Disclaimer: One Piece does not belong to me, and the song "Human" is performed by The Killers

Title: Human

Rating: T

Warnings: Not much, considering

Characters: CP9, Kaku-centric, very, very almost-not-there Lucci/Kaku

Spoilers: Water 7 and CP9, a bit on the recent manga chapter title pages

Word Count: 2830

Human

I did my best to notice

When the call came down the line

Up to the platform of surrender

I was brought, but I was kind

"But did you all have to come?"

He got several impassive stares in response and resigned himself to sighing, head hanging down while he attempted to keep a grimace off of his face. It wasn't that he wasn't glad to see them, of course he was, but when planning a jailbreak it didn't seem the most practical of choices that they could have made.

For instance, two of them were far too loud, one had no control over his temper, one was likely to accuse everyone of sexual harassment (the fact that he was currently chained to the wall with a sword sticking out of his chest did not mean he was safe), one was unpredictable (and had a pigeon), and the last was…well…relatively normal, thank heaven.

But this still didn't explain why it took six people to break him out. "Don't…" he managed to force out as a hand neared the sword. "The blade is Kairouseki. You can touch the handle, I would think, but…"

The glare he got in response told him that, honestly, Lucci didn't care, and as he grasped the handle and pulled, the unfortunate victim felt his eyes roll up in his head and the next thing he knew he was out of that horrid prison and held in a pair of strong arms.

He kept his eyes closed until the earth had stopped jolting so much, and must have dozed off again at some point, because when he opened them he was in a bed on a ship and there were bandages covering the stab wound. "So you're awake."

"Kalifa," he nodded politely to her and grunted a little in pain. "Where are we…"

"Back to Headquarters," she replied simply. "It should take us a few days. So, you want to tell me what happened?"

"Forgetting about some important facts."

"Which ones? The fact that you can't swim, or the fact that Seastone renders you immobile?" she asked, resting her chin in her hand and cocking her head slightly to the side.

"The second one. I figure that after Roronoa I can take a sword to the chest just fine, but I had never counted…that is to say, I did not think such rabble-rousing pirates would be in possession of something so rare as a Kairouseki blade."

And sometimes I get nervous

When I see an open door

Close your eyes, clear your heart

Cut the cord

"You've gotten soft," she replied simply.

"I've what now?"

"Kaku," she sighed, reaching to lightly brush his reddish-gold hair. "Not every pirate crew is like Straw-Hat Luffy's. Many of them are purely evil and will give no quarter. Just because one swordsman showed you mercy does not mean all of them will."

"I realize that."

"Lucci wasn't pleased," she informed him.

"Is that man ever pleased?" Kaku returned, still the picture of politeness as he finally sat up, leaning back against the headboard on the bed and putting a hand on his chest. "Where are the others?"

"I kicked them out. They were noisy."

"I see. I suppose that was a wise course of action," Kaku admitted. "I have a feeling that…"

"Open the door, woman!"

There was a frightful pounding outside, and Kalifa rolled her eyes and stood. "Do you want to let the circus in?"

"Why not? They will come in eventually, and I'd rather not have to replace the door," Kaku reasoned.

"Your funeral," Kalifa strutted to the door and opened it, only to have a mass of bodies come tumbling in.

"Ha, did you see that, giraffe boy? Where's that twenty extra douriki now, huh?" Jyabura was grinning like a fiend. "Betcha I wouldn't have gotten caught."

"It hardly concerns me," Kaku replied blandly, knowing that it would get a rise out of the wolf Zoan and finding himself proven correct as Jyabura growled.

"Chapapa! Jyabura is jealous because he knows that Lucci wouldn't come to save him as fast!" was Fukurou's helpful contribution.

"Yoyoi! Such beautiful friendship!" Kumadori posed theatrically. "Such…"

"OUT!"

There was a loud bang and Kalifa lowered her leg and daintily tucked a hair back into place.

"Thank you," Kaku smiled at her.

"Those three jokers are the last thing you need right now."

"Coffee?"

The voice came from outside, and Kalifa cautiously opened the door to admit Blueno. "I appreciate it," Kaku accepted the proffered cup.

"I see the 'get well soon' party has already ended?" Blueno said dryly, taking a seat by the bed and sipping at his own cup.

"Before it began. Honestly," Kalifa rubbed her temples. "We're the greatest group of assassins in the world. How did those three make it onto the team?"

"Because we're a team based on talent, not personality," Kaku replied succinctly. "And because of our boss."

"Who can rot in the hospital for a good long time," Kalifa sniffed haughtily.

"I appreciated having him around," Kaku countered. "That way, he was the only one who got pinned with sexual harassment."

"You're not the problem, Kaku. You're a gentleman. That wolf, however," she bared her teeth.

"He means you no harm, Kalifa," Blueno assured her, and she stared into her coffee cup.

Pay my respects to grace and virtue,

Send my condolences to good.

Give my regards to soul and romance,

They always did the best they could

"We're all still thinking about them, aren't we?" Kaku asked after a time, and who the 'them' was was obvious: Straw-Hat and his crew.

