FicWad

"Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Personally, I much prefer the hard way, so why not just give me a reason to use this?" Scarlet sneered, stroking the long riding crop in her hand. The hard leather looked well oiled and quite threatening in the low light of the cellar. Liam had figured by now that they were in the basement of the mansion, judging by the fine clothing and familiarity with which she treated the place.

He only glared back, neither provoking her nor being submissive to her whims. Wary of all of his movements were the two brutes standing in the corner, ready to take action whenever Mrs. Winslow gave the word. Her smile lost its amusement and she sighed heavily.

"I've said it before, but you being a pirate and all? Tormenting civilians across the Grand Line? It's all a waste. Nothing will ever come of any of your strange and illegal antics, so why do you do it?" She asked, circling his chair patiently. Liam leaned back his head and closed his eyes. He was growing so very tired of her ridiculous banter.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand even if I told you." He muttered, conscious of the sound of her footsteps in front of him. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up his upper thigh and his eyes shot open. Scarlet was holding the leather out, ready to strike. She was scowling once again.

"I wish to know. I don't care if I won't understand anything of what you tell me. I just want to know the reason you took my daughter." It was Liam's turn to sigh heavily. He was getting tired of the questions too.

"I've already told you, we didn't kidnap your daughter." Faster than he could react, her hand whipped out and the hard leather struck across his exposed leg once again. A large red welt quickly began to form. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Then why do I keep receiving reports from the Marines that she had been seen boarding your crew's submarine?"

"Yes, she came with us but we-" The riding crop struck again. "Urgh…" He grunted.

"I am a very powerful woman, pirate, so don't think you can keep lying to me. I could always hand over your punishment to Raz and Lupis over here." She gestured to the eagerly waiting men.

"I don't care how powerful you are, twisting the truth to suit your own vendetta won't get you anywhere." He swallowed heavily, trying to get his dry throat to cooperate with him. How long had he gone without food and water? The pains in his stomach were getting worse with every breath. "My crew didn't kidnap your daughter and you know it."

Whatever had been holding the angry woman back up to this point snapped. She lunged forward with the riding crop, twisting it around his neck in a chokehold and pulled tightly. His air was cut off and he tried remaining calm as much as he could while he was being suffocated...which wasn't that calm. He struggled against the bonds on the chair as she came within inches of his face.

"Lies! I know you have her with you! You don't even deny having her aboard!"

"Captain...offered...her a...place in...the crew! She...accepted!" He struggled to get out, all the while stars were starting to appear in his vision. Abruptly, the hold loosened and he had a coughing fit, barely coming back to earth from nearly going unconscious. Scarlet had backed away.

"Cut him loose and tie him to the wall." She ordered, to which the two men gladly obeyed. Liam found himself untied from the chair and dragged over to the cement wall where two manacles hung. Glancing a peak over to Reid, he found that his friend was still knocked out or...he didn't want to think about the other possibility. It was impossible to tell from his position if he was still breathing.

Once his wrists were properly shackled, his back facing the room, it was then he truly began to panic. The pain had been tolerable enough up to this point, but he'd heard about whippings before and they weren't pleasant. His breathing sped up and he eyed the wall in fear.

"I warned you what resisting would bring about, didn't I? I suppose there's no other alternative…" She didn't sound too sad about it though. Liam's shirt was ripped away from his body harshly.

"AH!" He shouted feeling the hard bite of the leather strike his back. A loud crack resounded through the room, his skin flaming where it had made its mark. Another blow came, and it was all he could do not to crumple to the ground. His muscles trembled from the abuse. The strikes kept coming, another after another, until they all seemed to blend into one. The pain was unbearable, and his vision swam. Hot tears dripped down his face, accompanied by his hoarse but useless screams. Dimly, he realized that hot liquid was dripping down his back and onto the floor below him.

Finally, finally, the attacks ceased. Behind him, he heard the laboured breathing of his attacker, exhausted from so much exertion.

'Why do I keep resisting?' He thought. 'What holds me back? The pain would end if I just told her where Kat was.'

An image of his nakama, smiling together in the small little mess deck of their sometimes cramped submarine brought the tiniest of smiles to his face. Bepo was snacking happily on a large bowl of fish, accompanied by Law confident smirk. Summer sat nearby, arguing with Penguin and Shachi over something stupid. The family that he made his own welcomed him back with open arms.

