A Light Touch (Eustass X Reader)

Chapter 24: Greasy Hands

(Strap in, I think this is my longest chapter ever - also don't worry about the details of the chapter image, just keep the Expression in mind. You'll know for when ♥).

The raid that night was broken into several teams. You, Kid and Law were on one very mobile team, with Killer, Emma and Hip on another team, and Boogie, Heat and Wire on another. House and Reck were nearby, in case someone needed medical attention, but they didn't have an active role. There were support groups around the area in case Decken slipped the net, but after going over the plan nearly a dozen times before you had headed out you were fairly certain things would end tonight.

Killer's team took point, the three of them being the fastest and quietest people on the crew. Everyone was wearing collars that allowed for communication down to whispers. It was voice-activated open channels, so everyone was quiet once they put them on.

Aside from Killer's team, you were the only one dressed in dark colors. Kid and Law were the best defense you could hope for, but because of Decken's ability they needed to obscure your appearance as much as possible. The things he threw couldn't change directions immediately, so as long as you could move around, they wouldn't be enough to lock onto you with other means.

"Patrol found." Killer's whispered voice was clear in your ear, as though he was right beside you. "Emma left, Hip right. Wait. ... now!"

You jumped a little at the sudden raise in volume, even though it was still quite soft. There was a moment of silence and then, "Down and stowed, moving on."

Decken had protection. Not enough to stop someone like Doflamingo, and not enough to stop Kid. But it was enough to cause problems for Kid and the crew, so the soft and quiet approach was needed to thin the proverbial ranks.

A change in the air made you sniff, and Law and Kid both looked at you. You pointed to the air and then fluttered your fingers as you moved them down. There was a moment of confusion on Kid's face until he sniffed as well.

"Fuck," came the soft swear. You heard it from the comms, but it had been so quiet otherwise you wouldn't have. "It's gonna rain." Kid says softly, letting the rest of the crew know exactly why he swore.

Rain wasn't enough to stop the raid, but moving around on the abandoned hilltop faux town that was used for TV movies back in the day in the middle of a downpour was going to suck. Buildings and roads hadn't seen maintenance for a decade at least, meaning most of the area was going to be leaky and muddy.

Killer and his team took down a second patrol shortly after, and you could feel the smell of rain getting heavier, the rumble of thunder in the distance. The strange twinge slipped along your spine again and you started looking around at the same time Kid did. You could feel his power coiling up around him when a soft voice came through comms.

"Room." A strange sensation followed as something moved through you easily. "Shambles."

In the blink of an eye there were several dozen weapons stuck into the ground behind you, and you heard the soft thumps of stones falling onto the dirt some distance away a moment later. There was a moment of confusion on your part for a second before you realized it was Law's power. Eustass is scowling but Law just offers a shrug.

"It's quieter." The smaller man replies softly.

"Third patrol down, but there's a problem." Killer says over comms, continuing before anyone can ask. "I think they know she's here. I can hear something about how the weapons turned course unexpectedly."

"Next step then," Kid says with a wolfish grin. "Time to make some noise. Heat, light it up." He turns to Law. "Get us in there."

There's an unnerving weightless feeling and a second of nausea as your body shifts a great distance in a split second. You urp a little, putting your hand over your mouth before everything in your system settles.