A big thank you to Imperial Mintfor betaing this for me! Written for opscifiandfantasy on tumblr, and be sure to check out all of the amazing stories and art!
The doors swished open almost soundlessly, and Robin slipped into the private room that the meeting would be held in at the back of the club. When the doors automatically closed behind her, even the thumping of the bass was cut off suddenly, and she allowed herself a small sigh of relief. Clubs and bars by the hangars tended to be really rowdy, and this one was no exception. They also tended to be low on law enforcement, which meant she spent rather more time in the hangar districts than she would like.
She frowned as she looked around the small room that was empty apart from a table with three place settings, a carafe of some sort of juice or wine (probably from the ridiculously tart green berries that were so popular on this planet by the color) and thermos of something (probably caffeinated but almost certainly nowhere near as good as Earth coffee) waiting with the bread, fruit, and cheese laid out on the table.
Robin did a quick sweep of the room, looking for any sort of bug or recording equipment. It was rather unlikely a place like this, which would specialize in meetings such as theirs, would keep any records, but it never hurt to make sure. She leaned closer to the mirror that hung on the wall, pretending to check her hair was still properly in its bun, while she slipped what looked to be a lipstick tube out of her belt pouch on her jumpsuit. She used the discreet built-in light to check that is wasn't a two way mirror before applying a vicious-looking red color to her lips.
It might be a bit old fashioned to use actual lipstick, which would fade in mere hours and was only one solid color, nothing like the products most people used now, but Robin rather liked the impermanence. It made it easy to change your whole look in mere minutes, and it was so drab compared to the wild designs popular these days, people easily overlooked her. And to the people who knew who she was- well, she'd found nothing to be much more intimidating to them than the classic blood red she prefered.
Her sweep of the room now complete, Robin turned back to the table, the third place setting making her frown again. Her potential employer hadn't mentioned anything about bringing along a friend. The entrance she'd come through was the only obvious point of egress, and she shifted uneasily, finally settling on leaning on the wall right next to the door to wait.
It wasn't long before the door slid open, and a human woman sauntered in, her wary gaze beliing the confidence with which she moved. She was young, probably no more than twenty if Robin guessed correctly, her red hair falling in loose waves all the way to her waist. Robin raised her brows, surprised. Naturally red hair had all but died out in the millennia, and it was extremely rare, but the pale skin and freckles seemed to suggest that it was indeed natural.
Her clothing was as far from Robin's ubiquitous black jumpsuit as it was possible to get, attention drawing where Robin's outfit was designed to blend into the crowd. It was clearly just as much a weapon as her own outfit though, aqua cloth wrapped over her chest just enough to cover everything crucial and knotted at the back of her neck and tight pants flaunting every curve they hid.
"And who might you be?" Robin asked, and the woman turned to her, not startled in the least, and Robin found herself smiling as the she too was examined thoroughly. "I was given to expect only one, and you do not meet the description."
"I'm Nami, here to meet Lucci. I take it you're not him." Bright eyes flicked over her again, and Robin let her lips curve up. "You look decidedly less feline than I was lead to expect. Are you here in his place?"
"No, I was to meet him here too." Nami pursed her lips before taking a stance on the other side of the door, mirroring Robin. "You think it's a trap?"
"For all I know, you're part of the trap," Robin said, and Nami snorted.
"I might be good, but not good enough to take on the Devil's Child, nor good enough for them to hire you to try to take me out. I rather think you're a bit too expensive for that."
"Maybe they finally learned that sending men to catch the infamous Cat Burglar was foolhardy at best," Robin said, amusement coursing through her at Nami's scornful look. "As for it being a trap for both of us... well, this planet would be a terrible place to try and catch either of us, for the government at least. As for others..." Robin gestured to their position. "There's a reason sitting at the table didn't seem all that wise."
Nami nodded, and Robin noted her hand settle on the three short pipes strapped to her thigh. They waited in silence, Nami keeping an eye on her when she thought Robin wouldn't notice. It wasn't long before the door slid open once more, the almost deafening music, shattering the peace in the room. They both stiffened as Lucci sauntered into the room, looking at them amusedly before making his way to the table.
"I see you've met. Good." Lucci said, a growl underlying his curt words, and Robin studied him curiously. He was like her, a product of genetic engineering, but his abnormalities were far more obvious than hers, feline features blending with human in a way that told of his heritage in a way that was completely unmistakable.
Fur covered most of his skin, a burnished yellow with black spots reminiscent of old Earth leopards, and he had distinctly feline ears. Beyond that, the man had more muscle than was humanly possible, his shoulders probably twice as broad as hers, and the way his eyes followed their approach to the table made the hair on the back of Robin's neck stand up. She hoped they all walked out of the room without anyone dying or getting too badly mauled.
They sat down in silence, and Lucci poured them all a beverage, which they all summarily ignored, and Robin repressed a smile at the sheer ridiculousness of the food and drinks. No one who came to a meeting like this would touch them, yet they were never absent.
"Now, ladies, the job-"
"Look, I think you've got the wrong idea here. I work alone, no matter how impressive the potential partner," Nami said, glancing over at Robin, who inclined her head politely. She liked this girl. She had spirit talking back like that to man that could obviously rip her into shreds with ease.
"I too, prefer not to work with a partner." Robin felt Nami's gaze heavy on her, but since Lucci was snarling softly, she couldn't spare her more than the barest attention.
"Yes, that's common knowledge. However, this job requires not only the best, but also two people, and I'm prepared to pay for the annoyance."
Nami traded a glance with her, quick enough Robin doubted Lucci noticed a thing, and Robin stood up smoothly, polite smile firmly fixed into place. Maybe teaming up with Nami wouldn't be that bad- that is if Lucci was offering enough to make the hassle (and skilled or not, it was bound to be a hassle) worth it. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."
