#usopp angst

Usopp is running through the streets of Dressrosa. His ankles are screaming at him, his side is cramping up, but none of the pain matters. He has to find you, he has to keep you safe. Your name leaves his mouth as he frantically looks everywhere to find you. Someone grabbed you earlier and now he doesn’t know where you are. He doesn’t know… why he’s running right now? 

He slows to a stop and his hands land on his knees. Why is he running from his friends? He turns in almost a full circle, trying to determine which way he came from and picks a direction before jogging back to the fight. 

-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-

Sugar lets you go almost instantly and you run out into town, desparate to find your friends again. To find Usopp. 

You see him enter the plaza you’re in and you start running towards him. Your name leaves his mouth but he doesn’t see you. His head is turning everywhere but not looking low enough and you can’t get to him fast enough. You watch as he slows, stops running, and confusion lines his features. His hands land on his knees and he looks away with confusion instead of panic.

What is he doing? “USOPP!!” You yell as loud as you can but you can’t be heard over the noise of the crowds. You watch him turn and run the other direction. The direction you know the rest of the group is in. 

He gave up. He gave up on looking for you. He gave up on you. Or he saw you and decided he didn’t want to save you. You don’t know which is worst. Both options hurt too much. 

Running after him, you hope to find your friends. Someone who can help you. Hopefully no one else has given up on you. Hopefully there’s still someone on the crew who cares. 

After what feels like hours of running, you spot Nami. She still cares. She’ll help you. 

As you approach your friend, she spots you and you know she knows you’re there. But she looks through you; she sends you away. 

What did you do so wrong that no one cares anymore? 

Slumping yourself against a wall, you watch, sadness building up in your chest, but you can’t cry. It’s not physically possible anymore. 

You sit there for a few hours. Every so often watching a friend run past, not concerned in the least that you are missing. No one cares. No one’s looking. 

Someone screams that Sugar’s been taken out as you feel yourself turn back into a human. 

Everyone around you runs to find their people, to reunite with their loved ones, but you stay. You watched your friends not care to look for you or help you. You watched Usopp give up on you. You watched him give up his search and go off somewhere else. 

-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- 

Usopp turns yet another corner and spots you. He can’t believe he forgot about you. He doesn’t understand what happened - he didn’t even know you existed for the past few hours. How could he forget about the love of his life. And now he sees you curled up in a ball, hands covering your head that’s buried in your knees, shaking with sobs. He swears he can hear his heart snap in half as he lands on his knees next to you. His arms wrap around you and you’re pulled into his chest while he says your name over and over again, laced with worry, fear, and guilt. 

Usopp stays there - against a random wall in the middle of Dressrosa, in the middle of a collapsing birdcage, in the middle of the final battle against Doflamingo - holding you, running one hand along your back while the other is bracing your shoulders to his chest. He’s whispering that he’s so sorry, that Sugar’s powers made them all forget you, that he’ll never let anything happen to you again, that he’ll do anything to make this up to you. As your sobs slow to hiccups, his tears soak his cheeks. He’ll never forgive himself for letting this happen. For letting you be forgotten and left alone. 

Your arms wrap around him, your face burying into his chest and his into the crook of your neck. The pair of you stays there, holding each other closely, as the battle for Dressrosa rages on around you.

His hand was shaking as heard the familiar click of the den den mushi. Usopp dropped the receiver and let out an audible whimper. Panic was welling up in his chest. Bile was rising in his throat. Sanji grabbed his shoulder.

“Snap out of it!” the cook barked, his cigarette falling from his lips to the floor. Sanji stamped it out quickly before dragging his friend down the hall.

Usopp followed with an ever paling expression. For all his big talk Usopp was at a loss for words in one moment. He could barely hear what Sanji was saying to him or the others. The sniper felt as if he couldn’t breathe, everything was spiralling to a halt.

The Thousand Sunny had docked on a simple looking island. It was a summer island, largely made of forest and but had a seaside town near the ports. The crew had stopped because they needed supplies. Usopp had drawn the short straw and was forced to keep watch over the ship while the others picked up supplies. He’d written down a shopping list for (Name) so she could pick up what he needed.

