Hannibal would for a few seconds be stunned from what he heard. He had failed again, he couldn't protect those he promised to protect. This did not mean he was going to get sad, not right now, what he felt was anger. But, he was no the only person to feel this way. Dilan also felt the exact same way as Hannibal did. But, it was more menacing. Looking over at Dilan, who was around three feet short than Hannibal begin to change. He grew more and more till Hannibal was the on three feet shorter. Height wasn't the only thing that had begun to change. What was happening before Hannibal's eyes was something he had never seen before in his life. And the only thing he could think of that could explain what was going on was a Devil Fruit. That could be the only thing that Hannibal can say was the reason for the transformation that had begun to happen to Dilan.

"I'm going to fucking kill them!" Dilan would yell out in anger as he'd rush forward. Due to his new size he'd not be able to fit through the door. But, that didn't matter as he'd break the way as he rushed forward. The Guards that had done this were the ones that used the Elevator. They had pushed into the room and upon seeing the product out they'd fire at them. And as Dilan had come out they were busy reloading their heavy weapon, as they were reloading. They wouldn't be able to finish though as what Dilan did in his form to them truly fit. Mauled as if they were prey.


At that same time the other guards were heading up the stairway, and they saw it all. "No wonder....a fucking monster had to beat Bato." One of the guards said as they'd raise their weapons at Dilan. Rushing to attack them with their melee weapons.  Though, eight of them weren't nearly enough to handle Dilan at all. It took one hit from Dilan to put them down. The promise to not kill was out of the window for Dilan. As he couldn't spare those that could do this. This is why he had such a hearty bounty on his head. Whether you are a thug, pirate, or even a Marine. If what you were doing was wrong he'd stop you the best way he saw fit. Even killing them if the crime they committed was to horrible in his eyes.

"W-what happened to him?!" Ava would say after see as she looked up at Hannibal. She was confused. She has never seen anything like that at all.

"I don't know. " Hannibal would tell her.

Ava would move so that she could see out the hole that Dilan had created. "Everyone is dead....are we going to die?" Ava would ask turning back to Hannibal.

"No, you are my Family now. And while I am around I won't let anything bad happen to you." Hannibal would tell Ava. But, he didn't look away from Dilan as he just stood over the bodies of the guards he just attacked. Dilan would turn back to them and begin to head over to Ava and Hannibal. Hannibal instinctively would get into a battle stance, as he didn't even know if Dilan was still in there. He didn't know how he should react to a Devil Fruit user. From what he has been told if anyone had one they couldn't be trusted, unless apart of the Marines.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I know you said no killing...but I couldn't let them live after what they did." Dilan would say. Hannibal was surprised Dilan was able to speak. Seeing this guy turn into a beast made Hannibal think he lost all of his human side, but that wasn't the case.

"Thank you Dilan." Ava would say before Hannibal would say anything. She didn't see a Monster like Hannibal did. She had, through her time here, seen real Monsters that looked like regular people. She never though of Dilan as a Monster at all. And she still felt that way. Only thing that changed was that he was bigger and hairy.

"Nothing." Hannibal would say as he would relax. If he was going to attack them he would've done it already. And if can't judge Dilan at all. Hannibal wasn't normal like everyone else either. So, he would open his third eye. Revealing this to Dilan and also Ava. "I was just shocked a little. " Hannibal would say.

"We need to go. We couldn't save everyone but we can at least save the girl." Dilan would tell Hannibal as he would turn around and head back to the door. They needed to get out of her, and quickly. And to move quickly Hannibal would have Ava ride on his back. Ava would be on the back of Hannibal because Dilan was going to lead the way. He was going to fight whoever came in their way. And it'd be easier to do that without Ava on his back. Finally, after so many people lost the three would leave the floor. "Don't worry Ava. We are going to get you out of here, okay?"

Minus would finish with what he was doing. Saturated in the blood of all those he has just dealt with. Basking in it all. He was a sick person as the product that made up this floor was children. A Monster was who Minus was, the beast Gato had to always keep close on a leash. And at this time he was lost. He no longer had the task given to him in mind, and was now heading to the next floor. He'd head over to the staircase and would leap down, letting gravity doing the work for him instead of him running down each one. This was dangerous and if someone normal did this they'd end up plummeting to their death. Minus wouldn't though as once he got to the fiftieth floor he'd reach out and grab onto the railing. Pulling himself up he'd head into the room, but would see nothing but carnage. Someone had beat him to it, and that brought him back to his senses. He'd remove his Den Den mushi and would call Gato. "Boss, I missed placed your list. Can you please tell me who you want?" Minus would ask Gato once he had answered the Den Den mushi.