Lucci smacked the table hard enough to rattle the glasses,the syrupy green juice spilling onto the table and perfuming the air with its acrid scent. Robin turned to the door, forming a couple of eyes in the wall behind them to watch her back. Even so, she did not like turning her back to him, not with those eyes watching her, but he needed to learn who was in charge of these negotiations. She walked to the door in measured steps.
"I have ties to the government. If you complete this job, your chip will be wiped clean. Completely burned out." Robin turned despite herself, shock and hope warring with disbelief. She allowed skepticism to show on her face, but he just smiled and gestured back to the chair. "Trust me. It can be done remotely. Mine no longer transfers, or how would I be here?"
Robin sat back down slowly, not even daring to hope. She could finally be free of the government dogging her steps. Even if it was a chance, it would be worth it. Every modified human was chipped so the government could track them down, and while Robin had managed to work around it to some extent, she could never stay planet bound for more than a day before they were onto her, having to stay in warp space and effectively out of time in order to hide.
She'd wondered how he had found her- normally she found her employers not the other way around- but it did suggest that he could do what he was saying.
"That's all well and good for her, but why do you expect me to go along with this?" Nami drawled, and Robin had to hide another smile. She might have Lucci fooled, and Robin was willing to bet she did with the ever so slight exasperated tightening of claws in the table, but her excitement was clear to Robin. It was no wonder: even citizens like Nami would be aware of just how illegal it was for a modified person to have their chip burned out. She would know the value of that and was clearly eager to find out what their potential employer had in mind of similar value for her.
"Your indenture and those of the people who traveled with you- all of them- will be paid in full, and you will be granted the land they've settled on Cocoyashi with full title." Robin couldn't blame Nami for gaping, though it wasn't going to help their negotiations any. Cocoyashi was a world newly open for colonization, and Robin had heard terrible things about the government there. It seemed they would be doing this job together then, and Robin was startled to find she was pleased.
"You must be well connected indeed, to afford all of that, Mr. Lucci," Robin said, carefully injecting a hint of mockery in her voice. His eyes were wary, and Robin knew he must not work alone. It would be worth some research into who exactly he worked for. "And what sort of job is worth our freedom?"
"There's a man in possession of a book, a paper one, that my... group requires. The information in it is very valuable to us, and we would like you to ensure that no one else is in possession of it. After disposing of him, make sure you don't require elimination as well." Robin nodded slowly, and Lucci continued. "Unfortunately, the man is very well protected, given that he is a Celestial Dragon, and it is not a job for amateurs."
Nami was too professional to be obvious about her shock, but it was there, and Robin leaned forward to draw Lucci's eyes to her, her professional look of boredom locked into place.
"Oh? An interesting target for sure."
"You will head to Sabaody, where the man will have the book with him for a meeting in just under a standard year. If you leave today, the jump should be timed perfectly."
"We'd probably have a couple days groundside. Robin's chip will be trackable," Nami said, her eyes locked on Lucci's, challenging. Robin shifted, prepared for the worst, but Lucci laughed.
"That's not my problem. Are your talents not up to the task? From rumors I would have thought it would be no problem for you." Lucci narrowed his eyes,and Robin studied Nami carefully. Had she tried to see if Robin would get paid early? How... unexpected."A ship has been provided to you, hangar A852. All the information you'll require is loaded on the ship." He stood up, and Robin tensed despite herself.
"Do not disappoint me. You won't like the results."
Nami hummed as they inspected their new ship for the trackers that had to be on board. Robin had found her new temporary partner to be far more skilled with such things than she was and was impressed when she turned up three more that Robin hadn't seen. "I think that's the last one. Is it okay with you if I mod the software? I don't trust that cat as far as I could throw him on a heavy gravity planet."
Robin waved a hand and sat in the copilot's chair. "To be frank, I know very little about ships. Normally, I would just stow away. I bow to your expertise."
"Excellent." Nami grinned at her, a real grin unlike any of the other smiles she'd seen today, and Robin felt her lips curl involuntarily. "I'm going to print out our orders and then delete everything. We don't need them knowing where we are."
"Yes, I find that they knew exactly what to offer us to get us to agree to such a risky mission to be... disturbing."
Nami's face darkened and the printer whirred softly. "How long do you have before we need to get you into jump space?"
"I should have another couple of hours before it starts getting risky."
"That's a relief. This will take me about an hour." Nami frowned around the ship. "We're going to need some supplies if we're going to time this right. Do you think you could procure enough supplies, food water, everything, for eleven months?"
Robin frowned. "But we're jumping. It should only take a few hours to get there even though groundside it will be 11 months."
"If we were to do it the normal way, yes. But that would leave you stranded on a planet, waiting for a slim window of time so you couldn't leave. It scream trap. I was hoping he'd burn out your chip early, but no such luck. They want us to get stranded, easily trackable because we'll be together on, and one of the most heavily patrolled planets anywhere near here."
"I can jam the signal for short periods of time."
"If we left now, we'd have a month planetbound. The ship's navigation system is miscalculating it. I can only presume on purpose." Robin swore, and Nami turned to her with wide eyes, and Robin couldn't even regret showing emotion. She'd let a foolish promise blind her to a trap. A well laid one perhaps, but a trap nonetheless. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back on the headrest. A warm hand came to cover hers, and Robin's eyes shot open.
Robin studied her carefully, seeing nothing but a mixture of fear, determination, and compassion. She wanted to trust her. It had been so long since she'd trusted anyone.
