"…and so a nitrate ion is a major chemical component of hemoglobin in red blood cells, whereas the Magnesium ion has the important responsibility of…"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SHmH1jgYx
'Urrrggghhh…' Lexi thought, absentmindedly scribbling down the professor's boring drawl as notes in her binder. She'd stopped caring about whatever was being said a half hour ago, but her grades at the end of the semester had to be good enough to keep her scholarship, so write she must.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7p54zpx7i
"Are there any questions?" Professor Hauser inquired slowly. Everything about the man reminded her of a tortoise: slow moving, slow talking, and no sense of hurry in the world. Lexi kept glancing at the clock, seeing that there was only two minutes left of lecture, two minutes until 6:30. Come on!copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡXT2CTC9KIZ
'I'm freakin' starving!'copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5svToIDEMZ
No one raised their hand or voice, and so the professor turned back to the whiteboard behind him, wiping away the diagrams he'd drawn. "Be prepared for the exam on Friday. We'll be having a review on Thursday, so if you still don't feel prepared-"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOluuJ992s
Lexi was already out the door and didn't hear the last part of his sentence.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡZngvPYrd0M
"Geez, Lex, you were out of there like the building was on fire or something." Brittany said, falling in step beside her friend. Lexi rolled her eyes, shrugging her bag onto her shoulders a little higher. The darkening sky outside, along with the dark clouds rolling in to the north, made it a lot darker than usual at 8:00 at night.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡYy0IFssJqO
"We covered this stuff yesterday, so you'd think we could move a little bit faster to the next section. I already know this stuff! I don't understand why I can't just take the exam now." The brunette sighed heavily, digging her keys out of her hoodie pocket, jamming them into the lock of her beat-up Chevy. Brittany stood by, watching.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0HsRBm1Hj
"You seriously need a new ride, Lex. How long have you had this thing?" She poked at the peeling paint by the side mirrors. Finally, after a few jimmies, Lexi unlocked the door and opened it, not without the customary squeak of course.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4NKMdaeu5
"If I could get a new one, I think I would've already done so. Besides, the two of us have been through so much." She mocked, patting the top on the truck's hood, and Brittany poked her in the side.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcAHu41Gdi
"Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, babe." She wiggled her fingers and headed towards her much nicer Subaru. Lexi watched her black hair sway back and forth as she walked, envious that Brittany had such soft and thick hair. Her own was quite thin.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡsx1XijhG3e
Tossing her bags into the passenger seat, she sat down in the driver side and slammed the door. With a sigh, she realized that the storm to the north was going to be pretty severe. A roll of thunder sounded, and as distant as it was, it still sent a chill down her spine. She loved the rain, and everything to do with it, but something about it was so…intimidating.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKxqVEG990
Starting her little truck, she backed out of the parking spot and drove towards the main road. She glanced back at Peters Hall, before turning onto the road.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX0Drw6Dot
It kinda sucked that she lived so far away from the University of Advanced Health, but if she was gonna go anywhere in life, it had to be done. Her grandmother helped her pay for gas and tuition, as well as gave her a roof to live under and food to eat. Things could be worse, she supposed, but it didn't mean she had to love the way she was living.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡeC2cqs6ZEg
Deciding that driving in silence was boring, she grabbed a random CD from the holder on the visor and popped it into the player. There was a pause before the starting chords of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' came on."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡmywgcGOg2c
Lexi hummed the first few lines, rocking her head back and forth to the beat. The chorus came on and she sang as loud as she wanted, no one within earshot to hear her.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQSyWpgkcC
"My loneliness is killing me, and I, I must confess, I still believe, still believe!copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMnGUCDS2c
"When I'm not with you I lose my mind, give me a siiiiiigggnnn, hit me baby one more time!"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡPq81fEHhMk
The clouds had rolled in pretty quick, and large drops of rain started out sprinkling on her windshield, but before long it had turned into a full-out downpour, and she had to crank up the speed of her wipers. Lightning and thunder flashed and boomed, and Lexi struggled to see the road in front of her, despite her lights being turned on.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kzyqxfJGL
"Oh baby baby, the reason I breathe is you. Boy you've got me blinded.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTZb7jEDmT
"Oh pretty baby there's nothing that I wouldn't do, It's not the way I planned it.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡohTBem4aDa