That had been hours ago and his list was less than a page long. He’d been worried about her before, but his anxiety grew as crew members came back one by one without her. Usopp had just bit his lip and held his tongue because (Name) was a strong woman and she’d be okay. That was until the den den mushi started ringing.

It was Nami on the other hand, out of breath and frantic. In an exhausted voice she informed the crew members that (Name) had been ambushed by slave traders who were hiding out on the island. Nami spit out some coordinates the traders may have been at before hanging up.

A hard slap to the face jerked him out of his panic attack. Starled, he looked up to see the icy gaze of Robin staring back at him. He’d known her long enough to recognize the fear behind her steely unmoving expression.

“Pull yourself together long-nose,” Robin commanded in a strong yet grave tone, “We’ve got to go get her.”

Robin looked away from Usopp, and glanced at the other Straw Hats watching her anxiously. The woman let out a frustrated sigh before taking a moment to think over the crews options.

“Does anyone know where Zoro or Luffy are?” she asked, and to her disappointment she was greeted by a wave of muttered ‘no’s.

“Alright,” Robin grabbed Usopp’s wrist, “Franky, go find Luffy and Zoro, fill them in on what’s happening. Get Nami too. Brook, stay here and protect the ship. We may need to make a quick escape.” Using her devil fruit, Robin grabbed the wrists of Sanji, Jimbe and Chopper, “The rest of us will go hunt down (Name).”

When Robin let go, Usopp rubbed his face and swore at his hands for still trembling. He shook his head and grabbed his oversized sling shot. Usopp turned to Chopper who was already filling his tiny backpack with medical supplies. “She’s gonna be fine, right?” Usopp’s voice caught in his throat, as he filled his own satchel with various ammo.

With a grim expression Chopper didn’t reply right away. He stuffed gauze into his backpack. “Camie was fine, when she was captured, but…” the reindeer trailed off, his face tightened into a more serious expression. One that Usopp didn’t think was possible for the reindeer to pull off.

Usopp wrang his hands together for a moment before biting back another cowardly comment. He could only imagine what (Name) would say if she saw him in such a miserable state, and she’d seen him in some pretty bad situations.

“I gotta put on a brave face for her,” he grunted to himself as he hurried off the ship alongside Chopper.

The group darted off towards the coordinates Nami had guessed. Brook who had been pacing, waved them goodbye, before camping out by the den den mushi on board. His mournful violin playing could be heard from the deck.

Franky had already left so Usopp prayed it wouldn’t be long before Luffy and Zoro appeared to save the day. One could only hope for such luck, but everyone knew the Straw Hats had a knack for getting into trouble.

When the crew got towards the center of town, loud music and an announcer's voice in the distance.

“Is that it?” Chopper asked, straining to listen and sniffing the air.

Robin and Jimbe shared glances with one another and nodded. The two experienced more than enough of the darkness in the world to know it must be right building.

“Most likely,” Jimbe said, “We have to go see.”

Taking in a deep breath and swallowing his fears, Usopp took off into a dead sprint towards the sound of the music. If his (Name) was being held there he’d go through hell and high water to get to her.

He could hear the click of Chopper’s hooves as he appeared beside Usopp in Walk Point, with Robin on his back. Jimbe and Sanji weren’t far behind him either.

The crew must’ve hit some kind of luck, as they neared the building. It was clear by the well dressed crowd meandering outside that it was in fact an auction house.

Robin used her power to once again grab the men and stop them from running straight into the building.

“We can’t just burst in there,” Robin scolded in a hushed tone, “It doesn’t sound like it’s started just yet. We can slip and slip out with (Name) without being noticed.”

“Let’s get going then. No one lays a finger on (Name) -swan and gets away with it,” Sanji growled before lighting a cigarette and saunter around to the back of the building. Usopp was hot on Sanji’s heels. He wouldn’t admit it but he was jealous of Sanji’s confidence or all the times he had made (Name) blush, but it wasn’t the time or place to dwell on such things.

The security behind the building was almost laughable, for people such as the Straw Hats. A handful of guards stood outside the back door, whom were eliminated rather quickly and quietly. The door had simple lock, but not to worry, Sanji kicked in the door with within a few moments.