"You just need to be in jump space to obscure the tracker, right? I'll just keep us in there until we decide on our destination. We need more time to plan."
"Is that even possible?"
"Most people would say no," Nami smiled at her again, and Robin felt warmth wash through her, "but most people aren't me."
Robin laughed at her cocky smirk. "I see I have some supplies to procure then. I do hope we don't get trapped in jump space and starve."
"I have enough credits for-" Robin leaned over and put a finger on her lips, Nami's eyes widening at the touch.
"I might not know about ships, but I highly doubt either of us requires money to stock a ship with a year's provisions." Robin winked and sauntered off the ship. Whatever came of this, it was certain to be interesting.
When Robin had come back with the supplies, gesturing to the men who'd been kind enough to carry them to the cargo bay, Nami had been almost done and within ten minutes they were readying to launch, their flight plan recorded as exactly what Lucci had ordered, Nami pointing out that no one would actually know until they didn't show up as expected. It was enough to get them through traffic control, and they kept all of the trackers running, so there would be no suspicion until it was too late.
Robin had never heard of purposely staying in jump space, but there was really nothing to lose. Whoever these people were, they were amazingly well connected and funded, and it was almost a given that they'd catch up to her eventually. Better the slim chance than none. And Nami herself was risking it, and from what Robin had seen she wasn't exactly a daredevil.
They set off in silence, Nami furiously typing into the navigation unit, which it seemed she'd completely reprogrammed while Robin was off convincing people to part with their wares. Robin decided to make the best of her down time and opened her personal reader to a fascinating history of space jumping. No one had quite done what Nami was planning to from what Robin could tell, but there were several theories about it, most of which pointed to certain death if the calculations weren't exact. She read over the hundreds of theorized possibilities with growing amusement at the sheer number of ways they could die terribly.
Robin was fascinated to find that theoretically, were it to work, the trip would require barely any more energy than the actual jump would given that the life support systems were completely self sustaining. The thought of having so long to just be, no running, no killing, no lying, cheating and stealing, was undeniably appealing, though Robin was very glad they'd had time to download plenty of reading material besides the orders and all the information on all the players involved, anything remotely connected to them, and basically all the major governments and corporations that could possibly be involved.
"This is it," Nami said. "Are you ready?"
"Indeed, Ms. Cat Burglar. It should prove to be most entertaining." Nami took a deep breath in, and Robin wondered briefly if it should concern her that she was less nervous than the one who knew how this was supposed to work.
"Well, here goes." Nami pushed the button, and the familiar feeling of acceleration built up, the engines fired, and then... everything simply stopped. It was just like any other jump Robin had been on, and she found herself a bit disappointed it wasn't more was just no instant flash to the next place. She sighed, and Nami followed suit. "I suppose that means we made it."
"Yes, it would seem. Though we won't know if we are trapped or not until we attempt to leave I believe."
Nami moaned and hid her face in her hands. "Why would you even bring that up?" Robin laughed and stood up, tugging Nami out of her chair. "Come, Ms. Cat Burglar. We should properly explore our new home for the next many months. Or forever."
Honestly, there wasn't much to the place, just the kitchen unit, a bunk room, a bathroom, and the helm and storage, but Robin had gotten a little carried away while shopping,a bit more stuck than she was comfortable admitting with the thought of a temporary home, and there were far more pillows and throws than really ought to be required in a heap in the storage room. There was plenty of time later to rearrange, but for now, Robin led Nami to their little table and asked the ship to prepare them coffee.
She'd splurged on that (and tea as well since she wasn't sure of Nami's preferences) at least in terms of space if not cost, making sure they would have more than enough. She poured for the both of them, their new coffee pot making her smile. Nami must have noticed, for she grinned.
"Had a good time at the market?"
"I've never been able to acquire such homelike things. Jumping from ship to ship in less than 24 hours makes it hard. I might have gone a bit overboard."
Nami looked taken aback for a moment, but her smile returned, something for which Robin was very grateful. She hadn't known Nami all that long, but it was enough to know that she would hate to be the reason Nami lost her smile. Robin cleared her throat, looking down at the table.
"So then, what do we know?" Robin asked, fiddling with her coffee cup.
"Well, it's obviously a trap for both of us, so I would assume Lucci's "ties" to the government are a bit more binding than he would have us think." Nami added creamer and sugar to hers, tapping the spoon on the side of the cup ever so gently. "Unless we have any other common enemies?"
"I wouldn't think so, but you never know. Though the resources dropped on this implies government to me."
Nami nodded taking a sip of her coffee. "Do you think the book is real?"
Robin hummed. "It seems likely. If the party is not government, perhaps they really have had trouble getting them. Or perhaps the government needs the information but has no way to retrieve it from one of them. We are well known to get what we're after separately after all. I would guess this is a three birds, one stone sort of plan. They might as well get their money's worth."
The coffee was perfect, Robin noted as she took her first sip, and she took a moment to savor as Nami mulled. She wondered if Nami would come up with the same plan she had. It was weird to wait for another opinion, but Robin couldn't deny that they were well and truly in this together now.
"So we steal it anyway, right? And sell it? Getting your chip fried should be easy now that it's possible. We just have to break into the government offices, and do it ourselves. Actually, do you know where that would be? We could take care of that first, and it would make the stealing the book a bit easier."
Robin's heart dropped out of her chest. The plans were valuable enough surely that they would pay off her indenture and buy everything else Lucci had mentioned with ease, and the job could be completed more easily maybe, but if she was as good with jump space so as to calculate this, which should be all but impossible, they should be fine without it.
"I would guess Enies Lobby." Frowning in concentration, Nami nodded and began scribbling on the table screen. Robin sipped her coffee slowly, watching her work and puzzling over the mystery of why she would care. Her stylus moved without hesitation.