"Eh, just bring me Ava. Everyone else can just die. And remember Minus...that is the little girl with the shaved head." Gato would say as he'd end the call and look over at the clock. It was seven pm and Meto is still on his way here. Gato still was ready but he needed Plus to get here with that item asap. "I'm starving."

"You need a break, Marine?" Dilan would stop as he waited for Hannibal to catch up with him. Dilan was faster now and keep up a fast pace for longer as well. Hannibal wasn't that far behind but he was a bit winded. Getting a bit of rest would be nice, but he couldn't. They needed to get out of here as quick as possible. Dilan did wait for Hannibal to catch up before running though.


"Hmm, if I take this way I can cut like forty-five minutes of my trip if I go as fast as I can." Plus would say as he'd stop in front of a large lake. No floating boats were within it though. Wreckage could be seen as well as some creatures that would come up at time. This lake connected to the sewer system as well. It wasn't like this before though. It used to be just a lake people used for various things. But, when things began to be built all around it there was no real use for it other than to dump waste. It filters out but the appearance from above makes it a eye sore. Plus would strap the item he had around his back and dive in, without a second thought. Swimming through it as fast as he possibly could. Half way through something would take him under. Five minutes later blood would begin to spread from a singular spot. Those walking around would stop and look and see, as that is a rare sight. All the creatures that swam within that weren't big aside from one. A baby Sea King that someone dumped in there for some odd reason. A lot of people knew about this because it was a large event and also was within the local paper. Soon the body of the baby sea king would belly up and people were shocked. As the next thing soon was Plus crawling onto the belly of the sea king. He looked side to side before jumping back into the water. He had lost his direction and needed to look to stop and look for where he wanted to go. "Fucking fish. Took some of my time away." Plus would say after making it out of the water and beginning to run to the EL tower. Those on the side he came to just watched him, shocked that he even swam through that.

"Okay, let me take a break now." Hannibal would say as he'd stop. They were on the twentieth floor. It wasn't just running down the stairs. At one point they had to stop and go through a large room full of bull crap. Maneuvering around all that took a lot out of Hannibal. And the fact that he was out of shape due to being a drunk didn't help at all. He was getting back to his old self from all of this running though and doing more of that or something taxing would put him at his best. Though that sounds weird that his how he got better in his village. Pushing past your limits.

"Okay, let me carry Ava." Dilan would say as he'd turn his back to them. Hannibal would agree and help Ava get on the back of Dilan. After he did that he'd lean up against the wall for five minutes catching his breath. It had taken them around thirty just to get this far. "After we get Ava out of here we could go back up  and arrest Gato." Hannibal would say joking. Going after Gato something he'd do later. Coming back with Marine forces would be his best bet. As Hannibal knows Dilan would just end up killing Gato.

"yeah, sure. " Dilan would quickly respond.

"Eh!?" Hannibal was shocked that he didn't think Dilan would even say yes. "No, no. I was joking. Right now....our main priority is getting Ava out of here. " Hannibal would say.

"I guess you are right." Dilan would say. "How is it being a part of a tribe everyone hates?" Dilan didn't ask that to be funny. It was a serious questions. He had fought to save someone just like Hannibal before. Killing a Marine commodore for what he did.

"You and Ava are the only ones that I've soon my eye to on purpose. Gato saw it and well....I am here. How I feel about the entire thing is.....Well, I don't like it. We have never done anything wrong to the entire world. No race has...." Hannibal would say.

"What do you plan to do?" Dilan would ask.

"Well, I will fight for our rights. I will stay a Marine so that I can do it the right way. I also need to find out what happened to my village. Only person I know the fate of was my...."Hannibal would stop himself. He was speaking about his life to a Pirate. A Criminal that he would need to capture sooner or later. Getting close to him would be problematic. Hannibal just needed his help saving Ava and getting out of here.

"Lame. You should just become a pirate, and make a crew with me. I'll make a country where all races are equal, no matter of their past. Can't do that being a Marine." Dilan would say to Hannibal. It had seemed he had gotten warm to Hannibal, even wanting him to join his crew. "You, Ava, and I can become the new light of the world." Dilan would add. At this time, during their break, he reverted back to his normal self.

