Broken Faith

Observation 23: Someone needs to stop me from falling

"You truly are a fool, Monkey D Luffy."

A beat of silence passed. A silence of canon fire and explosions and death cries and gunshots and general warfare. None of that was really registering to you anymore. It had become background noise.

Your attention was fully on Luffy.

Until you forced it not to be.

"Cutty Flam?" You turned towards Franky with the best air of nonchalance you could muster. "I have a request for you."

"Uh..." He arched an inquisitive brow. "A request? Gonna be honest, that sounds SUPER shady."

"Oh don't be like that." It was taking so much to not look over the wall. To not look down at Luffy and beg for your forgiveness. But this couldn't be a confrontation. You had to play your cards right. So you simply dipped your head, and smirked. "I believe what I have to suggest will be mutually beneficial."

"Well-"

"ANGEL!"

The sound of his voice forced your eyes shut.

Luffy... please don't make this harder.

"Is that directed at me?" Pure instinct is what saved you from the act to be dropped. "Since if it is, I must inform you that you may refer to me as Saint (y/n). 'Angel' was simply a nickname I gave to remain incognito."

Luffy looked so... well. It was hard to read. So much could be going on behind those eyes that you had never quite mastered the art of understanding, especially at this distance. But the hurt was palpable. Even if it was masked under a layer of fury.

"Why are you up there?"

"Because I kidnapped her that's why!" And now the world's worst supporting actor was trying to get his moment in the spotlight. "This is all a part of my plan and you-" Spandam strode forwards, jabbing a finger directly into your chest with almost enough force to make you stagger- "should shut the hell up and stop butting into my-"

You shot him cleanly in the shoulder.

"In case you couldn't tell," you continued while Spandam screeched and writhed on the floor, "I am attempting to have two conversations at once. I can't stand dealing with a third delusional idiot on top of all that."

"You..." Spandam finally gasped, hand clutched over his bullet wound in a way that seemed to make it look more painful. "You... hah... can't do that... You're not..."

"Actually, the only thing I am not allowed to do is kill you. Which is something I didn't want in the first place." You dusted off the grubby print Spandam had left on your lovely white cloak. Then, pausing, you glared down at him. "Although considering what you have to answer for... death may be a more desirable outcome for you. In any case-" you gestured lazily with your pistol behind you- "Cutty Flam, go ahead and destroy Pluton's blueprints won't you? That'd be one thing off my list."

Franky shifted behind you. "Wha... how'd you... I-I SUPER don't have anything like that."

"Oh come on, you're a cyborg. If you didn't have hidden storage compartments within your body I'd be disappointed."

Spandam's pallid face whitened sickeningly and he attempted to scramble to his feet. Only to skid in the meagre puddle of his own blood. "What?! No! Y-Y-You can't be serious!"

"But I am." You kicked him flat, pressing down onto his wound with the heel of your boot. "In fact, I'm doing your job right now... something I have been doing behind the scenes for some time."