Akira had learned long ago that dreams were a pointless thing and wishful thinking a lost cause. The goal of her life had been determined for her by others. To serve and to obey. Long ago she'd given up on the idea of freedom, of ever having the pow...
She was lost, Akira knew that much. Her panic had made her run, forgetting all about how she'd make her way back once the invisible danger had passed. She had no map. She hadn't marked the path which she took. She had no way of backtracking her own steps. She was lost. And it only made matters worse.
Her heart hadn't slowed nor had her breathing eased no matter how much distance she covered. Whichever part of the jungle she ventured into, there seemed to be a new danger lurking, both seen and unseen. Every shadow made her skittish and every noise made her jump as if it were right next to her and signalling an attack.
Whether it be calls of parrots flying high, or the monkeys screeching as they swung from branch to vine above her head. It all mixed together, sounding louder than it really was no matter how hard she tried to tune it all out and find some semblance of calm again. Although, perhaps her inability to do that, the fact that it kept her hyper aware of everything around her, was why she so easily heard a call from within the jungle.
"Akira!" It made her freeze, eyes widening and head spinning as she tried to find the source, tried to learn which direction would lead her opposite to the noise. But then more names came. "Nami! Vivi!" And the closer the sound got the more she recognized the voice. "Luffy! Usopp!"
"Sanji!" For the first time since she ventured off on her own, Akira felt that momentary relief, knowing which direction to run in now, not just to evade something but to finally stop the fear and panic consuming her. Instead of running away from the name of her call, she started to head towards it.
"Akira!" His second call made her breathe out in relief, helping her navigate through the jungle as it seemed closer and closer.
"Over here!" She called back, helping him do the same as she was. She paused only for a second to look around, searching for a path beyond one of the large carnivorous plants which was blocking her straight-line path.
However, as she veered off to the right, using a large palm tree to keep distance from it, Akira's path was clear once again. But then a shadow passed overhead, growing larger and larger and making her jump out of the way, her bag dropping from her hand as her eyes looked up in time to see flash of yellow hovering right over her, leaving her no time to react as it latched onto her arm and swooped her up into the sky, making her yelp out in fear as she was whisked away.
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This time she was stuck, her feet unmoving and glued to the structure on which she'd been placed by the woman in yellow who'd seized her in the jungle and brought her here. When she'd heard Sanji out there, searching for her and almost finding her, Akira had been relieved. But now, when she saw some of her crew in the clearing where she'd been brought, Akira only grew more fearful.
They were all stuck. And she was placed right alongside the rest of them into the trap which had been set for them. It made her want to shrink away and hide, kneeling down and shoulders drawn in as she tried to make herself smaller while panic continued to creep through her chest.