"Heh." Honestly, Hannibal couldn't hold his smile back. If he wasn't a Marine he'd probably accept Dilan's offer. But, he was a Marine and he couldn't accept it. "Only if we walked down different paths, Dilan. We do need to get going though." Hannibal would say. He was ready to get a move on, but they wouldn't move. Behind them a door would open. It wasn't a door to a room but rather a elevator door. Only one person was within it though. A Man covered in blood. The distance between him and the group was one meters. The guy looked strange. He had his head down and he was swaying back and forth.

"DILAN GET AVA OUT OF HERE! I'LL CATCH UP!" Hannibal instantly knew the guy's stance. He had fought someone that used a very similar stance. And also the killing intent that was oozing from him made it hard to breathe. If Hannibal had Ava he'd ask Dilan to just take care of him. He couldn't do that now though. Trying to give her to someone else would leave them too open. Dilan would nob his head and Minus would strike.

"Y-you know...." He'd close his eyes and shake his glass before his head would fall flat on the table. He'd had one too many. But, could you blame him? Hannibal Uchis was this poor soul's name and he had just lost his Family. Those that he grew up with. Those that he has been working so hard for. All because he couldn't just head home on time. He just had to take a day to rest at the base, instead of doing it on the ship as he headed home. This pain has caused him to pick up a bad habit. He had just quit smoking last year, which he picked up after he lost someone in his unit. It wasn't clear if his new habit was any better. As he has been drinking, none stop, for over three days. All the money he had saved slowly but surely going down into the bottle. Sadly, he couldn't even escape his reality. No dream but nightmares of what happened filled his mind even in sleep.

He would seem, to be saved as he was wakened up abruptly from the nightmare. "Huh?"

"Commodore Uchis, we have a letter for you." One of them would say once they got Uchis' attention. Once they had it they'd hand him the letter and then leave, no other words said. They didn't even wait for a dismissing salute. And that was a odd thing as they seemed like the respectful type. Uchis wouldn't say anything about it, as the drunk didn't really care, and would begin his struggle to open the envelop. It wasn't often he got mail from anyone, he usually was the one delivering it.  Finally, after about five minutes he was able to rip it open. He was able to do it after putting his glass down.

"O...Okay, let us see here." He'd say, stumbling over his own words as he began to read. After he finish he'd ball it up and toss the paper behind him, as it wasn't good news. He grab his glass of rum and take it all to the head(drinking it all). He had been demoted due to failure of keeping up his commitments here while on Baltigo. And if his performance continues to go down he might end up with another one basically, or worse kicked out. Honestly, Uchis was fine with it all. He was in a sunken place and didn't see a way out at all.

ooc: Do not count the quoted message as part of the post. Taken from RP sample and used as a flashback.

Hannibal, for some reason, thought about his demotion. How he had lost something else he didn't want to lose. But, unlike the first thing he lost he didn't care about the demotion. If his old self, the horrible one, would've laughed. Told him to stop trying and just give up, as life was horrible.Tell him again that caring again wasn't the mind set he had before coming here. But now he did care. He no longer gave up on himself. He was not just fighting for Ava but for himself.

"Dilan, is Hannibal going to be okay?" Ava would ask as they left. Dilan didn't go at the same speed before, it was as if he was just as fast as before but not like a monster. Dilan was stronger than he had been letting on.

"I don't know. That guy he is facing is dangerous. I fought him and his partner. Shit, they are the reason I got caught. Plus and Minus. Gato's right and left hand. Out of the two Minus is the worst, his Nuki Ashi is almost unbeatable. You gotta be above average to keep up with his movements. Plus on the other hand is extremely strong, even stronger than me. Hannibal fighting just one is going to be tough. Whoever wins it will need to want it more." Dilan would tell Ava.

"So will Hann win?" Ava barely was able to keep up with what Dilan said. And her only question was if Hannibal could win.

"Yeah, he should." Dilan would say to reassure Ava. He could just tell she was nervous and worried about Hannibal. Dilan kinda regretted telling her about how dangerous Plus and Minus were to Ava. He did have faith in Hannibal though as he was going up against Minus, and not Plus.

