Chapter 3: Invasion of Privacy

Usopp did not get enough sleep that night. Thoughts of traitors, redemption, and trust kept flowing through his head, not allowing his brain to shut down. As he tossed and turned, he wondered what his next move should be. He could not stay relaxed as he had been the last two weeks. The reemergence of the remaining CP9 had been like a cold slap in the face, reminding him that he was indeed a pirate and not a civilian.

Of course, looking at him now it would be hard to tell as he mopped down the concrete floor in Dock 1. Dressed in his usual work clothes with his hair tied in a tail, he concentrated on his task if only so that he did not fall asleep on his feet. A cup of coffee sounded good right about now.

Eyes at half mast fully opened at the sound of a bell, signaling that breakfast was ready. Wiping a bit of drool from his mouth and grabbing his jacket, Usopp set aside his mop and followed the rest of the dock's morning crew to the small mess hall. As the low guy on the totem pole, he waited for the rest of the workers to grab their meals before retrieving his own. Usually Usopp preferred heading over to Bluno's to grab something to eat, but an awful feeling had wormed its way into his stomach at the thought of leaving Galley-La HQ. It was hard enough to dress and make his way to Dock 1 that morning with his I-can't-leave-HQ-for-sudden-paranoia-itis kicking in.

It was extreme paranoia that had taken hold of him that morning. The fact that the number of marines had seemingly doubled had not helped either. Usopp had been constantly looking over his shoulder and randomly ducking into alley ways and making odd turns at the last minute. He had been fifteen minutes late to Dock 1 because of it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Thankfully, it was Paulie that he had to answer to and not someone that would kick his ass to the curb.

Well, Paulie would kick his ass to the curb, but then Iceburg would just bring him back in. Paulie had done it before, though only as a tease as Usopp had never been late till then.

Speaking of Paulie, Usopp couldn't help but think morbidly as he quickly shoveled rice down his throat as the blond shipwright swiftly made his way over. Paulie had an expression on his face that did not bode well with Usopp as he shoveled his food faster. More food meant more energy for whatever shit was about to hit the fan.

Paulie stopped a few tables short of Usopp and adopted a nonchalant and slightly droopy face as though he himself had just woken up and turned to engage one of the other workers in conversation. Confused, Usopp kept Paulie in his sight as he continued to eat. It took a few seconds, but then he saw Paulie trying to discreetly point towards the door leading out into the streets towards HQ.

Figuring that stalling to get a few more bites in would not make the blond smoker happy, Usopp stood and quickly deposited his wares in a stack to be washed before grabbing a cup of coffee and making his way towards the door. Quickly chugging the dark brew, Usopp ignored his burning mouth as he threw the disposable cup into a nearby trash bin before exiting. It gave him the opportunity to not only wake up from the caffeine, but also see if Paulie was following him. Figuring they would be headed for HQ, Usopp decided to start heading in that direction. Paulie would catch up.

It was no surprise when Paulie appeared at Usopp's side less than a minute later. What was a surprise was Paulie putting pressure on the small of Usopp's back to hurry him up. "We don't have a lot of time, kid."

"Good morning to you too. What the hell is going on?" A door slammed a block away making Usopp jump slightly. Paulie applied more pressure and quickened their pace.

"The Franky Family got worried when you didn't show up this morning. Decided to come here to see what was wrong. They saw marines making door to door visits and warned us. They'll be swarming HQ any minute now. Iceburg wants you to grab your duffle, anything that would connect you to your bounty poster, and hide. He has a place for you, you just need to be quick."

Stunned, Usopp hastened their pace further. "But I thought they didn't care. It's been two weeks and no one has made any connections."

Paulie shook his head. "That was when you were just another face in the crowd. This time the marines will be taking a hard look around."

"Then why have me at HQ? Wouldn't it be easier to hide at the dock?"

"Iceburg wants you close. Not to mention the mess those marines are bound to make when they tear the dock apart." The sound of broken glass and a scream caused them both to flinch and hurry more.

Usopp looked down streets and into homes and stores as they passed. Marines were nearly everywhere, throwing things, breaking things, and generally not paying attention to the panicked and scared citizens they were supposed to be protecting. Frowning, he looked down and maintained his pace with Paulie. It wouldn't due to speed up any more. Any faster and they would be sprinting which would bring attention to themselves. Not exactly something they needed. Usopp pulled the hood of his jacket up and as far down his eyes as possible.