She hummed to herself, tilting her head as she looked over her scrawled calculations. "It could work. I think it might be best to lay low here for a couple months, so they aren't expecting anything. From Whiskey Peak, where we left from, a jump would take 1.5 months planetside. "So maybe 8 weeks? Then we can do a proper hop from there to Sabaody, and get there a bit in advance. What do you say?"
"I-" Robin paused. "You know it's not necessary, so why?" Nami blinked, looking almost startled.
"Why not? We're partners, aren't we?"
"You didn't even want to work with me."
"That's not exactly true. I just normally work alone." Nami looked down into her coffee, a hint of pink on her cheeks."Well, anyway, you'll help me free my family afterwards, right?"
"Of course."
"Well, there you go. You don't work with people either."
"I guess there's a first time for everything."
Nami seemed to light up the whole room as her grin widened, and mischief danced in her eyes as she stood up.
"Let's go explore your treasures and decorate the place. We may as well settle in. We've got a long couple months ahead."
Time passed both too quickly and too slowly (and also not at all, technically, while also actually passing, and Robin had given up trying to puzzle that one out, leaving that to Nami, who could explain it perfectly without it making sense at all with a perfectly straight face) as they fell into a little routine. It was very domestic, somehow, and Robin had to admit she was enjoying her lazy days of not being on the run.
She powered down her reader and stretched, smiling at her partner who was soundly sleeping in the other bed, covers pulled up until they almost completely covered her. Robin slipped under her own covers and thought over their two weeks in the void of jump space. It had been the least uneventful two weeks of her life, and she had loved every minute of it. They woke up and spent the whole day reading or talking, with breaks for meals and the occasional card game, which Nami always won.
Two days ago, Nami had asked to see her powers, and instead of freaking out at the limbs Robin freely sprouted, she seemed genuinely impressed and even discussed how it would help on the mission. She demonstrated some of her own techniques, and Robin understood why some people called her the weather witch now. The science behind her weapon was truly impressive.
Robin smiled, shutting her eyes and letting her breathing slow. She still didn't allow herself the luxury of a deep, senseless sleep, but she was teetering on the edge. If Nami were going to turn on her, she would have already. By now, it was more not wanting to get out of practice than anything else.
Before she could sink into a doze, a soft whimper had her eyes flying open. Nami had curled in on herself and thrashed about as much as the covers allowed her to. Robin frowned. Nightmares were another good reason to not allow yourself to sleep too well, but Nami was still young. Robin found that she didn't want Nami to have to learn to not sleep in order to not dream.
She sprouted hands in the kitchen, punching in the order for herbal tea, and threw back her blankets before padding over to Nami's bed. She tried to make her footsteps loud enough so that she wouldn't startle Nami, but she was completely insensate to the world around her, and Robin sat gently on the bed without her stirring.
At a loss for how to even begin, Robin inhaled slowly, and brushed Nami's tangled hair from her face.
"Ms. Cat Burglar?" Robin frowned. "Nami? You're safe here. There's nothing to harm you here." She brushed her hand lightly against Nami's perfectly smooth cheek, and let out her breath when Nami's grip on the comforter eased and her eyes opened.
An impromptu smile crossed Robin's lips when Nami looked up at her. "Hey," Robin said, noticing her hand was still stroking through Nami's hair and withdrawing it. Nami frowned, and Robin let herself want it to be for the sudden absence of her hand. She ferried the now steeped tea into the room on a wooden tray with the cups, freshly sliced lemon, and honey, set the lights to low, scooting back on the bed as Nami sat up.
The tea came in, her hands sprouting from the floor to pass it from one set to another, but Nami just watched in fascination, no disgust to be seen as Robin set up in between them on the bed, using her hands to make a little table out of the tray all while fixing their tea, making sure Nami's had extra lemon and honey.
"Thank you," Nami almost whispered, and the depth of emotion in her tone made Robin want to hug her. She squashed the desire and handed Nami her tea.
"I'm happy to wake you. I've had my fair share of those sorts of dreams."
"Did you ever have anyone to wake you up?" Nami flushed and looked away. "I'm sorry, that was too personal, you don't have to answer that."
Robin shook her head slowly and sipped her tea, a bit baffled to find she wanted to answer. "No, not really. I was able to meet my mother once, long ago, but that was the day she died. Since then, I've never been able to settle or trust anyone even if I could stay for more than a day. Before that I grew up in the labs. I suppose before they look me from my mother to experiment on, then I probably had someone. But I don't remember that."
"There was one man, the one that helped me escape, Saul." Robin smiled, but it was a mockery of the gesture, bitterness clouding the happy memories with Saul. "He died in the process." Nami's expression crumpled, and Robin felt her chest tighten. She took a sip of her tea to cover up any change in expression, but something glinted in Nami's eyes, something that both scared Robin and warmed her straight through.
"I'm sorry. At least I was able to have my mother for a few years." Nami hesitated,looking down in her tea cup before blurting out her next words. "You know, back when I was first starting, you were already famous. And I used to tell myself, that if you could do it, if you could survive in a cutthroat world as a kid, that I could too."
Robin blinked. "You didn't leave home behind because you wanted to be like..."
Nami shook her head, almost spilling her tea with the motion, and smiled sadly. "No, of course not. When I was young, the indentures of everyone in my village, and the village itself were bought by this man, Arlong. He's one of the Fishman from Fishman planet. A monster. We were really poor back then. Poor but happy." Nami's smile had an edged undertone that Robin more than recognized, and she felt her hand involuntarily reach of the one Nami rested on the tray.