Hannibal, if not for his Third eye, would not be able to to see the movements of Minus. That though did not change the fact that he would be slashed across his right arm. The cut wasn't deep, but looking around area he was within had cut marks as well. Few small but one would be extremely large. If Hannibal had been hit by that one he would've been killed. His foe was dangerous. Using the Nuki Ashi ability was rare. But, those that could were dangerous. Hannibal began to examine his foe, while he could. He would notice that he a small bald in each hand. Dealing large damage with them to the iron around they must be of great quality. Hannibal would place both his hands in his pockets. "I don't like sounding like those wannabe heroes. But, I can't lose here." Hannibal would say as he looked at Minus.

"Shut up." Minus would say as he would begin to sway back and forth. He would lower his head, and that is when Hannibal would strike. Waiting for the guy to attack was something he couldn't do. The distance between them was less than a meter, and that was closed within seconds. Once he was within leg distance he'd jump and spin, and attempt to deliver a swift kick with his leg to the neck of Minus. His flashiness would cost him as Minus would finish his prep and attack right before the kick came. Multiple slash wounds would appear on the leg of Hannibal, and also on the surrounding area. Due to being so close Minus was able to deal a tremendous amount of damage to Hannibal.

Hannibal would remove his hands from his pocket. And would fall into a handstand, Minus has already gotten into another stance. It would only be a few seconds before Minus would strike again. Hannibal would get back to his feet and begin to back peddle, and stop once at the entrance of the elevator. 'I think I can time it right now.' Hannibal would say as he watched Minus begin to head toward him. Minus began to make his way over slicing and dices everything in his path. But, once he got to Hannibal he'd stop prematurely.

Minus' eyes would grow wide in shocked as he didn't expect anything like this. Hannibal was able to stop his movements by forcing his hand to be impaled and then holding the blade there. Minus had his weapons attached to him; so just letting go of the blade wouldn't allow him to get away. Most would try to strike back right when this happened. But, Hannibal knew he didn't have anything to put Minus down with just one attack. So, he'd pull Minus and jump backwards. And they both would end up in the elevator. Before Minus could realize the plan Hannibal had Hannibal would kick his shoe off and have it hit the a button for a floor. He didn't know which he hit he just needed to hit one. The number that he had hit was eighty-eight.

The elevator wasn't all that spacious but the two could fight within it. What Hannibal wanted to do was make it hard for Minus to utilize his ability. Eliminate all the space he'd have in the stairwell. "Now, the real fight begins." Hannibal would tell Minus after the two would get up. Hannibal had kicked his shoe off as they fell into the elevator.

Dilan and Ava would finally make it to the bottom floor, but their journey didn't end. Right there at the entrance was Plus. He had made it back quicker than he expected after his short cut. He looked Dilan up and down, "Eh? You shouldn't be out of your cage, kitty. So, do you want to go up nicely or should I force you back in the cage?" Plus would ask as he had his hand on the strap of his item. He watched Dilan carefully as he knows what he is capable of. He didn't want to damage the item he had for Gato.

"Get down Ava. We got a obstacle in our way, and I need to use everything to move it." Dilan would say as he would lower himself and let Ava down. As he began to stand fully back up he'd begin to transform. Chester would shake his head and would remove the item he had on his back and his jacket, revealing his steam powered arm.


"You just don't learn. Do you? " Plus would say as he'd get into a battle stance. Eyeing Dilan up and down. Plus wasn't impressed with Dilan and his transformation, not in the slightest.


"I level'd up a lot since you last fought me. And you don't have your annoying partner, so don't get cocky!" Dilan would say as he'd point at Plus. He was in his partial state once again and ready to do whatever it took to take care of Plus. He did know one thing though. He would not fall to Plus here just as Hannibal wouldn't fall to Minus. Both of them had two foes in front of them that would test them to their limits. One dumb slip up could cost them their life and spell the end of Ava. They though did not know of the next threat coming to there way. Meto was coming in force and would lay waste to everyone.

The EL tower had only two windows. One large one at the larget floor that Gato resided on and another on the fiftieth floor, that Hannibal and the other looked out of. Reason that Gato had few windows on his building because he didn't want people to gain access. But, if he wanted that he should've had just one at the top or none at all. As the window, that had been broken by Dilan, would be used by the members of the Meto gang. Firing a couple of grappling hooks toward the broken window of the fiftieth floor. They fired right across, since they couldn't get a good shot from above. Once the rope was secure on both side, one at a time, they would begin to head over. Strong arm strength was needed as they began to head over. In total it was fifty of them.