A particularly loud burst of thunder sounded to the left of her, and she jumped, surprised by how strong the storm was. Leaves and other small debris were blowing across the road and passed her windshield. Not wanting to get into a wreck, she slowed down from 50 mph to 40. There wasn't anyone on the road that late at night anyway, so she didn't have to worry about angry drivers behind her.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMchXQziye
"Show me how you want it to be, tell me baby 'cause I need to know now, oh because,copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MRtCALyrz
"My loneliness is killing me, and I, I must confess, I still believe, still believe!copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WdLeB8YeO
"When I'm not with you I lose my mind, give me a siiiggggnnn, hit me baby-OH MY GOD!" Seeing the figures in the road, she swerved out of the way, applying pressure to her horn, and slammed on her brakes, her tires hydroplaning into the shallow ditch that lined the road. She came to a sliding stop in the middle of it, breathing heavily. Letting go of the horn, the awful noise stopped, leaving nothing but the raging storm outside. Her arms were shaking, the adrenaline surging through her veins by the bucketful.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMItIZAqsc
'I could have died.' She thought, slowly taking out the key from the ignition. Then, the image of the figures in the road flashed through her mind and she immediately took off her seatbelt. 'They could have died!'copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzzwEHsahx
Throwing open the door, she was assaulted by the fully developed thunder and lightning storm outside, and her clothes were immediately soaked. The darkness made it hard to see, and a part of her brain thought it was crazy to be wandering out into the road at that moment, but she had to make sure whoever was out there was safe.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzZrx2lQzP
"Hey!" She yelled, trying to see with her hair being whipped every which way. "Are you ok?"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡfv7pnmmmGr
The silhouettes were barely visible in the rain and gloom, but she could barely make them out-several the size of an average person, but one was much bigger. She made her way towards them, holding a hand in front of her face to shield her eyes.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PvG1n64Dh
"What the hell are you doing out here?" She yelled, finally getting their attention. One of them, a man with a hat that said 'PENGUIN' looked confused.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqCqzGUgn2
"Where are we?" She didn't recognize him, or his friends who she could now see a little better.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTBjBLBgux
"The middle of the road!" The wind was making it hard to hear, and she tried getting in the middle of the group. They all looked pretty strnge, but she couldn't think about that now. The storms could be pretty dangerous, and this one was only getting worse. "We gotta get out of the storm, find shelter!"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LtYdpoduV
One man stepped up, a bright yellow hoodie making him blatantly visible only a few feet away. "Can you take us to safety?" He asked, hand holding his spotted hat in place.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQj6nptszX
"Get in my truck and I'll drive you to my house! We can wait out the storm there!"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡbahOLDlDKM
"Truck?" He asked in confusion, but she pointed down the way.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYOyBRppOo
"I parked in the ditch on the side of the road! It's just over there!" The man seemed to think about this, but then he nodded and gestured for the others to follow. She led the way, thoroughly drenched from the rain, and cold from the wind.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEuJ6zFWQJ
They approached the car and she climbed in, they seemed to hesitate, which she didn't blame them. She would be pretty unsure about being helped by a complete and utter stranger who shows up in the middle of a raging storm with a solution to your problem. How convenient.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PNhGjFOPA
She opened the door and climbed in, slamming it after her. The other opened the doors and got in as well, and she noticed the man in the yellow hoodie sat up front with her. He seemed to be the leader, as she saw the worried glances from the others all directed at him. Suddenly, a large thump hit the back of her truck, which startled her, but she assumed it was some sort of debris from the storm. The damage could be inspected later.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWMSb0tJIV
"Ok, let's get out of here." She shoved the keys in the ignition and it roared to life. Shifting into drive, somehow her tires weren't stuck in mud and she easily got out of the side ditch. They sped towards Lexi's home.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ80mgwtkig
They certainly didn't talk much, just looked really confused as she drove away from the worst of the storm. A tiny part of her worried what her grandmother would say, bringing three strangers into her house. She was paranoid as it was.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhBbJIltwU
She noticed that none of them had put their seatbelt on, despite her reminder to. They had only looked at her funny, which she shrugged off. Maybe they were country folk, not used to using 'technology.'copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡODkXMRjkYN
She noticed her truck wasn't going very fast, at least as fast as usual, it was difficult just to get up to 45, and before she was soaring at 50. And there must have been something orange blocking her back windshield too, because she couldn't see anything. Maybe a piece of tarp was stuck. She would fix it once the storm blew over.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡznj2SA5Vgc
