on the floor. Shoving them into the pockets of his suppose to be white overall, he would do the same with the cuffs on his ankles. These being more easier as he had already figured out how to do. Rotating his wrists, they would pop as they hadn’t been free in a very long time. He didn’t know the layout of the Black Site, but he did know that there were other people here as he had constantly heard there screams in his sleep. He didn’t know how many, but any amount would help their jail break. Coming to a stand, he would move towards the door as he would bang on it. “Please don’t kill! I’ll talk now!” He screamed as he would attempt to sound desperate. He held the needle in between his thumb and index finger as it was his only weapon at the moment.

He would hear the jingles of the keys. There was always three guards positioned outside of his room and the one with the keys was the one who reported back directly to Edward. Hiding behind the door, so that when it was open his body would be hidden. Xander would begin his attack. The door would open with a loud screech making need of its use of oil. Just as the jailer appeared around the corner, Xander would thrust the needle into his eye and grab the keys out of his hands. Finding the sharpest key. He would repeatedly plunge it into the man’s stomach as he screamed out in pain. Just as he was doing this, the other two would come in the room. The one with the sword swinging it downward at Xander’s head, but he would hold the keys in the air. The ring that kept all of the keys together would catch the sword mid swing. Twisting it a little. The sword would fall out of the hands of the soldier. Quickly, Xander would keep the man onto the sword of the man behind him. Causing him to die instantly as the sword plunged through his heart.

Picking up the sword that was on the ground as the other man was occupied with a body stuck to him. Xander would plunge the sword through the dead soldier’s stomach and would see blood coming out the other soldier’s mouth. Signaling that he was about to die. Pulling the sword out as he needed it if he were to complete his escape. He would put the keys in his body and make a run for it. Not knowing what obstacles were up ahead.

Xander gripped the hilt of the sword as he didn’t trust the woman at all. He had been hear for five years, why would the army attempt to save him now? It couldn’t have been a coincidence they came the moment he had broken out right? Though Xander had gotten weak, he hadn’t had a real fight in a long time and knew he wouldn’t be able to escape by himself. It was the sole reason he had planned on releasing all of the other prisoners. Either to use them as a distraction or to get them to help each other escape. He held the swords with two hands at a slight angle. The lady in front of him seemed to be look like a natural swordsmen, so he decided that he would let her handle the marines and if there were any left overs he would handle them. The lady had to be strong. The army wouldn’t just send a random soldier to come retrieve him.

Nodding at the woman, he would say “You came at the right time, but I’m no swordsman. Let me see what you’re made of”. Daunting right? In a situation like this it was the only thing he could really do. Crouching a little, he would see the marines make there way around the corners. Six of them to be exact, however they didn’t look to be anyone important as they all had on the clothes of a ensign. The six would stare at the two. There faces were familiar because he was sure he had been escorted to torture by everyone every Marine here. “Ok this is how it is going to go. You’re going to tell us where Edward is and afterwards maybe you guys are still living.” Said Xander obviously lying. The marines would frown as they would begin to charge.

Most of it was a blur, but Xander had just saw the woman take down four of the ensigns in what had seemed like an instant. He nodded a little because it seemed like the woman had a little skill, but of course these were ensigns. The low of the low in the marines. Seeing as there were two more marines to face. He decided to fight these two himself seeing as she took down four of them. His face was serious as the tip of the blade dragged on the ground making a screeching noise. Two of the marines had gotten pass the woman and they were approximately two meters away from Xander. These two however didn’t have guns. They carried swords or to be more specific, Katana. As they got closer, the one on the left would swing downward causing Xander to me the blade with his own.

Sparks would fly as the two blades collided. The other marine would see this as a chance to attack Xander because it had seemed like he was open, but Xander wasn’t quiet. He was quite berserk when he was fighting, so when the blade from the other marine cane down. He would punch it, snapping it in half with pure strength as it nearly cut him. Now focusing back on the marine who he was in a clash with. He would twist the sword a little and cause the marine to let go of his Katana. As he saw the grip of the marine loosen. He would perform a spin and clean cut the marines neck from their body as they had been standing near each other.