Gato had already called all of his grunts up to his floor. The only ones he didn't call was the ten, he thought, would be downstairs. But, those grunts had already been taken out. This was bad for Gato who believed the only entrance to this place was guarded. He was unaware of everything currently going on. He didn't know that Minus and Plus were in combat with Hannibal and Dilan. Nor did he know that his tower had already been invaded by Meto's men. They didn't carry anything heavy as this group at the top were here for one job. And that was to set charges through out the building. They didn't care for the bodies they found on the level they were on. They just assumed Gato was a even more sick person.

"All I wanted to do was be done with the Nil District. Have some things trade from here, but most of my business would've been put in the Ninth District. But no...Gato you have to fuck it all up. Killing my only son. For what? And then you lie about it. " Meto would say as he rode in a steam powered carriage. Behind him were his armed guards, fifty in total. Within the carriage was Meto's right hand man. A Samurai that had been hired by Meto.

"You could just send me, Meto. I'd be able to handle all of them." The Samurai would ask as he looked at Meto.

"No, I'm not paying you extra for doing the task alone." Meto would say cross his arms. He didn't trust the Samurai all that much. But, he was the best currently within Baltigo. He needed him solely to take out Plus and Minus. There was also something else Meto wanted, which was the reason he came personally.

The Item that has been mentioned a few times throughout this entire time was a Devil Fruit. Something that Meto acquired when Devil Fruits first started popping up. He had stolen it from his Father and kept it only to allow it's worth to increase. He knew that those items would never lose value and would increase as time passed. Meto didn't just come here to seek revenge for his lost son. He also came to get back was stolen from him.

"Do you think you can last any longer against me?" Minus would say as he would lean up against the door of the elevator. Even though they had stopped a while ago the only way to open it was manually now. But, if either one of them tried to do that they'd end up leaving themselves open to an attack. Currently the amount of time that has passed does not matter anymore as Meto and his group had arrived at the entrance. The conflict down there would though will be explained later. Currently the battle between Minus and Hannibal has almost reached it's head. Physically both are exhausted beyond belief. Hannibal has many slash wounds over his entire body. The ranged from small scratches to deep wounds. Minus on the other hands had bruises and a couple broken ribs. The two had different fighting styles that deal different types of damage.

"Why do you work for Gato?" Hannibal would begin to speak as he needed rest. And starting up some small talk would be enough to get his energy back up, even if just a little.

"I've only chosen paths that I know would be bloody." Minus would  say. He'd relax just a bit, but kept his weapons at the ready. "So, me working under the Boss was a obvious choice. I get to kill anyone that he wants dead. And at times I get to also do what I wanted and not have to worry about being hunted due to the boss." Minus would tell Hannibal.

Hannibal didn't like what Minus would say at all. Someone like him were horrible. Monsters that knew fully well what they were. "Usually, I say. If things were different....we'd be friends. But that isn't the case here at all. So, I've decided. I will kill you." Hannibal would rush forward at he said 'I've decided'. After a couple steps, around three, he'd utilize the same motion he used with his usual technique.

Minus would smirk at Hannibal's movements. Hannibal has seemed to be a one-trick pony. A High kick followed by two others. Minus would disconnect his blades from his wrists, he planned to throw them at the right moment. But, to first avoid the initial kick he'd move directly forward. "I've seen through your technique." Minus would say as he would begin his first movement forward. The other kick would obviously come from his other side and then the final from behind. His preparations where going to end with Hannibal having his leg's skewered, if done right. But, something was strange. Minus would have everything messed up and would be forced to drop his plan and leap away from the kick. He didn't know what it was but he sensed there was something behind that kick, and that was killing intent. "You weren't going to use that move you've been using were you!?"

"No, I said I was going to kill you. So, I've created a few new moves to use just for the purpose of that." Hannibal would say as he began to lower his leg. He wasn't about to use the three strike move he had been using. A single kick was really all he needed to use.

Minus would toss forward the blade he had with his right hand, and shortly after he'd rush forward at Hannibal. His thought process was to make Hannibal have to try and dodge the knife and as he did that strike with a killing blow with the knife in his hand. He hated that Hannibal had stopped his Nuki Ashi ability by having them fight in this elevator. But, that didn't make or break Minus. Hannibal would, before Minus threw his knife, begin to spin twice. After the second rotation Hannibal could see the sharp pain in his midsection, but that wouldn't stop him. He took a chance after his spin was done he'd try to deliver the strongest kick he has ever done to the head of Minus. The two were the same size, but the arms of Minus was extremely long. He had been hiding his secret. He was part of the long arm tribe and using their extra join to increase the speed, and obvious reach, of their arm attacks.  