"As an example, when we couldn't pay his ridiculous fees- we were tangerine farmers, and it was just my mother, my sister and me- he killed my mother in front of me, Nojiko, and the entire village." Nami laced their fingers together, and Robin tightened her grip, pouring them both another cup of tea.
"I'd always been good at navigating and charting, and he forced me to join his gang with the promise that if I saved up enough money, I could buy back our land and everyone's freedom."
Nami grinned, but the pain in it tore Robin's heart. "There's not that much more to go, so if we get the book, I think I will have enough."
"We'll definitely get it and free your village. And well, if he proves obstinate, it wouldn't be the first time I assassinated a Fishman. They are tough but not unbeatable." Shock showed clearly on Nami's face.
"We'll get your chip burned out soon,and then you'll be free too." She smirked up at Robin,nudging her with her shoulder. "Just like Lucci promised. Maybe we misjudged him." Robin laughed, not her usual chuckle, but an actual laugh, one that would make Saul proud, and Nami turned wide eyes to her.
Robin agreed before changing the subject to a book they'd been reading out loud together, one chapter a day to keep a bit of suspense in life, and they chatted about the heroine, who was rather less than impressive as they finished the pot of tea between them, shoulders brushing.
Finally, Robin had her hands take the tray back to the kitchen, putting everything away properly. When she made to get up, Nami clasped her wrist gently, and she looked away.
"Do you mind sharing with me tonight?"
Robin smiled and brushed a piece of hair back from her face. "Not at all."
Nami scooted over to give her more room, and that night for the first time in a very long time, Robin found herself sleeping deeply, and this time, the dreams she had bore no resemblance to the shadows that normally haunted her.
The next morning (or rather what passed for it as there was no measure of time in the void), Robin woke up snuggled completely up to Nami, who was still sound asleep. She managed to disentangle herself, heart pounding, and slipped out of the room to make breakfast. She punched in pancakes into the ship's galley but set a timer. Nami would probably be awake fairly soon, and it was better to wait.
She skimmed a book idly as she sipped at her coffee, pretending like she wasn't keeping on eye on the bedroom door. It didn't take Nami that long to appear, sleep tousled and looking ridiculously good in a very short skirt, and Robin let herself cling to the thought that maybe, just maybe, her absence had woken up Nami.
"Why do you always have to be the first up?" she groused as she made her way over to the table, bypassing her usual chair to stand next to Robin's. "I had plans today."
"Oh?" Robin asked, but before she could inquire, Nami straddled her, settling into her lap with ease as she brought her arms up to rest on Robin's shoulders. Robin chuckled and set down her coffee and reader. "What plans might those have been?"
"It occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the only one who might have wanted more than what we had." Nami tilted her head, her hair brushing lightly against Robin's arm, and Robin shivered. "Was I wrong?"
Robin leaned forward, pressing her lips lightly to Nami's, just the barest brush really,but it was enough to send shockwaves spiral through her, her mind clouding already with Nami's subtle perfume.
"Definitely not wrong." That seemed to be all the answer Nami needed, for she grinned in way that made it suddenly far warmer than it had been before, before capturing Robin's lips as if she needed it more than air, and Robin opened easily to her coy advances, her hands settling on Nami's waist to pull her closer.
Nami gasped into the kiss, nipping sharply at Robin's bottom lip, and Robin formed another hand without thinking, tracing along Nami's inner thighs teasingly, gasping sharply when a hand snuck around to massage her breast, sending sparks of pleasure to pool in her stomach and smolder. Robin moaned, arcing up into the touch, and Nami pulled back from the kiss to smile at her mischievously before lowering her head to lave at Robin's nipple through her shirt.
Robin let her held roll back and formed two more hands to tease at Nami, circling her breasts lightly, her grip on Nami's waist tightening, when she began to slip. She let her other hand explore, higher, making a please noise in her throat when she found that not only was Nami not wearing underwear, but lube would definitely not be required.
She teased at Nami's entrance, slippery fluid coating her fingers, before sliding her hand up to trace ever so slight circles around her clit. Nami arced back, mouth leaving Robin as she panted for air.
"Robin," she moaned out, and never had her name sounded so good," please, Robin, more."
Robin chuckled, getting them both to their feet and turning Nami gently so that she could lean back against her, and bringing her real hands up to cup Nami's breasts, thumbs teasing at the nipples. Nami leaned back her head resting on Robin's shoulder, and Robin took full advantage of the neck offered to her, kissing along Nami's throat and shoulders.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," Robin said, and she picked up her pace, adding pressure as she circled Nami's clit, her hands never letting up. She let another hand slide a finger into Nami, her own muscles clenching as Nami's heat surrounded her. Nami was almost boneless against her now, soft delicious noises growing in frequency as Robin drove her closer and close to the edge.
Robin moved faster, a thrill running through her when Nami cried out her name, her hands grasping at something, anything for purchase on the world.
Never in all her years had Robin felt so powerful before as she did watching Nami come undone by her hands. She screamed Robin's name when she came, her muscles clenching tightly on Robin's fingers, and Robin let her hands wander, skimming her hands lightly over Nami's skin, bringing her back down from her climax. She slid off her skirt, and trailed a still wet hand up her own thighs, only to be stopped by Nami's hand catch her wrist.
"I want to be the one to get you off this time." Nami's voice was huskier than usual, and Robin shuddered at the languorous look in her eyes. Nami dropped to her knees, turning and sliding down Robin and brushing their chests together in the process in a way that had Robin gasping. Her panties were discarded instantly a reproving glance making Robin have to fight down the urge to defend that when she got up, she had no intentions of anything of this sort, but her protest was effectively caught in her throat when Nami's lips began traveling slowly up her leg.