Looking around, he would say “Well this sure is a bloody mess.” He would walk towards the woman as it was back time to get serious if it didn’t seem like it wasn’t. “Look, I’m not the only human being locked up in this place and I’m not gonna let the others suffer or die because of the stunt that we are pulling. So, I’ll go free all of the prisoners. I don’t know where, but I know there is a armory in this Base. I don’t know how easy it will be to find, but if and when you do find it. Get some weapons and cart them off to us. We’re gonna need every hand and advantage if we plan to escape this place alive. Meet me back here when you’re done.” Said Xander as he nodded at the woman. Pulling the keys from his pocket, he would make a beeline through the hallways as he planned to free the prisoners one by one.

As he ran, Xander’s leg would fill with pain as he full to the ground with quite a roll as if he had been tackled from behind. He held his calf as he screamed “Cramp!” Xander hadn’t been this mobile in years and it was catching up to him. He would wince. He couldn’t let a stupid cramp get him re-captured or killed. Standing with a grunt. He would limp towards the door that looked exactly like his. Fumbling with the keys, he would come to unlock the door to see a small kid lying on the ground in a fetal position as he eyed Xander. Holding his hands out showing that he meant no harm, Xander would say “Hey look kid, my name is Xander and I’m a prisoner in this place just like you, but my friend has come to help me escape. We’re going to help everyone here by freeing them.”

He stared at the kid waiting on some sort of reaction, but the kid would only curl up harder and shut his eyes. Probably thinking it was a ploy set by the marines in order to break him. Xander would sigh, usually he wasn’t so helpful or heroic, but he wasn’t about to let a child rot in a cell. Walking towards the kid, he would put his sword on the ground and hoist him up on his shoulders. Picking the sword back up, he would run out of the room and heading on to the next one. “Look kid, you were put in this place for a reason just like me. Whether it is because of your heritage or either something that you did in the past. Whatever the case is, we all need to work together in order to escape. I know you don’t believe me. You probably think that this is a ploy set by the tortures, but it isn’t.” Said Xander and he would leave it just at that.

Still running, he would hear some voices from around the corner. Stopping, he would peer around the corner and see a man walking with another man. Though there was something about the man in the front that sent a shiver down Xander’s spine. “Cap’n, I’m telling ya, no one can beat you now since you ate the Devil’s Fruit.” The name would send a shock through Xander’s body. He didn’t know what the hell it was, but the name of it scared him. “Stop it Nico, we don’t know for sure. If I am to rise through the ranks I am going to need to master these powers.” Said the man whose name still hasn’t been revealed. As Xander waited they would walk through another corridor. It appeared as if their presence hadn’t been found out just yet and that meant that they might have a chance afterall.

A Devil’s Fruit? Xander had no idea what that was, but from how the marines were talking it seemed like it was something really powerful. Shrugging his shoulders, Xander would run to the door the two marines had just passed by and open it with the keys. Opening the door, he would see a grunt of a man pacing around the room with his overall only covering half of his body. His torso being exposed to the cold air. Unknown to Xander was that his own overall had been splattered with blood. The man looked Xander up and down and would say “Please tell me you’re breaking out this shit hole.” Xander would nod as he seen the man eyeing the keys. This would cause the kid to perk up a little, but he would fully trust Xander, no he had to see more.

The man would leave the room as he followed Xander out. For what seemed like minutes on top of minutes they walked around looking for more cells, but couldn’t find any. “What type of prison is this. For the years I’ve been here I’ve only heard the screams of people being tortured and not seen a single soul other than those of the marines.” The man would continue to run behind Xander and say “This is a Black Site. The worst of the worst criminals come here to be interrogated. I think we’re the last ones standing because I haven’t given any details that could hurt my friends.” Xander would nod as he did the same, but what type of intel could the kid have? A child who looked to be only about ten years old. At the moment the child was dead weight and if he continued to not say anything or help Xander would have to leave him to the dogs. He didn’t wanted to do it, but this was about survival and at the moment he wasn’t gonna die trying to be heroic.

