Recovery, Again...

IMPORTANT QUESTION: So I'd like your feedback on the recent fight, what were your thoughts on it? Do you feel the fights should be longer, shorter? More descriptive, less descriptive? Less character thoughts, more characters thoughts? Is there anything you particularly liked or hated? Is there anything I should add or remove? Please comment here.

Another Question: What should the names of the new powerups August has? For the Shatter limit breaker I was thinking of something like Overdrive or Limit Breaker, and for the wound healing I had something like Shatter Heal. Or would you prefer for there to be no names for these modes at all?

Let's get back to reading!

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August awoke a day later in a hotel room unfamiliar to him. He felt a strange sense of Deja vu, and remembered he seemed to have a bad habit of dropping unconscious after a fight and waking up in a bed. The only difference between the 2 scenarios was that Lucci was most likely still alive, while Crocodile was 100% dead.

Robin who sat to the side reading a book, perked her head up as she noticed movement. Seeing August awake, she smiled slightly and made her way over to him.

August eyed her suspiciously, "So you trusted me?"

"I did. Some part of me told you too." Robin said.

The fact that Robin was even in his presence spoke a lot about her trust for August.

She coughed slightly before trying to change the topic.

"We're in a hotel room on the edge of Raintown. The Marines are on to me, so I can't risk going further into the city and risk capture." Robin said with a slight shiver of fear. She was taking a big risk by trusting August instead of escaping, she only hoped it would pay off.

She got up and placed a single hand to August's head to check his temperature, and after a single nod she left the room wordlessly. The room was silent for the next 10 minutes until Robin returned with a bowl of soup.

"Here." Robin held out the tray and placed it on August's lap. August tried to move, but his entire body was filled with a stinging pain.

He expected this damage, after all he shattered his body limits which came with benefits but also drawbacks. His body was housed to hold power it could barely contain, so most of it was feeling the side effects of using his power.

Torn muscles and ligaments, cracked bones, overworked body parts, stressed organs. The list went on, and although it wasn't on the level of damage he had after he fought Lucci, it would take some time to heal.

He thought back to his fight and remembered that he had nearly died on multiple occasions. If August was just 1 level weaker, a tiny bit faster, less experienced, then without a doubt he would have lost that fight and died.

From all the way to Lucci to Crocodile, in every fight he was pushing it close. And it was getting very risky. Although with high risk came high reward, the rewards being that August came out of each of these fights stronger and more experienced.

Despite the rewards, it was something August risked to change. He couldn't keep having close calls like this, sooner or later he would get in a fight he couldn't win and he would pay the consequences.

'I need to get stronger, strong enough so that a fight will never come that close.' Thought August.

He barely managed to sit up, but his muscles stung and cramped every time he tried to move them.

He sent a deadpan look towards Robin, "You're gonna have to feed me."

Safe to say, Robin wasn't happy. She pouted in annoyance, crossing her arms while staring at August.

August just sent her a look that said 'I'm being serious'.

"How about this, you feed me and you get to ask me questions about anything you want. I know you want to ask them." August compromised, looking towards Robin with a pleading look. He was hungry.

"Fine…" Robin huffed, taking a spoonful of soup and reluctantly feeding August.

"Good soup."

Robin nodded, before getting straight to business and started asking questions. August was correct in his assumption, but she believed all her questions couldn't be answered without the soup getting cold, which she wouldn't mind at all.

She had read a lot about the Revolutionary Army through the newspapers, books, and her own information gathering. She read how the leader Dragon was a megalomaniac man with a large amount of power. He went around the world, subduing countries in his quest to destroy the celestial dragons and rule over the world with an iron fist.

Of course, she knew better than to believe the World Government's lies. Ohara was destroyed because of lies made by the World Government, so she knew the World Government was nothing more than corrupt lying sleazebags.

However, it goes without saying that even the most absurd of lies had a sprinkle of truth in them. The million berry question is what parts of the lies are the truth? She needed to know this stuff before she even considered joining the Revolutionary Army.

"What's the Revolutionary Army like?"

"Hmmm…" August paused for a moment, formulating an answer.

"It's a home to me…No matter your background, race, past or actions, you are welcomed with open arms by Dragon and treated like an actual person. There are people there I would consider family, where our bond is thicker than any biological ties. I could go on for hours about what I love about it, but the simplest and easiest explanation…is that it's home."

"Home…" Robin said reminiscently, before turning her attention back to August.

"What about the leader…Dragon?"

"You're curious about the leader? Well for starters, he's strong, very strong. I don't know his true strength, but I'm certain it could possibly contend with a Yonko's. He is also a leader, a very good one. He is very intelligent, and knows just what to do to avoid conflict and his members being captured. He has a way with words that can be used to inspire the masses and get them to join our fight against the World Government. However, I think the most important point is how much he values his members. Although he is their direct superior, he doesn't see himself as such and never orders his members around like a dictator. He cares for everyone's well being and truly cares about the Revolutionary Army with all of his heart. Under the cold exterior you see when you first look at him is a heart made of gold who truly cares for people. It's rare these days to have someone like that…I'm happy to call him my leader."

"Wow." Was all Robin could say as August finished his passionate speech of Dragon. If it was any indication then August obviously admired and looked up to Dragon, and truly saw him as a brilliant leader. If August's points were accurate then she would be inclined to agree. A benevolent omnipotent leader who has the intelligence and patience to pose a true threat to the World Government.

"What about…You?" Robin asked.

"Me?" August spoke in an incredulous manner.

"Yes you." Robin rested her hand on her chin, "How did you come to join the Revolutionary Army?"

August stayed silent for a couple of seconds, 'Should I tell her? Well…It's not like it bothers me…'

He sighed, "Tuck in…It's not a fun story."

"I grew up in a normal household, being loved by both my mother and father and having a happy life. That was until my Mum died. After that everything went downhill, I was forced to take of myself, and my Dad eventually began beating me. The beatings carried on for a couple of years until my dad grew bored of me and sold me as a slave for some more money for booze. I was sold to a World Government worker who was responsible for sending slaves to Gemstone Island. The name is self explanatory, and as you can guess I became a slave working in the mines digging out ruby's and emeralds just for the celestial dragons to look pretty." August explained.

After catching his breath for a moment, he continued: "Due to my experiences I was very mature for my age, and I managed to not break and crumble under the pressure of my new life and hatched a plan to escape. The plan would take 3 to 4 years of preparation, but luckily after only a year in the mines, I was saved by the Revolutionary Army."

August was so engrossed in telling his story that he only just noticed Robin who had tears in her eyes and was crying.

"Are you ok?" August asked in an attempt to console her, but he didn't think he was doing a good job.

"*sniff* yes" Robin rubbed her sleeve against her eyes, "I just didn't think anyone else would have gone through something as bad as me. I always thought I had it worse." She said embarrassed.

August chuckled, "From what I've heard, I think you beat me in the tragic backstory department."

"No" Robin shook her head playfully, "You have me beat."

"Are we really about to discuss who has the more tragic backstory?"

"Yes…I think we are." Robin said with a smile.