Staying in the completely silent cab was really awkward, and Lexi was tired of sitting there feeling like she was silently being judged. Clearing her throat, she gathered their attention.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKQLx8UKFp
"So, uh, what'er your names?" The one with the Penguin hat spoke first.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡqksiTMrz5h
"Penguin." She blinked.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5rFUGR0KJ
"Oh, I see." She hoped this wasn't some group of male strippers, seeing as the two in back had on the same uniform type outfit. That would be wierd. His friend beside him, a redhead with sunglasses and a green beret-type hat, raised his hand.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6z7K28yRUk
"Shachi." She had noticed before that they liked to…stare. Specifically at her, and she worried that she'd picked up a bunch of rapists. They didn't look dangerous, but you just never knew in this day and age. Turning her green eyes onto the hoodie-wearing one, he only glanced at her.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUUm2lAXkA
"Trafalgar Law."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBCWXBuQe0
"Well, I'm Lexi." Nobody said anything, and she sighed. "What were you doing out in the middle of nowhere, right in the middle of a massive storm?" Immediately, the one named Shachi punched Penguin's arm.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhFCanL82Z
"It's his fault! If he hadn't of wandered into that cave we would still be looking for treasure!"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1XyydQEjZ
"No way! You were the one who wanted to see a mermaid, or a siren! You kept going deeper in!" They started a tiny brawl in the back, and Lexi wasn't sure what to do. Things had certainly escalated quickly. Luckily, Law put it to rest quickly.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEVVr4bO6L
"Enough." He said, and they stopped immediately.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKUhmxZVYj
"Sorry, Captain." The two in back muttered, which piqued her interest.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSwJXCVJTf
"Captain? Are you in the military?" He turned an incredulous look to her, and she frowned in confusion.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ495ZNDEVJO
"I am not in the marines, if that is what you're asking, Lexi-ya."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvAsLWNFQ5
"Yeah right, Captain would never be a marine. He hates them! We all do." Penguin said, and Shachi nodded his agreement.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡldAkJb6trw
Lexi didn't ask anything else the whole ride there, convinced that they were all delusional. She sighed internally.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcKP69vdmc
'Why am I surrounded by crazy people?'copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjXZkbB3qb
It took another 15 minutes to get to her house, or her grandmother's house to be more specific. They weren't exactly isolated, having a handful of neighbors on ranches around them. The closest city was about a five minutes drive away, but it wasn't where the university was.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6y2igqbDgp
Pulling into the long gravel driveway up to the ranch, she parked in front, and turned off the car. It was still raining, though nowhere near as hard as before.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjkmagrINV
"Come on." She said, exiting the car. The others followed suit.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZ0CC5FuO2
Lexi made sure to grab her stuff from the floor, where Law had uncaringly thrown it to sit in the seat, before running up the steps to the front door. Unlocking it with her keys, she stepped inside, hoping that Nana had gone to bed early.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8rnqXCEAN
"General Patton, sir! We need another supply drop for bandages and morphine! The casualties are increasing everyday, and we are struggling to keep up with the demand!" She could hear her grandmother's voice shouting in the kitchen. Sighing heavily, she turned to the men.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OWaSsc1xW
"Wait here." Law narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but she rolled her eyes. "Please, it's my grandmother. If she sees you, she'll probably think you're part of the war. Just…stay here for a second." Raising an eyebrow, he nodded, and she went to the kitchen.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5VZwLeeJU
"Nana! I'm home!" She called, and the older woman, dressed in nothing but her nightgown that reached halfway down her calves, looked up from shouting into the phone on the wall. A smile lit up her face.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3lqneCyRc
"Oh, Lexi my dear! How were your classes?"copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mKlPFhfpQ
"They were fine, but I'm just tired is all." Nana's face quickly became one of concern, shuffling over to her and patting her face.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡK82rYRlDT6
"Oh dear, why don't you let me treat you. Oh! I've got just the thing! A nice dose of Oxycodon should wake you right up!" She went to rummage in her drug cabinet, but Lexi calmed her down.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡEszRybNS68
"Oh, no Nana, you don't have to do that. I'll just head to bed and get some sleep."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIvb1vSgPw
A loud burst of thunder rumbled the house, and unfortunately set off her grandmother again. She tried to duck down beside the counter, eyes wild and unfocused.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJUU85KSbd