The duo eventually made it to the front door of Galley-La Headquarters without delay. They maintained their pace until the doors were tightly shut behind them, then Usopp shot up the stairs towards his room. "Meet in Iceburg's office," Paulie yelled after him.

Nearly tripping on the hallway rug, Usopp fumbled with the door handle before getting it right and shoving his way in. He grabbed his bag and took a quick look around to see if there was anything out that shouldn't be. He had his satchel, his duffle, his clothes, his Sogeking mask and cape, Kabuto, and his ammo. There were a few shirts and woodworking tools laying about, but that would be normal for a budding shipwright. Wait, his designs. Quickly scooping up his various weapon designs including Kabuto and several drafts of the Climatact, Usopp hurried out of the room.

As he neared the main entrance, he could hear Iceburg conversing with several severe sounding men just outside. The marines had arrived. Unfortunately, the front windows had a clear view of the bottom of the stairs. Making a quick decision, Usopp braced himself and vaulted over the railing, attempting to quiet his fall by bending his knees as he had seen the cook do.

"What was that?" Crap. He hadn't been quiet enough.

"Maa. We have had a slew of mice recently and have been debating about bringing a few of the stray cats from Dock 4 over."

"Mice do not make sounds like that."

"Ahh. They are very big mice." Oh, so he was a mouse now. When this was over, he was going to ask Iceburg for some cheese with his lunch.

Paulie pulled him into the office when he got near and over to the bookcase behind the desk. "There isn't time to explain. Just wait in here until someone comes to get you," Paulie ordered as he slid a panel open and pressed a button. The heavy case suddenly swung open, exposing a passageway leading down.

Usopp swallowed and headed in. "Thanks, and good luck."

"You too, kid," Paulie acknowledged as he closed the door and plunged Usopp into darkness.

Not wanting to stay put or hear the marines as they searched the place, Usopp put a hand on the wall and started following it. The passageway made a sharp turn and became steep. If his knowledge of the mansion was anything to go by, he was walking under the main hallway. The pounding of feet from above seemed to confirm it. The marines had made it in. Trying to will his rapidly beating heart to rest, Usopp continued on.

It took a minute to reach what seemed to be a turn in the road, but according to Usopp's mental map was the far side of the mansion. Turning the corner, he was surprised to see a flickering light near the end. Slowing down, he approached cautiously.

Squinting his eyes, Usopp tried to see where the light was coming from as he neared. He didn't get a chance, however, when he was suddenly on his back with vicious black claws threatening to poke his eyes out.

"Well, well. Fancy seeing you here, kiddo," a voice rumbled softly. It was Jabra.

"This isn't the time, you crazy wolf. Let the kid up," a woman mumbled. Kalifa.

"Well, this is an interesting gathering, is it not," a man said softly. Kaku.

What the hell was Iceburg thinking sending him down here, alone, with CP9? Yes they had drinks together last night. That doesn't mean that they were all buddy buddy enough to share space for who knew how long the marines were going to search the place. And oh, his eyes were adjusting. The light source was a small candle.

Jabra chuckled quietly. "You're absolutely no fun, Kalifa," he said as he got up off of Usopp who suddenly found breathing easier.

Kalifa glared viciously at the wolf Zoan. "It would not be prudent to kill Iceburg's apprentice, Straw Hat or not. Besides, I do not want to sit here with a dead body for who knows how long this house search is going to take."

A snort forced its way out from Usopp. Someone here at least thought somewhat similarly as he did about the situation. "Thank you very much for your consideration," he quietly snarked as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Usopp looked around, his eyes now having adjusted. They were in a small dug out room. What looked like a wooden door was at the far wall and looked like it would lead further down the shaft. Kaku was resting with his back to the door and in his lap was the unconscious Lucci. Sitting on some barrels off to one side with her legs up was Kalifa. Jabra had lazily made his way to the wall opposite Kalifa and flopped down onto his side, head resting in his hand as Usopp had seen him do in Enies Lobby. In the middle was a barrel with the small flickering candle, the light causing strange and menacing shadows to flicker across the faces of the CP9 members.