Nami coaxed one of her legs up and over her shoulder, fingers trailing over heated skin as she spread Robin wide and gave her a taste, tongue sweeping up her lightly. Her hum at the taste shot through Robin in a white hot spear, and she let herself burry her hands in Nami's sweaty hair, pulling her closer and letting out a barest hint of a whine. Robin felt Nami smile, before she began lickingand sucking in earnest, and Robin's thoughts fled, leaving nothing behind but heat and that wonderfully talented mouth as Nami explored her thoroughly to find out just what exactly made her fingers tighten in her hair, and pulled little gasps from her lips.
She came with a gasp, and Nami sat back, looking ridiculously pleased as she licked her lips clean, the sight enough to make Robin more than a bit lightheaded.
"Breakfast and then maybe a bath? Together?" Nami asked, and Robin nodded mutely, pulling Nami up for a lingering kiss and sitting them both back in the chair as she punched in the order for pancakes.
"Sounds just about perfect."
Nami exhaled softly, and Robin brought a hand up to rest on her shoulder.
"You got this. It will be a piece of cake."
"Reentry is harder though. I've checked the work dozens of times, but one little mistake and-" Robin tightened her grip on Nami's shoulder comfortingly.
"Whatever happens, these two months have been the happiest of my life."
Nami smiled softly, fear behind her eyes. "Me too."
"Good." Robin leaned forward and pressed the button that would set the re-entry sequence into motion. "Now, let's go makes sure the next ones are even better."
The ship shuddered, the jump engine firing up, causing the lights to flicker at the sudden draw of power. Nami covered Robin's hand with her own and smiled at her brightly.
"Here goes nothing!"
The ship shuddered again, this time strongly enough that Robin was glad of her seat belt and then the world flashed, the vast nothingness out the windshield of before replaced with startling color, the base sitting right before them. They unbuckled immediately, not having a moment to react to their success. The hatch was already opening, and they'd have the gravity and atmosphere of their ship set to mimic Enies Lobby.
They dove out of the ship into mid air, 15 ft above the water that surrounded the base, the massive walls protecting it from intruders circling them. Their hands were still joined, and Robin inhaled sharply. She trusted Nami, but diving into water when she couldn't swim screeched at her instincts like nails on a chalkboard. They hit the water and dove down just in time for their ship to explode, the force knocking them deeper into the water.
Robin sank easily, the heavy density that was part of all modifications making her unable to swim. She felt a sharp tug on her joined arm and relaxed, the need for air burning, but she still had time. Nami had a high powered water bullet, a safety feature on all ships for water crashes, and it propelled them underwater at high speeds, letting them get under cover, or at least out of sight before rising to the surface.
Just as she felt like she was beginning to fade, Nami pulled the cord on the life vest she wore and it automatically inflated, sending them zooming the short distance to the surface, gasping for air. It took Robin longer than she liked to focus on their surrounding, but she trusted Nami wouldn't have put them somewhere in plain sight.
They were under an outcropping of rocks, and a closer look showed a tunnel that must lead into the base. Nami smirked like a cat who'd gotten into the cream, and Robin couldn't blame her. They really couldn't have asked for better. Nami helped her onto the platform before the door and turned her attention to the fingerprint scanner lock while Robin caught her breath. Strangely there appeared to be no cameras, but then again, no one was supposed to be able to get this far if they were breaking in, and the only people leaving from a secret door in a government military base probably didn't want to be seen.
The door was quickly dealt with, Nami giving up with hacking it, and simply pulling out her weapon and frying it with a lightning bolt. Robin almost felt like applauding, but Nami's glare when they made eye contact was enough to tell her to keep her amusement to herself. The door slid open quietly, a shock considering the sheer excessive force used to open it, and they strolled in casually.
They'd had no map of the base, but most military bases were laid out fairly similarly, and they began looking for stairs without discussion. By the time they climbed two flights, other people could be heard on the stairs, and the security cameras became more and more common. Nami managed to restrain herself this time, and they eased around them, Robin using a few mirrors with appropriately placed hands in the tight spots.
Nami moved with the practiced quiet of a professional, and Robin's lips quirked when she thought that three months ago, she'd never have accepted a partner, much less take pride in their skills. They were in solid black jumpsuits, much like the one Robin had worn the day they'd met, this time with the transparent masks up. The suits were specially made to throw off heat and CO2 sensors, which meant that the cameras and running in to patrols were the only things to worry about.
They dodged the people wandering the hall with practiced ease as they made their way up flight after flight. When they'd reached the tenth floor, a siren blasted through the building, and Robin's eyes flew to Nami's, and she frowned, seeing her own confusion mirrored there. The siren quieted, but people were beginning to flood the halls, and they just barely managed to get into a nearby closet before they were spotted.
"Attention, all personnel! The first group of intruders has escaped their confinement, and they are now loose on base. Extreme caution is to be given when dealing with this crew. Kill or capture on sight, except for their captain, Monkey D. Luffy. He's to be brought in alive, so he can have a proper execution."
Nami gasped. "That idiot! How the hell did they end up here of all places?"
"You know them?"
Nami hummed, leaning on Robin more heavily. "Yeah, I sort of told the captain I'd join their crew because I needed a lift. No matter how many times I've run into him since- and that's quite a lot, I don't know how he does it- he's still convinced I'm part of his crew. I've stolen quite a bit from them."
Robin noticed the fond tone in Nami's voice and filed it away. "It seems like it won't be hard to catch a ride then."
"You'd be surprised. They have a terrible knack for getting into trouble." Robin hid a smile at her exasperatedly fond tone and decided it was good to have plans for the future. Anyone that Nami liked this much was sure to be fun.