He freed the kid and even carried him on his back. What more could the gods want him to do for the little imp. As they ran, they would come to a pair of double doors. Each door having a small window on it. Looking through them, Xander could see that the room was a office of some sort. Opening the door, he ran to the desk and saw a map that detailed the layout of the entire prison. Eyeing the map, remembering every detail of it he would see that they weren’t so far away from both the entrance/exit. However, they would have to go through a cafeteria and that meant encountering a lot of marines. Though there was a place in particular on the map that made Xander quite curious. “Devil’s Fruit Storage Facility” That name again? What on earth could he so powerful that it needed its own storage area.

Not needing the map anymore, Xander would turn away from it and look at the man he had freed. Leaning a little up against the table, he would say “So, to get out of here we have to go through the cafeteria and that means fighting who knows how much marines. Are you up for that?” The white haired Revolutionary Soldier would lean the sword up against the table as well as he looked into the eyes of the man. “I’ve been here so long that I’ve forgot what the heat of the sun feels like. I don’t even remember the smell of true nature. Are you really asking me if I’m up for that? I’m going to do whatever is needed to break free from this hell hole and if I die it wouldn’t matter because I’ll still be free.” Said the man. Xander would nod and lean backwards a lot more, causing the kid to roll off of his shoulders and onto his back. “Look kid, I’m not hero, so I’m not going to carry you on my back through all of this. Either you fight or you don’t, but I’m not about to be hindered right now. I know that you’re pretty messed up from what they did to us, but you have to get over that if you want to escape.”

Xander would expect some type of response, but the kid would only make his way off of the table and get under it. Xander would frown, he tried to help the kid, but it seemed like he didn’t want his help. Shrugging his shoulders, he would pick up the sword and get off the desk just as alarms began to sound. Looking at the man he would say “Well it looks like they’ve heard of our escape. Most likely their gonna blockade the entrance and have marines patrolling nearly everywhere. For now you’re gonna have to fight with your hands till we steal some more weapons. My friend went to the armory to get some, hopefully she makes it back.” Xander would open the door to the office and look from left to right. He didn’t see anyone, so he would open the door fully and run out of it with the man in tow. They weren’t going to break out just yet.....he was curious.....he wanted to see what a Devil Fruit was.

As him and the other prisoner ran around corners and corridors to get to the room. They would see a group of marines turn a corner right in front of them. Xander and coming could have probably gotten away with it if it weren’t for all of the blood on his close, but of course no one may never know. Xander would say “Ok you take two and I’ll take the other three.” The man would nod as he would rush into battle. The marines would agree with Xander somewhat as two would break off to fight the guy and three would rush at Xander. Every since overcoming that cramp, he had gotten a little bit stronger and was positive he could use his fighting abilities now. As the first person one game close enough within touching range, Xander would scream “Assassination!” His body filling with power as he shot his right hand forward in almost inhuman speeds. The hand would hit the man in the chest causing a deep hole to appear where blood was gushing from it. The sheer force of the attack was like a bullet.

Falling to the floor with blood gushing out of his chest. The marine was slowly dying. The other two would only stare at Xander as they really didn’t want the same fate to be forced upon them, but Xander didn’t care. He couldn’t waste time fooling around with petty ensigns. This time he would be the one running as he went for the marine on the right. Jumping in the air a little, he would deliver a round house kick to the marine’s skull. Sending him flying into the wall, causing debris from the concrete to fall all over him. Xander would do the same to the other marine causing the two to lay somewhat on top of each other. Sword still in hand as it had been in his left. He would see the man struggling with to of the marines. He would flip the sword a little and throw it forward. The tip of the sword traveling through a marine’s eye and coming out the back of his head just as the man had snapped the neck of the other.

“Ok come on, we have to hurry if we’re gonna break out of this place. Follow me and be discreet. I don’t want to have to fight anymore marines.” Said Xander as they went back to running. His abilities had came back to him. Being immobilized for years would do that to a man.