"Trust me," Kalifa smirked at him, "it is not for your comfort, but for the time being we all must bear with each other," she said as she continued glaring at Jabra who gave a lazy wave in return.

"Ya, ya. I hear you loud and clear. No picking on the kiddo."

"Kiddo?" Usopp bristled.

Kaku gave a quiet laugh at Kalifa's responding sigh.

A few quiet moments passed before Usopp decided to pick himself up. Dusting himself off, he could literally feel all three conscious sets of eyes watching his every move. Stooping a bit, he collected the fallen weapon designs and his duffle before turning towards the seated group and considered his options. There was no way he was going to sit in the back with CP9 blocking his path, so that left the side walls. The one with the wolf Zoan was out of the question as well, so that left the wall with the barrels and the female assassin. Steeling his resolve, Usopp tried to casually move towards the outer edge of the barrels, only to jump when the wolf man gave another rumbling laugh.

"Jahaha. No worries, kiddo. Kalifa doesn't bite. Much. At least when not on a job she doesn't."

Kalifa rolled her eyes. Men. Always antagonizing the weaker in a group. Or perhaps that was his mutt showing through. "It's fine. His thinking is strategical, deciding to sit over here. He would be blocked off by us if he sat by the far wall, of course he wouldn't want to sit by you, so all there is left is here."

"Or would you call that process of elimination with a touch of lesser evil?" Kaku could not help but input as he shifted the weight of his unconscious workmate. Watching the way the pirate was trying to stay calm in their presence was entertaining considering the sheer noise and panic he had displayed a scant few weeks ago.

A groan was Kalifa's answer. "It's fine. Just sit. Might as well make yourself comfortable. Iceburg's mansion is rather large. It could be a while before the marines are done. What was your name again?" she directed towards Usopp.

Ambling over, Usopp dropped his duffle and placed the designs on top before plopping down beside them. "U…Usopp," he answered as he attempted to not blush when his voice cracked.

Jabra couldn't help but snicker. This kid when not running around in a panic was actually kind of cute. "So, kiddo. Got left behind, huh? How you manage that?"

Okay, as fun as watching the kid fluster was, that was taking the teasing a little far. "Jabra," Kaku hissed.

Giving a shrug and trying to stay nonchalant, Usopp replied, "Missed the boat."

"Why miss the boat in the first place?" Jabra prodded with a smirk.

"Really, Jabra? You're going to do this now?" Kalifa asked, clearly aggravated. "I apologize for our mutt," she directed towards Usopp. "We have been trying to train him in manners, but I guess you really can't teach old dogs new tricks."

"Jahaha! So harsh. What's the problem? We have nothing but time down here. You know you wanted to interrogate the kid at some point anyway, Kalifa. Now is a good of time as any."

"Interrogate?" Usopp squeaked, terrified as visions of painful torture techniques the archeologist would sometimes talk about flashed through his head.

For what felt like the umpteenth time, Kalifa sighed. "You are an unknown. In our line of work, the unknown can be dangerous," she admitted.

Now that was a surprise. "Me? Dangerous?"

Kaku could not help but laugh. "Considering what measures you took while working with your crew, it is a shame you are a wanted pirate now. Cipher Poll would have loved to have you as a recruit."

"Say what now?"

"Think about it," Kalifa continued. "For starters, you boarded a moving train, nearly succeeding in retrieving your comrade. You would have been successful if Nico Robin had been more inclined to cooperate with you at the time. Now, while you didn't contribute much during the fights at Enies Lobby," here she couldn't help but glare, again, at the snickering Jabra who had gleefully filled her in on the frightened pirates antics, "I heard that it was you that put everyone into a tizzy, shooting marines from such a distance. That is all we know."

"Hence you wanting to interrogate me?"

"It is not like we are on opposite sides anymore," Kaku inputted. "Is it so wrong to want to know who you could be working with in the future?"

Usopp couldn't help but give a self deprecating laugh. "You want to know about me? Fine. The reason I was in a position to miss the boat in the first place is because I left the crew after fighting my captain over our broken ship. I'm a traitor and a coward and not someone anyone in their right mind would want to work with. Happy?"

For a few heart beats there was silence. "Was this before or after we took Nico Robin?" Kalifa asked.

Usopp was startled. "What?"

"Fighting your captain and abandoning your crew. Was this before or after we took Nico Robin?"