It was easy to hear an announcer once inside the building, and it was clear that the event had begun by the time the crew got inside. Jimbe shuddered at the sight of all kinds of people, including fish-men were lined in small cages.

Usopp’s eyes darted frantically around the room looking for his darling (Name). The sound of shouting caught his attention. It was (Name) swearing up a storm and sounding an awful lot like Nami in the moment.

Dozens of men in black uniforms surrounded a cage with guns as a few manhandled (Name) out of the cage. She was dragged out by the sea stone handcuffs on her wrists and was spitting venom on her way out.

“Uncuff me, you cowards!” she hissed at the man trying to get her to her feet, “Fight me like men, you pigs!”

The crew was quick to react seeing that she was alive and had enough energy left to put up a struggle. They quickly took out a handful of guards before the had been noticed. Sanji, Jimbe, and Chopper took on the brunt of the attacks, while Robin and Usopp covered them.

“Just get her out on the stage!” snapped one of the men in uniform, “Someone else let the boss know what’s happening!”

As a jailer darted from the group, Usopp was able to shoot him down before he even touched a door.

“Feeling a little better?” Robin offered him a gentle smile.

Usopp could only nod, he still couldn’t quite breathe, but seeing (Name) alive and relatively unharmed grounded him in a sense.

Whilst the crew was lost in the fight, (Name) had been dragged to her feet and had a dagger pressed against her throat.

“Enough!” the man holding the dagger, shouted above the crowd, “Take another step and she dies.”

Everyone, including the slavers, froze in their place and all eyes directed toward (Name). The mans’ lips tugged up into a sneer and looked down at the woman in his grasp, “I could just kill her here and now, and take that sweet bounty for myself. But such a pretty dame like this,” his raw tongue up her jaw, “Would make a perfect consort for a Celestial Dragon. And the Dragons’ have funds to burn.”

(Name)’s eyes widened and her body went rigid in his arms. (Name) looked at the crew and whimpered, “Usopp, help me.”

The sniper felt his mouth go dry and it was becoming difficult to swallow. He stared at (Name) and tried to cover up his expression of anxiety. He clucked his tongue twice, and quickly loaded his slingshot.

“What did I say?” the man pressed the blade in her neck, “Don’t move.”

In a flash Robin used her extra limbs to distract the man and Usopp fired a Yabusame Devil. A barrage of ammunition rained down on the guards, and plants grew from the ground causing havoc. As the goons tried to fight off the sudden plant life, shrieks could be heard from the front. From the sound of it, Franky had found the others.

A thick atmosphere consisting of hate and rage surrounded the room like a fog as Luffy stepped inside the back room. The slavers were practically frozen in fear and Usopp took his chance to find (Name). He ducked in around plant life, who largely ignored their master.

He spotted her standing near where she originally was with the dagger the man once held in her hands. She wiped her lip and looked up when Usopp called to her.

“(Name)!” he panted as he got closer to her. Without thinking of anything else, Usopp grabbed her and held her tight. He buried his face in her hair and tried to pull her closer to his trembling body. “God, I was scared I was going to lose you,” he murmured into her locks and squeezed tighter.

(Name) gasped loudly and dropped the dagger, it clattered on the cement floors. Usopp let go while stammering out sorry’s while inspecting her body. He’d been so scared that she’d die that her had to hold her before she slipped away from him.

(Name) smiled sweetly up at Usopp. “Sorry, I got a little banged up in there,” she rubbed his arm comfortingly, “But I’m just fine.”

“Let’s get you to Chopper, he should check you just incase,” Usopp took her hand tightly in his and guided her out of the mass of plants.

Once they got out of the tiny forest created by Usopp, they found the rest of the crew on the other side. They let out a breath of relief and as the sniper smiled at them. She was alive.

“We were able to help the other prisoners escape,” Jimbe smiled. As he and Franky filled Usopp in, Chopper fluttered around (Name). The little reindeer was clearly anxious.

“It’s just a few bruises, Chopper,” (Name) dismissed him gently, “You should tend to the folks who’ve been trapped in this hell hole longer than me.”