"Those damn Nazis are sending down another firestorm! Lexi, it's not safe here! Get to the bunker and wait out the attack. I have to report to the medical camp and tend to wounded." She started pushing Lexi out of the kitchen, but Lexi guided her to the main bedroom.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6xkSMQHGk
"Nana, the soldiers will be fine. You need some rest too, otherwise you'll fall asleep in the middle of sewing an arm back on! Mr. Patton wouldn't be too happy if that happened, right?" The therapist kept saying that encouraging her grandmother's delusions wouldn't help her recover at all, but sometimes it was just easier to go along with it than to have the 'this is reality' fight. Besides, Lexi didn't see the possibility of recovery, especially since she was well into her 90's.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tZND97SGQ
This seemed to throw Nana through a loop, and she stopped with a surprised look. "I suppose you're right, but wake me up at 0400 hours! Sleeping in during wartime is a coward's habit!" She ranted, shaking her fist at invisible soldiers. With a gentle pat on the arm, Lexi guided her to the bed and helped her get into bed.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡubevGSNpRZ
"Goodnight, Nana." Sighing with exhaustion, her grandmother smiled.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOCXFx3eBy
"Sleep well, my sweet Lexi."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mo9qwTfvt
With that, Lexi turned off the lights and closed the door behind her. Sighing heavily, she saw the men had wandered into the living room, and Law was wearing a very irritating smirk.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhhCOyMorI
"You're grandmother has PTSD?" He asked, and she nodded. There was nothing to deny, as her episodes were becoming more intense and extravagant each time.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyzoqSBt95
"Yeah, she still thinks she's in World War Two." She replied with a shrug, not noticing the confused look in Law's eyes. At that moment, a…polar bear? walked into the room from behind the men. It was wearing…something orange, which probably explained the orange thing blocking her back windshield. It had hopped a ride with them. Lexi stopped short. It was holding a…sword? What was all this? She slowly raised her pointer finger at it, struggling to swallow.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3yP9DfX3L
"Um…" Law seemed to understand her sudden confusion and fear, and quickly shook his head.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡshN0LL3GLQ
"He's with us. He won't harm you."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgdbuoqQO5
"He's your pet?" She asked in disbelief, and the bear turned to face her.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhpbUQT3TC
"I'm the first mate!" He said proudly, and she stopped.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡYO9dEZF8kZ
"He…talks." She said slowly, blinking rapidly to try to understand what was happening. "The polar bear…talks?" And Law nodded. She turned to look at the animal, who lowered his head in sorrow.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4mbdXsMG3
"Gomenasai…" It muttered, and Lexi about freaked out. "And this is normal?" She reiterated, to which Law frowned.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoKLVOFnNa
"Surely you've seen a supposedly inanimate object or animal talk before, Lexi-ya? Our world is rather strange after all, and devil fruits seem to be most common on the Grand Line. Bepo is a part of my crew."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QGDmM1aq3
"Oh yeah, how long does it take a log pose to set on this island?" Shachi asked, sitting on the couch with a sigh of relief. Penguin followed suit, and the bear decided to lay down on the ground…still in his orange jumpsuit.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9C2LpMCKu0
Grand Line? Log Pose? Crew? "…what?" She asked eventually, not understanding a word of what they were saying. She was starting to get a headache, and she sat down on the furthest end of the couch, placing a hand on her forehead. They said the PTSD wasn't genetic, but maybe she really was going crazy…copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiXBr9NzMc
"We are still on Mariner Island, yes?" Law questioned, and Lexi shook her head, closing her eyes.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkXfhC13Xg
"I have no idea what you guys are even talking about. What the hell is a log pose? What island? We're in West Virginia."copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmSsKixRcy
"West Virginia? Is that in the Grand Line?" Shachi asked. She spread out her arms in exasperation.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jPTqN3Q1e
"What the hell is a Grand Line?" Law narrowed his eyes again, pondering everything that he knew.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡrA6cHCDerB
"Perhaps…" Law started, trailing off in his own thoughts.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6tCXEzDRv
"What is it, Captain?" Shachi asked, and Law glanced to his friend.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYxcqNfHF8
"That cave might have put us in an entirely different world, or universe, or dimension. Who knows really? It's quite obvious this isn't the world we know." He walked over to the TV set, standing on the table. It seemed to intrigue him, as he touched it in different places, trying to figure out how it worked.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2a6AfbHkH
"What cave? I'm so confused…" Law eventually turned back to her.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8rBQlddUe
"I don't believe we're from the same world." Lexi about passed out.copyright protection367ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv22LLYR5h
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