Odd Eye (One Piece Fanfic)

-18- Let's skip the Formalities; basically, Die.

"Who do you work for? Sei?"

A knife embedded deeply into the back of his palm, Titus grunted. He was seated on the ground, his hand nailed to the ground. They were in a room, a common hall, he figured, and most citizens of this small village were gathered to witness the trial.

The elder of the village was an old man that didn't look at all weak. He held a cane, but his back straightened to express dominance with his height. His gaze was firm, resolute, and tolerated to jokes. His hair was a sharp white, his eyes a dim red.

"It's-- a misunderstanding, sir," Titus muttered, resisting the burning in his palm that sliced through tendons and carved into bone, "we are merely travellers. We wandered in, by accident, we swear!"

He considered methods of escape. Stalling for time, getting their attention away from him, running in the rain. The boat was still intact, but the rain had eased. 

No, that was only possible if he were alone.

"Refrain from nonsensical denial!" the voice was heavy and booming, "only fellows of the tribe have the ability to see through the hidden mist, and the ability to cross it."

Only ninja can access hidden ninja villages? Nonsense.

"We bear no connections to your tribe!" Titus insisted, angered, "it was simply a force of luck that we had caught sight of your village in the storm, we truly have no hostile intentions in our arrival."

Cross was pinned down by staves, each blade uncomfortably close to his body, the beams intersecting at his joints, suppressing movement and disallowing any form of resistance. His lips was cut from when a man had punched him-- his bangs had come disarray from the force, his blue eye exposed from its coverings.

Titus tutted as their eyes met.

"Has there not been chances of your barrier failing to work?" Titus questioned them, keeping his calm, "I refuse to believe this would be the first time you've gotten uninvited visitors."

A foot burst to his face, slamming him down to the ground painfully.

"Don't get cocky," one strong, largely-built man gripped Titus by the hair, "there evidently haven't been any!"

This man was possibly older than Titus. Rough-voiced and well built, he seemed a strong figure even among the many in the hall. He was a hasty, hot-headed sort, and didn't seem much of a wise figure.

Titus laughed, "because you killed them anyways, am I right?"

His face was driven back into the ground-- blood began to pool from a broken nose. Titus was out cold.

"You mustn't be hasty, Kara," Elder Yun spoke sharply toward the man, "how disgraceful. Cool your head outside!"

The man scoffed with distaste, and with an angered huff he marched out into the rain.

Attention was turned to Cross.

"An odd-eyed boy," Elder Yun scoffed, "I suspect you would know more of the situation present."

Cross bit his lip, noting Titus' broken figure.

The white-haired boy who gave them shelter sat at the corner, knees pulled to his chest in concern. Cross shot him a glance out of annoyance-- the boy flinched.

Cross' weapons-- the bladed wires-- were in Luz's hands for safekeeping, so he had nothing on hand to fight back with.

Perhaps, if he had the chance, he would take the next open second to tag out with someone he could-- but he had to take Titus with him too. Titus couldn't move. He feared if Titus wasn't going to be breathing much longer.

"Elder!"

The panicked yell of the man that was sent out-- Kara-- was alarming to many. Of course, spiteful reprimands were sent his way in the interference of an interrogation, but the man seemed almost fearful-- his timorous expression didn't seem dismissable.

"The castle-- Mikadzu Palace--" he spluttered the words, almost as if he was hesitant to even call the name, "a light shone! A flare was lit in the palace!"

Cross was bewildered by the surprised gasps that resounded through the hall-- what?

It grips on the spears that trapped his movements were eased-- and Cross didn't miss it.

"It can't be!" Elder Yun filled with disbelief, "no-- no!"

He ran out of the hall, doubt filling him but certainty flooding his eyes-- many followed suit, attracted by the sudden, ground-breaking information.

"It's a curse-- she should have been dead years ago!" a woman shrieked.

"It's a spirit!" a man surmised, "a vengeful spirit to call for what we have done to her-- it can only be..."

Cross looked toward Titus-- and noticed a finger twitch.

The men that held Cross down by staves had lessened, two remained. Biting down on his lips, Cross closed his eyes.

He changed spots with Luz, his sight snapped to an angle watching from the corner. His weapons were in his hands now-- his eyes glinted with an ominous desire for anger. Luz was confused, finding himself in the spot held down by staves, biting down on his own lips-- 

Cross' footsteps made no noise, with three large boosts forward he swung a hard kick at the face of one guard-- turned his body and swung for his fist to barrel into the face of the other. 

He fell down with them, making sure they landed as gentle as they could, making little sound and catching no attention.

Luz was horrified-- staying frozen in spot, he could not move.

He was not a fighter, Cross had noticed-- it only took three seconds for Cross to turn the tables on Luz. The others were outside the hall or by the entrance, distracted by the noise-- only one soft call was needed to catch their attention, but for some reason, Luz made no noise.

Cross spotted a vent in the ceiling-- one a ninja had used to enter earlier and neglected to close-- picking at the knife that nailed Titus to the ground, he tore it out without hesitation. Throwing Titus over his shoulder, Cross leaped upward.

Luz was left alone, helpless-- and forced to follow Cross in fear of being labelled a traitor.