Desires of Men ~SEQUEL TO THE LIFE I LIVE~

With You Always

Law was finishing up checking on his engineers' wounds when James began muttering things. The pirate captain glanced over, noticing his eyes were squeezed shut in either pain or irritation. He wandered over to the bed with the underground informant, sitting on the stool to wait for the man to wake up.

"Nngn...He groaned, reaching up to touch his head.

"I would recommend not to tamper with your bandages." Law suggested firmly. James flinched slightly at the sound of his voice, cracking open an eye to take in his surroundings. Eyes darting around the room, he frowned when they took in Law sitting beside him.

"Where am I? What have you done with me?" He demanded, and Law smirked.

"You don't remember?" The pirate picked up his clipboard, checking over injuries and charts for any abnormalities. "That spirit emerged from you and proceeded to battle with Nemesis-ya. You passed out, as did Summer-ya. You're currently on my submarine under my medical care."

"Take me back to Caelum." He said, and Law shook his head.

"We never left, just submerged at the dock. As soon as you are recovered you may leave."

"Hmph." James said, crossing his arms over his chest. This was difficult as many wires and tubes were attached to his forearms. "I'm starting to recall what happened. I suppose you're telling the truth."

Law only lifted an eyebrow, finishing up his inspection of his condition.

"What became of the file?"

"It was lost in the destruction of your mansion, I'm afraid. You were lucky to come out of it alive yourself. If it were not for me and my crew, you'd be crushed under the feet of ancient warriors."

"Unfortunate." James sighed, closing his eyes. "No matter. I can gain the information I desire through other means."

"And what of our deal?" Law asked, the question having been on his mind since they had gotten back to the sub. "Without the file, technically the deal is off."

James waved the question aside. "Normally, I would send my men after you with a bounty larger than you could ever imagine. But, since you did save my life, I suppose everything is accounted for. We are even, in a sense."

Law nodded, feeling a bit of relief that he wouldn't have the underworld after his crew. They may be strong now, but that didn't mean they were invincible. Having the freedom to sail where he wished unafraid of being targeted by the whole world sounded a lot more appealing than watching their backs for the rest of the journey.

James must have been watching his expressions because he gave a short laugh that broke through Law's thoughts.

"You have a lot of questions for me, I can tell. One of which being if I knew about the other spirit, correct?"

He nodded, waiting for an explanation. Unfortunately, he didn't get one.

"An information dealer such as I can't go around answering every question asked of him, so don't continue thinking you'll have yours answered either." He lifted his chin with a regal look, as if he was too esteemed to deal with the pirate. Law was irked, but there really wasn't much he could do about it.

~~~

Summer gasped as the needle carved across her skin yet again, the stinging pain accompanying it. Her hair splayed out across the full-body chair. She stared up at the decorated ceiling, wincing with each pass of the small metal instrument in the purple-haired woman's hands. Every few seconds or so, she'd wipe the area with a cloth. Her skin felt on fire, flaring with each touch.