Who would win the last clash came down to speed, as both were at their limits.

---

"Fuck! WHERE IS PLUS AND MINUS?!" Gato would scream out as gun fire between his forces and the forces of Meto, the guy that came from the window, would continue. Gato was within his office and only had two guards in the room with him. The rest were fighting outside of the room. Gato and his men were outnumbered but he had the advantage of his location. But, soon he wouldn't hear anything at all. He wasn't sure if Plus and Minus had come and helped or if his guards had perished. He wouldn't move from his spot though at all. He'd reach into his desk and remove a pistol just in case though.

Soon a strange noise would be heard and the door would have a large slash going through it diagonally. The two guards would move in front of the door, rifles ready. But, they'd just end up have that door fly out and hit them. Gato, after seeing this, would raise his pistol and begin to fire till he was out of ammo. He'd then reload it again.

"Just stop. You won't hit me with that." A Man would say as he would step into the light of the room. Revealing himself to be a Samurai with a large scar going across his face. "So, Gato. Where is the fruit?"

"I don't have anything." Gato would say as he'd finish reloading and aiming it at the Samurai. "I told Meto that I didn't have anything to do with his son. And I am handling making those suffer that did."

"No need to explain anything to me. I'm just paid to do my job. Only reason that I have let you draw breath for so long is because of the fruit you stole. And that is the only reason." The Samurai would say.

Gato wouldn't say anything as it seemed everything had ended for him. Even if he would be able to kill this Samurai this was going to be an all out war with Meto. And Gato just didn't have the man power to do all of that. He sunk most of his wealth into this building to make sure he was safe till could amass enough wealth to go to war with anyone. "I just wanted to get out of the Nil district." Gato would say as he'd place his pistol down on the desk. He'd also sit down as well. You can try to fight as long as you wanted but there was no point. Gato would place his hand under his desk.


"So, I take it you don't have the fruit." The Samurai would say as he'd begin to walk toward Gato.

"No, if I did I would've killed you another way." Gato would say before he'd press a button under his desk.

"Kill me? Yo-"

"Damn, Gato still has this many men?" Is what Hannibal would say as he began to limp out of the building. The first person he saw was Ava and the second was Dilan who was standing in front of her. Ava had something in her hand, but Hannibal didn't know what. The next thing he saw and what he commented on was the group of fifty men standing before Dilan. This though wasn't the worst as it seemed more would begin to arrive. At least two more carriages would arrive, but no one would get out of them. Hannibal wanted to be optimistic, but he couldn't. His fight with Minus had concluded but he was injured worse than he ever had been. One of the knives of Minus still was within the midsection of Hannibal as well. He didn't pull it out because the wound was bleeding and pulling the knife would just make it worse.

"How long do you plan to hold out? Monster? Seeing you slay Plus lets me know you aren't my enemy, but why do you stand in my way?" Meto would ask with a microphone den den mushi. He stood behind rows of his goons and did this from his carriage. When they had arrived they saw the Monster, Dilan, rip the head of Plus clean off. Though, it was obvious their fight lasted a long time due to the injuries on the Monster's body. It might be that Samurai's fault for slashing at the Monster's eyes. Meto didn't tell the Samurai to do that because the Monster was fighting their common enemy. That guy just did it anyway. But, with Plus fighting out here he had to already have given the fruit to Gato. So, to make sure it can be gotten back quickly Meto told the Samurai to just go get the fruit and worry about Minus later, since Minus was the only one left of Gato's top guys.

"Protect....Ava...." Dilan would say as he stood there. Hannibal would hear him say this as he gotten closer to Dilan. When Hannibal was only a few feet away from Dilan he'd look back at Hannibal. "Hann....I did my best. But, you have to protect her while I rest." Dilan would say as he'd begin to shrink, turning back to normal. He'd then fall fast first onto the ground. There was already a pool of blood on the ground but after Dilan feel it began to grow.