"Maybe we always will be," Blueno said simply. "They were not what we were trained to fight."

"But then…" Kalifa started before closing her mouth.

Their introspective session was cut short by the arrival of none other than Rob Lucci, who strode purposefully into the room and, at one glance to note the absence of any more chairs, settled himself haughtily on the edge of the bed as Hattori flapped to Kaku's shoulder.

"Hattori wanted to see you."

Kaku nodded at the blunt statement and scratched the bird under its chin. Hattori cooed happily at the attention, even though Kaku knew that sometimes Lucci spoke through the pigeon. He'd never admit to something so basic and human as worry himself, of course, but his bird seemed capable of several different emotions.

"I apologize for any inconvenience I've caused," Kaku bowed his head. "I was careless."

"You've gone soft."

"Yes, people seem to think so," Kaku muttered. "It was an unfortunate slip-up on my part."

"Unfortunate only for us. You realize that we had no obligation to save you?"

And yet you did, Kaku thought absently. And yet you did.

"Don't be so hard on him, Lucci," Blueno said. "The boy has done an admirable job as an agent. Considering his age, the fact that he is the second in command of CP9 shows his talent and his intelligence."

And there it was. The word. 'Boy.' Kaku tended to also forget about his age, but there was no denying it: he was the youngest member of CP9. Perhaps only by two years, but Kalifa seemed to have a wealth of experience that he had yet to acquire.

"I'll certainly admit that," Lucci turned his expressionless eyes on Kaku. "But youth is no excuse for carelessness."

"I understand, Lucci. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Lucci replied tersely before standing up. He glanced back once before walking through the door, and Kaku sighed and slumped back against the wall as Hattori cooed in a placating manner.

And so long to devotion,

You taught me everything I know

Wave goodbye; wish me well

You've gotta let me go

"He was quite worried," Blueno said after a time. "He does think an awful lot of you, you know."

"It hardly matters," Kaku scrubbed a hand through his hair. "Because he's right. I did let everyone down, and to think that you all went through that trouble just to get me back…"

"We didn't all have to come," Kalifa put in, crossing her legs primly. "It was a choice."

"A choice?" Kaku looked confused. "But…why? The reason we're training new recruits is…"

"Naturally there is always a chance that one of us may not survive a battle," Blueno nodded. "But just because that is a fact doesn't mean that any of us are expendable."

Kalifa sighed and pushed her glasses up, muttering something about, "sometimes I wouldn't mind losing those three idiots out there."

"Oi, woman, what did you say?" Jyabura kicked the door open and sauntered in. "You know I can hear you, right?"

"Forgive me if I sometimes forget how useful your Zoan abilities are," she replied icily.

"Yoyoi! Does this mean that yooouuu do not like your Devil's Fruuuuuit, Kalifa?" Kumadori trilled.

"Quite the opposite. Sometimes I think that turning you all into little dolls would be quite useful for my sanity," she ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Gentlemen; Kalifa; I hate to break up the party, but I think it would be best if we left," Blueno mentioned in his calm voice, indicating Kaku who was rapidly falling asleep.

"Chapapa! Whatever you say!" Fukurou wandered out, followed by Kumadori.

"Did Lucci read him the riot act, or what?" Jyabura wondered aloud.

"More or less," Kalifa shook the young agent's shoulder. "Kaku. Lay down or you'll wake up in pain."

"Yes," Kaku muttered, sliding down the wall as Kalifa helped to settle him and cover him up.

"Well…get better, giraffe-boy," Jyabura awkwardly scratched his head as Kaku let out a tired sigh and gave him a slight smile.

"Thank you."

"Whatever," Jyabura attempted to hide his blush before he stalked out, muttering to himself.

"I suppose I should go as well. Sleep well, Kaku," Blueno stood and exited, leaving Kaku alone with Kalifa again.

"He'll come around," she said simply, and Kaku nodded wearily, knowing whom she was referring to. "Now get to sleep."

Will your system be alright,

When you dream of home tonight?

There is no message we're receiving,

Let me know, is your heart still beating?

Back at their temporary headquarters, Kaku was sitting on the broad windowsill in his room, one knee drawn up to his chest and the other splayed out along the ledge. His chest wasn't truly bothering him anymore, but something had seemed…off with everyone since they had returned. Almost like they were avoiding him for some reason, although he couldn't figure out why.

The near-silent sound of the door opening made him turn slightly, and he was a tad surprised when Lucci entered and walked over to the window. He was silent for a time, dark and brooding, before he finally spoke. "It was a mistake."

Kaku inwardly flinched. "I told you that you were not obligated to come save me…"

"Not that. Sending you along to Water 7 in the first place," Lucci cut him off briskly.

"What can you mean by that?"