'Ah, yes. That is why I resist. For my nakama. My family.'

"Is that all you've got?" Liam rasped, panting from the extreme stress to his body. A humorless laugh escaped him, and though he couldn't see his attacker he knew he had gotten their attention. "My captain will come. I will live for my nakama." He noticed the branding iron laying in a pit of coals, scorching the metal to beyond thinkable heat. Somehow, it didn't scare him.

"You know, I'm getting very tired of hearing about your nakama. They are scum, they aren't family. And if you really think they are, then look again. They are the worst of the worst. Liars, killers, cheats, thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics, gamblers, snitches…" Scarlet caught her breath before continuing. "How on earth could you possibly think those people are your family?" Scarlet picked up the hot metal tool and came closer to Liam with it, holding it out with menace. This didn't deter him.

"Because they matter to me. Because they have fought beside me when they could have easily ran off and left me to fend for myself. Because they are all I have and all I have ever known! We've suffered together, laughed together, cried together. Hurt, teased, hated, loved, everything. We've never been alone through all of it and that," He spat, somehow staring her in the eye over his shoulder. "That is why each and every one of them are more of a human being than you will ever be." Scarlet brought the iron closer, and Liam could feel the radiating heat.

"You know, I'd have to agree with you." Said another voice behind him. Everyone's attention shifted to the new speaker.

"You are absolutely positive this is the right door?" Law asked, eyeing the place Summer had taken them with doubt. She glared, nodded, and turned the handle as quietly as silently as she could. Bepo and Law readied themselves beside her.

"H-how is this possible?" Scarlet cried, backing away from a very deadly Trafalgar Law, backed by a very angry Bepo and an equally furious Summer. She was wiping her blades free of blood, and she then noticed the two dead men on the floor in the corner. She hadn't even heard them die.

"Liam, are you and Reid alright?" The polar bear asked, walking over towards the injured mechanic. He sniffed his body and relaxed a bit. "He's still alive." He stated. All of the Heart Pirates seemed to sigh a breath of relief.

"I'd suggest you put that rod away, Mrs. Winslow-ya." Law said, his expression deadly calm with each step forward. She kept taking steps back but wouldn't let go of her weapon. Suddenly dropping the long branding iron, she snatched at something on her leg and held it to Liam's throat.

"I-I'll kill him! I'll do it!" She warned in a panicked voice. The small dagger glinted off the small amount of light in the room. Liam looked around and couldn't find Summer, but he quickly focused back on the knife at his neck when it pressed in a little deeper. Small drops of blood began to fall.

"No, you won't." The captain stated, but nonetheless stopped a few feet from the bound medic. He wasn't worried at all, Liam noticed, and that made him confident he would make it out of this alive.

"Captain, I'm not sure how bad of shape Reid is in. I know of several broken fingers and a possible concussion, but he'd need a full examination." Law nodded thoughtfully.

"When we get back to the sub, both you and Reid-ya will be given full examinations." Scarlet flicked her wide eyes between the two men, seemingly in disbelief that they were having a perfectly normal conversation in this dangerous situation. It was as if they were completely ignoring her.

"Hey! Pay attention! Give me back my daughter or-Ugh…" Scarlet toppled to the ground, dropping the dagger as she fell in a heap at the back of the chair. Summer panted heavily from behind the woman.

"No one gives our captain orders." She growled, obviously angry that she had to restrain herself from flat out killing her. Law raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

Using her daggers to unlock the manacles, she gently lowered Liam onto the ground before giving him a once over. Law in the meantime, went immediately to Reid. Bepo had stated that the man was still alive, but he wanted to see the state of his mechanic for himself.

It was clear he had been unconscious awhile. The dried blood on his wound was crusted down the left side of his face and the hair around it was matted. Several of his fingers bent the wrong way and it looked as if he may have a few broken ribs. Law cut his bonds and gestured for Bepo to pick him up.

"Take the woman as well, I have questions for her." Bepo nodded and picked Scarlet up much less reverently than Reid, carelessly slinging her over his shoulder. Reid was nestled gently into his furry arm.

"Summer-ya, help Liam-ya to walk. We need to leave quickly." She nodded and wrapped one of his arms around her neck. He winced harshly at each movement but didn't complain.

"What's the plan, Captain?" Summer asked. Law smirked wickedly.

"We do what pirates do best. Escape and kill anyone in our way."