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Everything happened so fast. First the pain that coursed though his shoulder. Then the gasping on the floor of the deck. Listening to Teach take something from his pocket. It only later occurred to him that it was the devil fruit. Why the other thought he needed to kill for it Thatch didn't know.
Thatch could barely hear the person who found him. It must have been one of the people under his command. As a sense of wanting to protect them from Teach ran though his body. Wanting to get them away from the man who betrayed them. But he was too weak and the world felt like it was under water. Everything too far to hear or see.
When he opened his eyes Marco was sitting next to him. His face relaxed as he read a book. At least that's what you would think if you weren't Thatch or Pops. Because Thatch could see how his shoulders were squared. Marco's eyes glared at a singular part of the book. Probably a line with a work he wanted to kill at this moment. "What happened?" Thatch asked, attempting to sit up. The pain in his shoulder and back sprang up. Thatch groaned.
Marco's hands were gently pushing Thatch back. "Don't move. You lost a lot of blood." His voice seemed calm. But Thatch knew better.
"Teach-"
"We know." Marco cut him off. He took a shaky breath. "You'll need to talk with pops after this. But for now just get some rest." There was something Marco was hiding from him. Thatch wanted to ask but the pain in his back stopped him.
It took a week before he learned what happened. How his division found him, because they wanted to try a new recipe. It didn't take long for them to learn who did it. By then Teach was long gone. Annoying but Thatch could move past that. Until Marco looked away from him. A tell the other had bad news. "What happened?" Thatch asked, looking to the others. Many of which kept their eyes on pops or the ground.
Marco opened his mouth, ready to take whatever hate Thatch wanted to spew. But, was cut off by Pops shifted. "Ace went after him." He said. It sounded so easy.
Thatch, felt about a hundred different feelings. "What do you mean he went after him?" He demanded. "Who did he take with him?"
"We told him to stay. He said it was his job as Teach's commander to go after him." Marco said. "There was a lot happening. You were bleeding so much. Teach was gone. We-"
"YOU LET HIM GO ALONE?" Thatch yelled. Turning to look over the horizon. In some hope this was a joke. Ace would be leaping over the edge soon, laughing and smiling.
"He was gone before we had time-"
"You know he's a hot head! Of course he would want to-"
"Son." Pop's voice cut through Thatch's. "You're back is bleeding again. Go back to medical." An order to final Thatch couldn't argue with it. No matter how he wanted to scream and shout about it. It was too late to stop Ace from going. And no way to find where he had gone. They just had to wait. Wait, and wait.
Things just kept going wrong. Thatch watched what happened through the news paper. The small tidbits they could get from the news paper on their youngest. Thatch watching the snails more then ever before. Hoping to answer the moment Ace called.
When the news arrived Thatch just stared at it. Portgas D Ace's execution. It couldn't be real. He couldn't have let this happen. Thatch could hardly read what was there. His vision blurring as he stared at it. When someone took the news paper from him Thatch didn't move. Letting his hands drop to his side. When had this gone wrong?
The war was the worst kind. Thatch wasn't stupid. Their pops was older and struggling with all the fighting of his youth. He wouldn't last a war, but their youngest brother was sitting in a jail cell waiting to die. They couldn't leave him to that.
Thatch almost laughed when Ace's younger brother showed up to the war. A ship full of prisoners from Impel Down. He wished they had known, they could have stopped this and picked up Ace and his brother. The kid leaped towards pops. Announcing he would be pirate king, but they would be on the same side this time. Thatch looked to Ace. Expecting to see an annoyed brother. But, fear and worry was all his face showed. His eyes never leaving Luffy. Even with all the fighting Ace watched him. 'I knew you were a great older brother.' Thatch thought, making a path for the younger man.
Thatch laughed when Ace was freed. Thatch didn't care about Ace's biological parents. His heart light knowing they were so close to getting out of here. Away from the blood, and pain. They would keep them safe. Saving them from the world if needed. But, it was like the world didn't want him to live. Akainu showing up and attacking their youngest. Poking at his weakness. Thatch fought to get closer, but there were so many bodies in the way. Marco locked down thanks to the sea stone.
Everything after that happened so fast. Thatch's jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Shanks showed up stopping the war from continuing after Teach showed up. Not that Thatch could stop himself from attacking the man. It wasn't a lot but a small bite back at the man who started it. Thatch knew the other would live. As Marco pulled him away form the weapons aimed at him.
Thatch had replayed the whole war in his head again and again after leaving. Trying to see where he could have been faster. Somewhere he could have noticed and moved sooner. Who he should have targeted first. Staring at the table, he lost count of the hours. The light flicked on blinding him. "You didn't even turn the lights on. How long have you been like this?" Izou asked. Taking a seat next to him. Thatch didn't dare look up at the other. He couldn't handle another talk about it not being his fault. "Thatch."
"Are you hungry? I'll make you something." Thatch said, hoping to change the subject. A frown on his face feeling cemented in place.
Izou sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. Ace protected his little broth-"
"Izou, don't." Thatch said, his voice cutting. He didn't want to talk about this with them.
Izou pulled on his shirt. "How long have you been sitting in here like this? Do you even know?" Izou asked.
"A few hours."
"Wrong. It's been a day and a half. No one comes in here scared to step wrong around you. We know you're grieving but so are we. We need you-" Izou said. Their tone should have made Thatcher feel better but it didn't.
Breathing deeply trying not to lash out. “I think… If I had just seen the signs maybe Ace wouldn’t have needed to leave.” Thatch said, not looking at the other.
“It’s not your fault.” Izou said, too quickly. Like they expected him to say this. And anger at himself and everyone boiled over in Thatch.
Bang! His hand hit the table. His eyes looked towards the other. “It not my fault? Who else's fault could it be?" He hissed, wished he was yelling rather then this. "Who else vouched for him? Because I did. I vouched for him! I told Ace Teach was safe. He knew, that fucking weird thing where he can tell when there will be a storm, Ace knew something about Teach was off. He asked me about him. I was the one who told him Teach could be trusted. Do tell me how this isn't my fault!”
"It's not about you. Teach passed over all of us. He had been on our ship for 23 years." Izou argued back.
Thatch shifted, Izou took a step back. "Ace knew. He was an outsider new to all this. He saw him as dangerous and I ignored him. Would you have ignored him?" Thatch demanded knowing what the other would say.
"That's different."
"How? How is it different?" Thatch asked. "Ignoring Ace's instinct was always a bad idea. He proved that time and again. Every time he had a bad feeling about something or wanted to change course it was for the better. We were saved so many times, and I failed to listen-"
"YOU COULDN'T HAVE KNOWN!" Izou yelled. Their voice cracking. "How could we have known. Teach saved our lives too. More times then either of us can count. He was our brother, and friend!"
Thatch stared at the other. Hate boiling in him. Not at Izou but at himself. At the world. And the man they trusted. Thatch sat down again, putting his head in his hands. He couldn't believe how this had gone so wrong.