"I told the higher-ups that it wasn't a good idea. You're the same age now as I was then, and I felt young. You were eighteen, and it was to be your first mission. We knew it was important; knew that everything had to go off perfectly, and you were perfect for the job only because you did not have to act," Lucci began. "You're disgustingly nice as it is, and the authorities knew that infiltration would be easy because people would trust you. They hadn't considered how betraying them would affect you, of course, and I am glad that you behaved accordingly, but I saw the look in your eyes that night."

Kaku didn't answer as he turned back to the window, pressing one hand to the glass and staring out over the treetops. "You think I'm weak."

"No," Lucci replied immediately. "I think that you're innocent."

"Aren't those the same in your world?"

"Strength and weakness come and go, but innocence can never be regained."

"Hmm," Kaku curled his hand into a fist. "Were you ever innocent?"

"I'd like to think not."

"That's only natural," Kaku glanced up, studying Lucci's reflection through the glass window.

"Nakama."

"Yes," Kaku once again marvelled at how easily Lucci could read him as he pondered where this conversation was going.

"When that carpenter…"

"He has a name, Lucci."

"And there's your problem," Lucci countered, but when Kaku turned and gave him a baleful look, he relented. "Fine, then. When Paulie said that he thought we were all nakama, what did that mean to you?"

"It meant…having something that I never did before. I don't truly understand the word, because I've never had any, and when Paulie…he and the other foremen, and Iceburg and…I felt like I belonged there. I felt like what I was doing that night was wrong, even though it was my job to do it. I…they don't tell you these sorts of things in training," he finally sighed. "And when Straw-hat Luffy and his crew risked everything just to save Nico Robin, it affected me in a way that perhaps it should not have."

Are we human, or are we dancer?

My sign is vital; my hands are cold

"You wished that you could point to someone and say that they would do the same for you," Lucci surmised quickly, and Kaku thought that he could hear the sneer in the other man's voice. "Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps you are weak."

"Forgive me."

"And perhaps we are all weaker than we claim to be."

Kaku's head snapped up at the words, his eyes widening. "What can you mean by that?"

"Consider this for a moment, Kaku. You already know that we had no obligation to rescue you, and yet we did. You are…valuable to us as a fighter. You are undoubtedly the most proficient at Rankyaku as well as having incredible speed and dexterity. It would have been a shame to lose your talents and your Devil's Fruit, and so we held conference and decided that rescuing you would be our best choice."

"I don't need to hear anything else," Kaku waved a dismissive hand. "You came and got me because I'm useful, I understand that…"

"Let me finish, boy," Lucci snarled, a hint of his inner leopard surfacing in his bared teeth. "Yes, we rescued you because you are useful, but there was more to it than that. I volunteered to get you, of course, but I was surprised when none of the others would let me go alone. And what's more, they all insisted on going. You're more to them than a number or a tool, Kaku, and simply because we have never had the chance to acquire the bonds that Straw-Hat and his crew have does not mean it is impossible," he finished sternly, crossing his arms.

Kaku smiled at the news, but hadn't failed to listen closely to the older man's words. "I may be more to them than a number, but what am I to you?" He turned fully, meeting Lucci's eyes and wondering a tad fearfully what the answer would be.

"To me?" Lucci stared at him before moving forward, his hand coming to rest lightly on Kaku's shoulder. "You're what I wish I could be. You're what I never had a chance to be. I warned you that once your innocence is gone it can never be replaced, and I now have only one request for you."

"Request? Not an order?" Kaku couldn't resist asking.

"Never orders; not for you. Not anymore. This purity you have…" he moved his hand under Kaku's chin, fingers tipping the young man's face up so that their eyes stayed connected. "Don't lose it."

His hand dropped back to Kaku's shoulder and gave the slightest of squeezes before he turned sharply, walking to the door before saying, "And I expect you to train tomorrow. Just because strength can be compromised does not mean that it has to be."

No orders, hmm? Kaku thought as he watched him go, but when he turned back to the window there was a genuine smile on his face. He may never have what those pirates from Enies Lobby had obtained, but he knew that he belonged here, with his…nakama. The word seemed strange in his head, but more than anything else the slight tingling where Lucci's fingers had touched his skin proved to him two things that he had never thought possible. One was that Rob Lucci had a shred of compassion and humanity behind that cold exterior, and the other was that, despite everything he had been taught and everything that he believed, there were people that liked him for him.

And that may have been the greatest revelation in his twenty-three years of life.

And I'm on my knees looking for the answer.

Are we human, or are we dancer?

Are we human

Or are we dancer?

This piece was very enjoyable to write, mainly because I've never written any CP9-centric stuff before. I've never really written Kaku POV either, so that was exciting, and because these guys are practically as crazy as the Straw-Hats in their own way, it gave me a bit of a different perspective on their characters as a whole. Plus they're fun.

I thought the song lyrics were quite fitting, and…in an odd way, so was the situation for me. A year ago today I hit the lowest low of my life and was seriously considering ending it but had family and friend support to bring me back, and I haven't really looked back since. So maybe that's why Kaku came out the way he did, but regardless, I'm happy with it.

Drop me a review on the way out:)