Where was she going with this? "Before."

"And yet you still went after her with your former crew?" Kaku asked with a raised brow.

"Of course," Usopp nearly cried indignantly as though the idea otherwise was preposterous. "She's Robin. Why wouldn't I try to save her?"

This time it was CP9's turn to feel bewildered. "You do know what she has done. And you do understand what it means when you say you left your crew. Right, kiddo?" Jabra hesitantly asked as he searched Usopp's face for any tells.

Usopp frowned and wrinkled his nose a bit. "While I do not know any specifics, I have a few ideas. You can't run from the World Government for as long as she has and not get into sticking situations. Her agreeing to work for Crocodile is proof. Her past is her past and is her business. It doesn't matter because she's…." Oh crap. He was about to say that word.

Kaku moved his eyes back and forth between Jabra and Kalifa, trying to see if they had any idea what the strange kid was talking about. "She is what?"

A broken smile rested on Usopp's lips. "Traitors don't get to say that word. Bottom line, doesn't matter if I'm a Straw Hat or not, I would do it all again for her, no questions asked."

"I see," Kalifa mumbled.

"Is that what you wanted to know?"

Kalifa nodded. "In so many words."

"Jahahahaha! You're insane, kiddo. Either your bolts are screwed on too tight or you're missing a lot of marbles."

"Gee. Thanks," Usopp deadpanned.

Kalifa pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "While your mental stability is questionable, you have given us enough to…"

"Hah! Questionable? Kalifa, the kid is not right in the head," Kaku interrupted. "He has no self preservation instincts."

"What the fuck?" Usopp was stunned. He had no self preservation instincts? He was always the first to run at the slightest hint of danger. Nearly everyone liked to tease him about it. It is what he did.

"Oh, do not misunderstand," Kaku tried to pacify. "Your show while chained to Roronora Zoro was quite entertaining, Hana Arashi, but you had someone's life on the line. Otherwise, I believe you would have tried harder to run. And then we have your current situation, sitting here with us as company. Here you are freely giving us information, yet you haven't asked any in return. Finally, if you were as much of a coward as you claim, I do not believe you would have fought your captain and left your crew in the first place. Safety in numbers and all that, especially when in the Grand Line."

"Pft!" Usopp blew a raspberry. What the hell were these guys talking about? "I couldn't run because of the cuffs. That's all. And Iceburg wanted me down here," he countered, completely ignoring the fact that he didn't mention anything about his captain or crew.

"Jahahaha! Whatever you say, kiddo," Jabra said, effectively putting an end to the conversation. Crazy kid. Riling him up was fun.

A longer bout of silence followed, giving Usopp time to try and get his own wayward thoughts in order. At least the others couldn't see him like this. They would probably think it served him right.

And what did the giraffe mean asking questions of his own? He already knew what he needed to know about the former CP9 members. They were government assassins. They harassed and terrified one of his former crew members. They were now being hunted by the World Government meaning that, while they still could kill him, he wasn't in too much danger as his life wasn't a priority to them at the moment. It probably helped that he had Iceburg's protection too.

As a group, Usopp felt he had them rather well pegged. As individuals, however, he was starting to get a faint sense of them. If how Kaku and Jabra acted at Enies Lobby was anything to go by, they were rivals, much like the Straw Hat first mate and cook. Kalifa was the navigator and, while not seeing too much of his personality just yet as he was still sleeping, Lucci would, ironically, be the archaeologist in temperament. Right. He could handle that. Just add in a large dash of homicidal thoughts and the ability to poke someone's heart out, and Usopp knew he got this.

Who was he trying to kid? Seriously. He was sitting here, in the dark, with some of the deadliest people the World Government could cough up.

Usopp suddenly felt restless. A few minutes of tapping a finger on his knee was a bad idea if the growl from Jabra was any indication. Did the wolf ears cross over in human form? Instead he dug a hand into his satchel, letting his fingers know when he had found something interesting to occupy his time.

Feeling something small, smooth, and round, Usopp pulled it out to find a pachinko ball in his grasp. Rolling it around in his hand, Usopp couldn't help but smile. After rocks, the pachinko ball was one of the first ammunition for his slingshot he ever practiced with. Now with Kabuto, if he did his math right, this tiny ball could really do some damage. Not that he was planning on using it all that often, what with the power Kabuto provided his trick shots with. No, coupled with Kabuto the little metal ball was as deadly as any bullet shot from a gun. And no, that was not thrill that shivered up his spine at the thought.