The sounds of footsteps outside dissipated, and Robin leaned to open the door only to have it burst open. People leapt in, and they were shoved against the back wall, seemingly completely unaware of their presence, and Nami squashed her back into the wall, pressed up against it tightly as the all but held their breath.
"Waaah, that was a close one!" A voice said. "I thought for sure they were going to catch us." A laugh filled the tiny closet, followed by the sound of someone getting hit.
"Would you shut up, Luffy?" A loud wail followed, by the same person, and Robin raised a brow at the hypocrisy. Nami's tension had all but melted, and she felt almost certain this must be the crew on the run as well. "We're never going to get back to Merry at this rate. I'm going to die. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to come with you guys? I think I've got the rare if-I-get-lost-in-super-secret-government-bases-I'll-die disease!"
"You'll be fine, Usopp."
"You brought us here because you managed to press the wrong button! You're no longer allowed anywhere near the control deck!"
"Yeah, Zoro! You were supposed to find Nami!"
"Would you all shut up?" Robin held back a laugh when Nami finally couldn't take it anymore, and the three men in the room all shrieked. "You're going to get us all caught!"
"NAMI?!" Robin found herself scrunched into a group hug by arms that seemed impossibly long. "Hey, Zoro, you really did it!"
"Of course, I did," Zoro scoffed, but surprise colored his voice.
"What the hell are you doing in this terrible place, Nami?" The panicky man all but yelled. "I thought you were sensible. And don't you even pretend you knew this would happen Zoro!"
"I'm helping out my friend."
"Hello, everyone. It's very nice to meet you," Robin said, chuckling when they all yelled again.
"We'll help too!"
"No Luffy, we need to get out of here!"
"But it's Nami's friend, we have to help, Usopp!"
"Finally, some real action. All this skulking about was lame."
"You two are absolutely crazy, you know that, right?" An arm was thrown around Nami's shoulder. "You see why I need you Nami? They're even starting to teach Chopper their madness! I need someone sane."
"Fine, whatever, let's just go. And do try to be stealthy." Nami shifted uneasily, and Robin rubbed her back lightly. "Where are the others?"
"The idiot cook and Chopper ran off a different way when we all escaped," Zoro said, and Nami tsked and pulled Robin through the crowd to the door.
"They have no sleath whatsoever, so this is going to go a bit differently than planned. You want to ditch them?"
"No, by all means, this seems fun."
"Of course you'd think so." Nami sighed and turned back to the rest. "Let's go then. We need to find the control room, so we can deactivate Robin's chip." She opened the door and they all stumbled out.
"Oh, that's so cool, you're a mod too?" Luffy asked, and Robin blinked. She'd never gotten that response before. "They turned me into a rubber human. Well, it was more an accident, but I was with space pirates, so I didn't get a chip." Luffy frowned and shoved his hat down lower on his head. "They took your freedom?"
"Yes, when I was a child." Luffy cracked his knuckles
"I'm going to kick their asses."
"No, you're going to shut up and be sneaky while Robin and I find the computers and burn her chip. Then we're all going to escape on the Merry."
Luffy's eyes lit up, and the other two smiled. "You're going to come with us, Nami?!"
"Just for now idiot! Don't get too excited!"
Robin sensed a presence just in time to knock Nami to the ground as a massive paw slashed the air where they'd been. Lucci snarled down at them, a swordsman modded with giraffe genes behind him and to his right, smiling politely.
"None of you are going anywhere or have anytime for plans," Lucci said. "I don't know what you think you're doing here, but this will work just as well to kill the two of you. It was nice of you to help me round up the intruders, though."
They scrambled up, but before they could do anything, Luffy stepped up between them and Lucci, Zoro uncannily mirroring the other swordsman's position.
"Usopp, get them to the Mystery Room safely," Luffy said, and Robin's eyes widened at the change in tone from the happy-go-lucky one he'd used before. A quick glance at Nami showed this was a surprise for her too.
"Aye, aye captain. They're safe with me." Usopp herded them ahead of him, walking by Lucci and his shadow as if they weren't there, Zoro easily blocking the attack of the swordsman.
"No, you and me are going to have to play before you get a chance at them."
Usopp ushered them along, Nami turning back to watch with wide eyes as crashes echoed from the intensity of their fights. "Don't worry, Nami, those guys are monsters. They'll be fine. Now, where are we headed?"
It didn't take them long at all to make their way to the control room, Usopp merely knocking out all of the soldiers that happened across them that Nami or Robin didn't incapacitate as he told them stories of his incredible (literally, given that it would be foolhardy to give any of them any credence) feats.
They slipped into the control room silently, Usopp proving that alone, he actually could be capable of some degree of sleath. Robin only had to catch him once, when he stumbled on nothing but his shaky knees and almost face planted spectacularly on the floor. A voice echoed in the room, and they ducked behind one of the many desks, Nami instantly at the keyboard, Usopp muttering advice.
Robin motioned that she would go check out the voice, and Nami nodded absently. Robin left them to it, surprising herself at her own trust in Nami, and slunk over closer to the lone voice.
"The Strawhats, the Cat Burglar, and the Devil's Child all in one day. What a coup! A feather in my cap to say the least. So what if sending them after a fake book didn't work? That was clearly the back up plan! I knew all along they would crawl right into my trap!"
A pink haired man laughed to himself, eyes on screens that showed Luffy's and Zoro's fights. "I'll get a promotion after this!" Robin edged up right behind him, allowing a predatory smile to escape.
"So there is no book, hm?" Robin pretended to hum in thought, and the man shrieked, flailing about wildly as he turned to face her, fear growing in his eyes when he saw who was behind him. Maybe he wasn't quite as stupid as he sounded.
