Twenty Four Hours

Chapter 10 - 8hours 59minutes

Have you ever wished something cool would just happen to your boring life, like maybe getting involved with some crazy supernatural science shit, and then hunted down by New York's most powerful mafia gang? Cause if you did, then you better take it back. Why, you ask? Well, long story short, it is not cool.

I would know.

Currently, we're all still crouched down under the table, hiding. Honestly, I'm suprised they haven't even found us yet. It sounds like they're discussing something, and hopefully that should buy us some time.

So, allow me to fill you in with all the details. Penny right now is slumped against the wall by my left, facing me, with a blank, distant look on her face. Maybe she's silently watching her soul excrete from her body. And Sam, who's directly opposite from her, is silently banging her forehead on the wall, probably trying to wake herself up thinking this is all just a drea- I mean nightmare. Nick on the other hand is looking between the two of them in amusement, slowly shaking his head.

Oh good, he hasn't lost his mind like the rest of them. Guess I should start planning what to do next with him right about now.

"Oi, Nicky," I whisper at him and he pauses, eyes closed, as if annoyed, before turning to look- actually more like glare at me.

"What?" Nick hisses.

I quickly roll my eyes at his unnecessarily harsh tone before whispering again, "So what now?"

"What do you mean 'what now'?"

"What do we do?"

"Well," he starts, leaning back a bit and raising his eyebrows as he looks at me flatly, saying in an even tone, "Frankly, kid, we die."

I stare at Nick, suprised by his bluntness. "Wow, thanks for filtering out all the bad parts," I say sarcastically. Then, quickly shaking my head, I snap back to my senses, my stubborn side taking over. "But that can't be true!" I whisper yell in frustration, secretly just not wanting to die. "Isn't there anything we could possibly do?" I ask desperately.

Nick slightly opens his mouth, probably about to say no, but then I cut him off. "Possibly," I repeat.

He sighs and says in irritation, "I don't know, kiddo. Maybe just turn yourself in and see how that works out for you." Now, you see, literally anyone in his/her right mind would've been able to tell that Nick here was just being sarcastic. But hey, this is me we're talking about.

Almost immediately, without even a second thought, I leap out from our hiding spot, yelling with my hands dramatically spread apart like some kind of cartoon character declaring she's alive after faking her death, "Here I am!!"

Everybody's heads snap around to look at me, most in confusion, including Sam and Penny who're poking their heads out from the top of their seats, eyes as wide as saucers.

I'm now the center of attention as the gangsters begin to pass me glares and suspicious looks, no doubt getting ready to kill me.

So this is how I die.

Embarassed, I slowly drop my hands to my sides, trying my best not to make eye contact with anybody as I shift my weight from one foot to the other. Man, now I feel like such a fool. What the hell was I thinking!? Y'know, in the midst of all this regret, imma just blame everything on Nick. He was the one who gave me the stupid idea in the first place.

"You're Emma Grayson?" asks one of the tattooed men, making me look up at him. He's pretty tall, probably somewhere around 6 feet, with a thick, black beard covering practically half of his face, hair of the same colour pulled neatly over his head and tanned skin. Looking down I see he's dressed in all black, like most of them are, his finger laying on the trigger of the huge AK47 in his hands as his light brown eyes glare at me, waiting for my reply.

I stand straighter, clearly intimidated by his appearance, quickly saying, "Yes sir," but then immidiately regret it when I realise.

Did he just call me Emma?

He nods to a Mexican-looking guy standing beside him, as if sending a message, before turning back to me and saying coldly, like I didn't even have a choice, "You're coming with us."

The dude he had sent a signal to steps forward, and before I know it, I'm thrown over his shoulder, involuntarily letting out a squeak as he does so, the crowd of customers and employees silently watching in the background.

Thanks a lot, America.

I don't even try to fight back the entire time he retreats out of the restaurant, along with all his... 'friends', and then practically dumps me into the trunk of a car, loudly slamming it shut.

The sound of multiple car doors shutting fill my ears as my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, fear taking over as my heart beat increases.

Wow, kidnapped twice in one day. Way to go Emily.

I mentally roll my eyes at the thought before attempting to arrange the uncomfortable position I was currently left in.

Darn gangsters.

I manage to lie flat on my back, after much effort, my legs awkwardly crossed due to the lack of space, and stare up into the dark. It's stuffy and I've already started to sweat, my hair annoyingly sticking to the back of my neck. My heart pounds harder against my ribcage as I can't help the millions of questions that swarm through my head.

Why am I here? Where are they taking me? To see Henry? Will I die? Why is this happening? Will I ever get to see Luffy become the Pirate King?!

...Okay maybe that last one may've been irrelevant.

I sigh, wondering if Sam and Penny would come save me, but then immediately snort at the thought.

Yeah right, like that would ever happen.

Suddenly, the car starts moving and my eyes widen. What was I supposed to be doing again? Oh yeah, getting the heck outta here.

And that's when it hit me.

I quickly change my position so that I'm now crouching on my elbows and knees, fighting back a smirk as I prepare to commence the best plan I've ever come up with in my entire life.

Operation 'These assholes don't know about my superpower' is a go!