"Oi!" Hannibal would say as he limped closer and knelled down to see if Dilan was okay. He wasn't as there was no plus. He seemed to have had a tougher fight than Hannibal. Hannibal wouldn't say anything, as he didn't know what to say.

"Hmm." Meto would step down from his carriage and begin to walk over to Hannibal. He had nothing to fear from Hannibal, due to how wounded he looked. And with the Monster no longer standing he was safe. That didn't mean his Men didn't ready themselves. If Hannibal did anything, or anyone they didn't know, they'd fire without hesitation. Making sure not to his Meto but everyone, even Ava, if need be. "I don't kill the wounded or children. So don't try anything, I just want to talk." Meto would say as he would stop at the edge of the blood pool.

Hannibal would say anything as he'd stand up and place himself in front of Ava. Protecting her was still his top priority. Even with him being weak seeing that Dilan fought passed his limits made Hannibal want to do the same. "Talk." Hannibal would say.

"I have come here to kill Gato and take back what was mine. Seeing as you are not attacking me and just protecting that child. I'll assume you aren't apart of Gato's gang. Am I right?" Meto would see Hannibal nob his head to confirm his thinking. "Okay, this probably is something you wouldn't know. But is Minus still up there?"

"No, I killed him." Hannibal would say quickly.

Meto's would raise his brow in surprise. But, seeing the wounds on Hannibal he could tell the fight was something else. "I guess than my Samurai should only have to deal with getting my item back. Sucks I paid him in advance for Plus and Minus, but whatever. As long as they are gone and Gato dies, his organization...no little gang will never rise from the ashes. " Meto would say. He'd look Hannibal up and down. "I doubt you'd die from those wounds. But, if you work for me I'll make sure you get the help you need and also get paid. So what do you say?"

"As a Marine I decline." Hannibal would say. Ava would peak from behind Hannibal and look at Meto. She wasn't afraid but he had a different feel coming from him. That though wasn't a good thing as he seemed worse than Gato. Meto would make brief eye contact with Ava before looking back at Hannibal.

"A Marine....I guess th-" Before Meto could finish speak a loud noise would be heard and when everyone looked up they would see that the top of the EL Tower had exploded. It began to spread more and more and rubble began to fall to the ground.

Hannibal seeing this would force himself to pick up Ava. He was not able to move and doing this he even drove the knife in his midsection deeper. He would shield her the best he could, "I'm sorry Ava." Is all he'd say before everything would go black to him.

"You did good, Hann." Hannibal's Father would tell him as they two sat at a edge of a cliff gazing out at the night sky. It being blanketed in many stars.

"I did it for you guys." Hannibal would tell his Father as he would smile. He felt warm despite them sitting in the snow. It always snowed here. A snow less time only lasting a week. Hannibal grew up with the cold but was not really ready for how cold the world could really be. His Family no his Village was the source of the warmth that kept him from freezing.

"Hann."

"Yes?"

"When you leave this place. I want you to do things for yourself, okay? No matter what."

Hannibal would pause for a moment before looking at his Father. "Sure, I can do that."

---

Hannibal would slowly begin to open his eyes. He just had a dream. Something he hadn't had in a very long time. It was strange to have that instead of a nightmare, but he wouldn't complain about that. As he was happy he had one. Something was strange though, as he had thought he died. He was in pain all over as he tried to sit up, not being able to.

"You passed out, Hann." Ava would say. She was sitting at the edge of his bed. "That guy saved us before we were crushed. And they brought us here.....they weren't able to get Dilan though. S-so..." She was fighting back tears as she spoke.

"He is in a better place." Hannibal would say. "He will rest easy knowing that you are safe."

"Y-yea!" Ava would say. She would then suddenly climb closer to Hannibal and hug him. The pain from it making Hannibal want to cry out, but he wouldn't. He'd just hug her back. She would realize what she was doing and stop.  "Sorry!"

"It is okay." Hannibal would say. Her hugging him helped him sit up, so he was fine with that. "Are you okay?" Hannibal wanted to ask what all went down in the Dilan fight, but that wasn't appropriate.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ava would say. "OH! I almost forgot." Ava would get out of the beg and head over to the chair in the corner. There was a small box over there, and she would bring it back to Hannibal. "Dilan took this from Plus during their fight. Told me to keep it safe till we met up with you." She'd say as she began to open it. She didn't know what was within it at all and only kept it because Dilan told her to. She'd slow bring it out and the contents would be revealed. It was just a strange looking fruit.