"Of course not. It was all to wipe you and the other bitch out! If I caught the uncatchable, there would be no stopping my career!"
Maybe he was that stupid. Robin shrugged inwardly and sighed.
"Luckily for you, we no longer require the money, so I'll make this quick."
"Wha-" Hands formed on his back as he stood, and he beat at them uselessly.
"Clutch!" His spine snapped and Robin cocked her head, looking down at the pathetic excuse for a man with her lips curled before turning back to where she'd left the other two. They were whispering excitedly, and Nami leaped up when she saw her, eyes shining as she flung herself at Robin. She leaned up to kiss her, open mouthed, and distantly Robin registered Usopp making weird gurgling noises and muttering about definitions of friends.
"We did it! You're free, Robin!" Nami laughed in relief and joy, and Robin found herself unable to respond at first, disbelief and shock joining forces to choke out her words.
She clutched Nami to her, her words echoing in her head. "Thank you," she said softly, tears falling down her cheeks. "Thank you so, so much."
Usopp coughed as they stayed embraced, Nami's tears mingling with Robin's. "As much as I hate to interrupt... whatever the fuck this is..." Nami snorted at his broad hand gesture at them. "We just utterly destroyed the government's entire computing system and burned out all the chips in the universe, and leaving might be a good plan."
Nami pulled away reluctantly, drying her eyes on her sleeve, but holding tightly to Robin's hand as they ran back to where Luffy and Zoro last were. The whole hall was destroyed, and Robin wouldn't be surprised at all if this whole wing of the base collapsed at anytime.
"I do hope we don't all get crushed as the building collapses," she mused out loud, and Nami snickered as the building groaned at just the right time. Usopp started babbling, but they paid him no heed as they began looking around. From down the hall, they heard a voice, and they quietly crept towards it.
"You two will never learn! I swear, if I have to patch you up one more time this near death, you'll wish you were dead by the time I'm done with you." Usopp and Nami both relaxed, so Robin assumed this must be one of the missing members.
Luffy laughed, weariness toning it down until it was a mere chuckle. "Sorry, Chopper. But you're the best doctor in any known system, so I know we'll always be okay!" They came close enough to see a small figure hunched over Luffy and Zoro, prone on the floor. Their respective opponents were covered in blood, lying some distance down the hall, and Robin's jaw almost dropped. They had taken out such strong opponents?
"You bastard, don't think that will make me happy!" The small figure wiggled happily, and Robin hid a smile.
"You guys really don't know the meaning of restraint, do you?" Usopp asked, looking around nervously as the building swayed under their feet.
"Oi, Usopp, how did it go?"
"Perfectly of course! Why I single handedly took out..." Robin tuned him out but was amused to find that the little reindeer hybrid turned to him with starry eyes, taking in every word of his completely fabricated tale.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Nami moaned, inspecting Luffy and Zoro, neither of whom looked up for a trek around to find their ship.
"Don't worry, Nami!" Chopper piped up. "Sanji said he'd take care of it."
"And how exactly does he plan to-" Nami was cut off by an explosion just down the hall, which tossed them all to the floor and ripped a huge hole in the exterior wall.
Guards stormed the hall from both sides, and Robin exchanged a smirk with Nami, turning to face her half. In seconds they were all moaning on the floor, and she turned to see the other side twitching on the floor, the smell of ozone heavy in the air.
A ship hovered outside the hole, and Robin formed hands under Luffy and Zoro propelling them gently towards the open hatch as they all ran to jump in. The hatch closed, and they milled about.
"Ahhhh, Nami! What a pleasure to have you on board once again. While you were gone, my heart had a gaping hole that nothing could fill, but your-" The man- Sanji, Robin presumed- interrupted himself and spun over to her, bowing gallantly before kissing her hand.
"Your beauty shines brighter than a millions stars, my dearest. Please bestow upon me your name, so that it might pass between my lips, the taste sweeter than the finest ambrosia." Robin snickered as Nami rolled her eyes.
"Shut it, cook, and get us out of here. They're prepping the light cannons."
"Where are we headed?"
"To fight whatever makes Nami sad and run away all the time," Luffy ordered from the floor, where he'd collapsed happily enough.
"Cocoyashi," Robin supplied, and Sanji nodded grimly. Nami stared at her in disbelief, and Robin shrugged. "What? You clearly want to join them, and Luffy seems more than capable of extracting you from your troubles."
Nami huffed and shoved Sanji away from the controls typing furiously, muttering about how they were going to need a rest in jump space so they could heal up.
"You'd better hurry up, witch! They're aiming!"
Robin sat down next to Luffy, ignoring the chaos as everyone shouted, and Nami typed furiously, barking off orders.
"You're on my crew too now," Luffy said as if it were all settled, and she couldn't protest it since it was true, so Robin nodded.
"If you'll have me, Captain."
"Of course!" Luffy laughed. "Who is it that makes Nami sad?"
"That's a story for her to tell, I think. He's supposed to be very strong though. Think you can take him?"
Luffy grinned up at her. "I'm the man who's going to become Space Pirate King, the man with the most freedom in the universe! I can take anyone."
"Is that so?" Robin mused. "It should be a fun trip then." And as they made the jump back into the void, narrowly missing being struck down, Robin grinned at her new captain, before looking up at Nami, who was yelling at Sanji and Usopp, happier than Robin had ever seen her. Content filled her as she watched Luffy drift off, apparently deaf to the argument in the front.
"I think I might have found them, Saul," she whispered, hugging herself tightly as she watched her new comrades bicker. "I finally found where I belong."