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Saying that Paulie's head hurt had to be the understatement of the century, if not at least the year. It was as if every hangover he'd ever endured had suddenly held a vendetta against him all at the same time. He hadn't even been drinking either, so why was everything all dim and dark and why were his hands tied behind his back?

Opening his eyes wider, Paulie could begin to make out two silhouettes against the black of the room.

"Hello? Paulie? ... Why did you have to hit him so hard?"

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. You better hope he's alright."

No response materialized but there was something familiar about the way Paulie knew what wasn't being said in that strained and wordless silence. If only his head would stop pulsing long enough he might be able to pull a name out of the fog in his brain.

Wait a minute...

Paulie's body tensed with sudden panic and his eyes began to adjust to the darkness. He could make out short hair and a long nose now over on one body and a box - no wait, a hat - above the other. His teeth clenched, a growl falling from his lips before he could swallow it.

"Oh good," that familiar voice said. "I think he remembers us."

"Get on with it, then," another voice said, deeper and even more unforgettable. Paulie had heard it once before and it had taken him months to get it out of his head, repeating in his mind like an annoying song heard one too many times.

Paulie's brain shut down and he strained at the bonds, muscles spasming as he suddenly forced them into working double time. Then he found his voice.

"Shut up! Let me go, you bastards! Where the hell have you taken me? They told me you were dead but I should have known! Let me go and I'm going to kill you myself! Answer me damn it, I know you can speak!"

"Oh good," Kaku said, sounding cheerful as always. "He does remember us."

"I believe he's contradicted himself," Lucci noted dryly and Paulie swore colorfully at the sound of that voice.

"Don't you dare tell me what I've done, Lucci you bastard! Monster! Let me go!"

"He's going to hurt himself if he keeps slamming the floor with his chair like that," Lucci said, voice as monotone as Paulie imagined his expression would be.

"Yes, I suppose."

The light that flooded into his eyes left Paulie's head spinning hard enough that, if he'd been standing, he face would have met the concrete by now. His shouts were cut short and his body stilled, all of Paulie's energy now focused into staying conscious as his head pounded with a vengeance once more. He squeezed his eyes shut, looking for relief back in the dark behind his eyelids. "Nghnnn..."

"Hello, Paulie."

Paulie cracked an eye open, squinting at the two faces swimming in front of him; Kaku was smiling, Lucci was a statue. Paulie wished those expressions weren't so familiar and linked to some of his happiest memories.

"Go away," Paulie mumbled through the pain. "Leave me alone."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Kaku said. "We- I need your help."

Paulie frowned. "No."

"You haven't even heard the terms yet," Kaku said.

"No."

Kaku thought. "Please?"

"No!" Paulie shouted, straining again against his bonds. He yelped when a silent enemy attacked him from behind, rendering his voice useless. He glared at the back of Lucci's head as the man walked back to Kaku's right.

Kaku sighed as if he was the one with all the worries. Paulie growled around the cloth and Kaku sighed again.

"Sorry to gag you, Paulie, but I really do need you to listen."

Paulie could feel the last of his hope seeping away into those midnight suits. He wasn't stupid; he knew at least a handful of tricks to get himself out of unprofitable situations, the first being to admit defeat when the cards are out of your favor. Maybe he could try and kill them after Kaku finished his speech.

Kaku smiled when Paulie stopped growling. "I need you to build a gift for me," he said. "For the princess of Alabasta."

Paulie snorted.

"I'm not joking," Kaku said. "She's my second cousin and there's a very important celebration occurring next week that we're going to attend. I need a gift and you're going to make me one."

Paulie stared at him, eyes flicking momentarily from Kaku's smiling anticipation to Lucci's stone-cold expression and back. He tried to ask," Why do you need me?" It came out as," Phh hoo nnphhh phphh?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lucci drawled and Paulie turned red with anger, embarrassment and a few other nameless emotions from allowing Lucci to scold him like that, as if they were still in Water 7 and Paulie was still blind to what they really were.

He looked away to scowl at the wall. He suddenly remembered that he still didn't know where he was and that the last thing he'd been doing was delivering those blueprints to Dock 3 for Iceburg-san...

"Mphh!" Paulie shouted urgently.

"The blueprints were sent," Lucci said.

Paulie glared at him; God damn mind-reading bastard, always stealing the upper hand.

"We also had a representative inform Iceburg-san of your sudden absence," Lucci continued. "It's been taken care of."

"Now will you help me?" Kaku asked, walking over. He reached out and undid the knot holding that piece of cloth around Paulie's mouth, pocketing the fabric. "Well?"

Paulie scowled again; knowing these two like he did, he wouldn't' have put it past them to have already arrived at Alabasta by now. "Do I have a choice?"

"No, not really," Kaku admitted," but it would be a lot easier, not to mention look better, if you'd just agree and I didn't have to force you."

Paulie was silent as he thought. On the one hand, Paulie hated these bastards. On the other hand, Paulie did enjoy living very much. The three of them had been friends for a long, but that was before Paulie's reality crumbled and he was forced to kill or be killed by men he had worked and drank with for five years. He'd trusted them with his life, but that no excuse to forget their attempt at murdering Iceburg-san. "Fine."

Kaku laughed and slapped him and the shoulder, ignoring Paulie's yelp. "Good man! See, Lucci? I told you de's come around."

Paulie glared at Lucci. Lucci glared back. Kaku undid the ropes tying Paulie's wrists together.

Paulie decided he was about to experience the second most horrible week he'd ever have.