Deciding that any direction the ball could send his thoughts in at the moment were not worth it, Usopp turned back towards his satchel to put it away. Only, he would have if there had not been a scuffing sound from back up the cavern. Apparently CP9 had also heard the noise, Usopp idly noticed in the corner of his eye, as they seemed to perk up.

Usopp's hand automatically dove back into his satchel, quickly grabbed Kabuto and snapped the staff into place. His other hand was used to hoist himself up into a crouch. His arms automatically took familiar positions as he aimed into the darkness, the pachinko ball held snugly in the sling, ready to fire.

More scuffing sounds could be heard. His heart pounding, Usopp positioned himself in the middle of the room, just inside the candle light. With his arm holding Kabuto locked and his opposite hand pulling the bands back, Usopp couldn't help but marvel at how good it felt to be in this stance again, despite the obvious danger that was approaching.

The scuffing turned into sharp taps, the sound of footsteps. Someone was coming. Usopp gritted his teeth as he took in his options again. CP9 was behind him, someone potentially dangerous was in front, and there was no one to back him up. In this kind of situation, yes, Usopp would have tried to run, but that wasn't an option. Straightening his back, he braced himself for a fight.

As the footsteps got louder, a light slowly started appearing. Usopp squinted, trying to see who it was, as his heart sped up. The person was in range, but dare he take the shot? His hand shook as he debated. Just as he started the motion to release his hold and fire, familiar blue hair cropped into view. With a shout, Usopp tried to correct his aim. It was too late to stop the shot, but it wasn't too late to change the trajectory.

With a sharp snap, the pachinko ball went flying. It ruffled the short blue hair before embedding itself into the wall of the shaft with a resounding thud. The cavern shook slightly and small pieces of dirt and rocks fell from the ceiling.

Usopp breathed heavily as his eyes scanned the face of the person in front of him, looking for any damage he might have done. Not seeing any blood, he sighed in relief and lowered Kabuto.

"Maa, maa, Usopp. Did I scare you that badly?"

"Sorry, Iceburg. Been on edge down here, ya know?" Usopp apologized as he rubbed the back of his head.

Iceburg held up his lantern so that those present could see his face. He smiled. "Ma. Well. It is good you all in good health. Come. The marines have finished ransacking the place."

"Ransacking?" Usopp jumped when Kalifa's voice sounded from his side. Next to him the female assassin stood on one foot, her other only slightly touching the ground with her toe.

"Yeah. Headquarters is completely trashed. Worse than the paintball prank three years ago."

"They didn't damage that lovely seating set in the living room, did they? Those were antiques," Kalifa inquired as she stepped forward. She had loved that set while she had been working as Iceburg's assistant.

Iceburg winced, remembering how the blond had nearly killed the Franky Family for getting paint on that particular set of furniture. "Ma. Well…"

"Jahaha!" Jabra laughed from Usopp's other side. The wolf man clapped a hand on Usopp's shoulder, but the sniper could see his other hand curled, the black nails nearly glinting in the candle light. "Let's go inspect the damage then, shall we?" Jabra released Usopp and started moving back up the shaft.

Steps sounded from behind Usopp who turned to see Kaku holding Lucci in his arms. With Lucci's head nestled against his neck, Kaku too started headed topside. As he passed though, he couldn't help but tease the kid pirate with a wink and a smile.

Usopp hesitated only slightly as he watched CP9 walk ahead of him. At Iceburg's questioning gaze, he grabbed his duffle and various weapon designs and started making his way forward as well.

Fundamentally, Usopp knew, that Jabra and Kalifa were only protecting their downed teammate and not acting as backup, but the fact that they were poised to strike beside him made him feel momentarily good. It only added one more thing to miss about the Straw Hats.

AN: For some reason, that ending was like pulling teeth. I knew the direction I wanted to go with it...it just didn't want to flow. I might go back in later and fix it a bit. Meh, who knows.

Leave me some reviews people! I love seeing them, even if it's just a few words. I want to know if you like what I'm writing or not. If there are enough reviews, I'll try to get Chapter 4 up next week. (bribebribebribe)