The doctor tried to protest but begrudgingly agreed, “Fine… but I’m not done with you.”

After Chopper tended to his patients, and the slavers sufficiently dealt with the crew prepared to return to the Sunny, and Usopp wrapped his arm around (Name) feeling, anxiously. She tried to assure him that she was more than just fine. However the sniper insisted on keeping her close at least until they got off this shitty island.

The sun had dipped under the horizon by then making everyone sleepy. Thus Usopp thought nothing of it, when (Name) initially leaned into him. It caught his attention however when her breath started getting heavier and her movements became sluggish.

“Are you okay, honey?” he asked her softly, hoping she’d just say she was feeling exhausted or hungry. Instead he was met with a sunken in expression, and foggy eyes. Not believing what he’d seen he let her go for a moment. In that moment, she dropped like a rag doll onto the ground.

“(Name)!” Usopp yelped, catching her before her head with the ground. The Straw Hats felt horrified at the scene before them. Chopper was immediately on his way over to them.

Usopp positioned her so her head was in his lap, in the process he pulled his hand away from her back. He gasped, even in the darkness of night, Usopp could tell his palm was slick with blood. “(Name),” he stammered softly, “What did you do?”

Chopper pulled up her shirt to show a large gash on her lower back. “I knew I smelled blood,” he whimpered, wrinkling his nose, “Roll her on her side.”

The sniper did as he was told and rotated (Name) with gash facing Chopper. The reindeer wrinkled is nose more, “She’s been stabbed… it’s been a few hours.”

“She... she said it was a few bruises,” Usopp started shaking, “(Name), why did you lie me?”

At the sound of her name she stirred awake and blinked into focus. “Sorry, Usopp,” (Name) murmured into his leg, “I didn’t want to scare anyone.”

“A lot of good that did you,” Zoro commented from afar, “You’re scaring the hell out of us now.”

Sanji glared at Zoro but bit his tongue, for (Name). It was clear the Usopp was trembling, but Sanji only realized he himself was shaking as he went to light a cigarette.

“Chopper,” (Name) murmured, as Chopper began applying a salve, “Save your supplies. You and I both know it’s a waste.”

The reindeer had been weeping silently, because he knew they’d need a miracle to keep her alive and the Straw Hats had used up so many of their miracles already.

Usopp directed a sharp expression towards Chopper and looked down at his girlfriend. “We will use every berry we have, to save you (Name). Nothing is ever a waste!” he said in a tone much harsher than he had meant.

(Name) turned to look up at Usopp, a weak smile on her face. “It’s okay, dear,” she reached up and stroked his cheek, “I’ll be fine.”

“But.. but, what about me?” Usopp laced his fingers with hers, tears were streaming down his face, “I can’t do this without you.”

She feebly shooed Chopper away as he was trying to bandage her up, only to have blood seep through the bandages. The reindeer pulled away as she rolled onto her back so she could see Usopp. “Finish the journey for me, be the warrior the giants of Elbaf will celebrate and be proud of,” she grinned and let her own tears slipped down her cheeks.

Usopp was openingly sobbing over (Name), he was trying to force the tears away. He needed to memorize everything about her face and he couldn’t do that while crying.

“But,” she continued in a frail voice, “Even if the giants aren’t proud of you, just know that I’ve always been proud of you.”

Usopp scooped her up in his arms and cradled her close to her chest. “(Name),” his voice was strained, “You can’t go! I love you! You’re supposed to be there when we get to Raftel.”

She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and murmured, “Don’t worry, dearsest, I’ll be there when you do.” She held on a few moments longer, then she was gone.

Usopp squeezed her tighter, as if was trying to hold her soul inside her body. “Damn it, you can’t leave me!” he wailed and choked on his own sob.

And there he stayed on his knees holding her close, praying to any god that may listen to bring her back to him.

First it was Chopper, then Sanji and Luffy, slowly but surely the crew gathered around Usopp and (Name). Usopp wasn’t sure how long it took for the tears to run dry, but when they finally did he moved for the first time and brush a piece of hair out of her face with trembling fingers.