"Oh...I thought I'd be something cool." Ava would say as she broke it in half. Even though it wasn't she planned on eating it and her breaking it in half showed she wanted Hann to do it with her. Hannibal would grab his piece and look at her, as he knew she was still hurt from the loss of Dilan. The girl had been in hardship for over a year and probably never though she'd be free. And her wanting a family also was something. Dilan and Hannibal, even from their short time with her, made her feel as if she had a family.  Hannibal also felt the same way, that is why he knew how she felt. It doesn't take years for you to make a new family with someone. It just took you finding the right people that can make your life better. Well, that was the thinking Hannibal had.

"Well, let us eat this in honor of our lost family. To our Parents, to our friends, and to Dilan." Hannibal would say as they take a bite, Hannibal taking the bite first. Instantly both didn't know if they should throw up or not, but they'd swallow their vomit and eat the rest of the fruit. Smiling at each other once they finished. They also both hadn't eaten in a long time so that was another reason they needed to finish the fruit.

"We need to get out of here. I don't trust that Meto guy." Hannibal would say.

"We are locked in. They said they come back later today." Ava would tell Hannibal. She had wanted to leave the room but when she tried she couldn't due to the door being locked on the outside. There was bathroom here so she was fine with that. They also gave her a book if she had gotten bored. Hannibal didn't like this at all, but couldn't do anything about it. So, the two would just sit there and wait. During that time they'd talk about a lot of things that they couldn't talk about before. It was refreshing that they weren't in that dirty cell anymore but even if this place was cleaner. A prison, no matter the looks, was still a prison. Hannibal found out many things about Ava in their time together one begin that she didn't know how to read. So, he began to teach her how with the book that they had given her. During this time she would fall asleep. Hannibal didn't know how many hours would pass by but soon the locked door would slowly begin to open. Meto along with a Doctor and a Guard would reveal themselves.

"I thought you said he'd be out cold for a week Doc?" Meto would say as he have a stare down with Hannibal.

"He seems to be different." The Doctor would say in response to Meto.

"Well, it works for me. Guro place their food over there and then leave me and the Doctor." Meto would say. He'd wait till the guard would leave the food and then exit the room before he'd say anything at all to Hannibal. "I saved your life Marine same with the your Daughter. So, you owe me two life debts. I won't ask you to do anything right now, or even anything that could ruin your Marine career. But, know you owe the leader of the Red Lotus."

That name raised many red flags as Hannibal knew briefly on it. Meto was right though. Hannibal did owe him for saving thier lives, and he had to repay him. As when you owe someone within a place like Baltigo and you don't repay them fates worse than death can arise. "I ask that you give me three months before you ask me for any favors." Hannibal would tell him.

"Hmm, that is fine. Honestly speaking. I don't have anything for you to do on Baltigo. You will though have someone contact you when the time arises. Also, I will not lock this door anymore and you both can leave whenever. I just did it so that I can speak to you on this. This place is also not a place that Gato had you. It is simply a hospital that I am a sponsor of. Oh, and I am going to pay you for what you did to Minus. The beli next to your food." Meto would say as he began to leave the room. The Doctor would stay though as She needed to check up on Hannibal before leaving the room. She would do so and then make her exit as well.

Hannibal would sit there hold Ava thinking over everything that had just happened since he arrived to Baltigo. He had been demoted. He had been captured by a Slaver. He had become friends with a notorious Pirate. He had lost that said friend. He had pushed passed his limits. He hand made a new family. And finally he owes his life to a criminal organization that will no doubt have him do horrible things. "Heh, I can't forget that I ate a horrible tasting fruit." Hannibal would chuckle as he caressed the head of Ava. She had to be the one to tell Meto she was Hannibal's daughter. He was fine with that though.

Three weeks later

Hannibal had used a large portion of the Beli given to him by Meto to buy a home on Baltigo. It's location though was not within the Nil District, but rather the Ninth. It wasn't that much better than the Nil District, crime wise, but the place he bought was under the protection of the Red Lotus. God knows he didn't want to do this. But, since he planned on repaying Meto back keeping Ava in this area was the best he could do. Before he would leave Baltigo though he would help her leave this place. This was just the beginning of the wild journey Hannibal was going to have on the Island of Baltigo. As he has yet to realize that on top of being hated due to his race he will be hated due to what he thought was just a disgusting fruit.