Chapter 10: Close Calls
#-+-#
The next morning everyone was up and enjoyed breakfast when Robin and Franky finally dropped in.
"Robin! Franky!" Luffy cheered. "Where the heck were you guys!?"
"Oh, researching. You know me and history. It's my only addicting drug I can't fully ignore."
"Oh, okay!" Luffy said as he stuffed his face with pancakes that he swiped off of Usopp's plate.
"Oi! Luffy! Those were mine you pig!"
Zoro just chuckled as he enjoyed his portion before the other could eye it.
Robin studied the man for a moment before announcing that she was going to rest.
"I'm sorry I won't be joining breakfast." She said.
"Don't worry, Robin-chawn!" Sanji said as he did a strange noddle dance. "I'm sure whatever you had to do is completely exhausting!"
"It was…" She said as she and Franky headed to their room.
"Seems pretty damn normal to me." Franky said.
"Indeed…" She said. "But I wonder just how he could be human and a Guard Droid. Especially since it was impossible."
"I'm not completely sure about this as well." He said as he sighed. "The only way to know is to open him up, but I don't think Luffy-Bro would like that idea one bit."
"Yes… We would have to wait before we can be sure." She said with a yawn. "Maybe some sleep may help answer this."
"You don't really believe that kind of thing do you?"
"Never killed anyone to try."
He sighed and shook his head before entering their room and just went on the bed and immediately fell asleep.
She giggled at the sight of her partner before joining as well and fell asleep as well.
-XxX-
Back out in the awakening world, the groups went their separate ways and waited for any word on their assignments.
"Race you to that building!" Luffy announced to Zoro as he pointed to a tall building of some company.
"You're on!" Zoro said as they started their race, both even in speed and durability of the obstacles in their way.
-XxX-
By the time they reached to the roof top of the building, they were tired and worn out and didn't bother arguing who got there first.
"That was fun!" Luffy said with a laugh.
"Yeah… That was…" Zoro said with some pants as they enjoyed the breeze that came in.
"I'm hungry."
"I am too. All that running really did a number." He said as he got up. "Well, do we know any place to get food?"
Luffy got up as well and looked around the buildings below them before shrugging. "We could sneak in to the rec room of this building for something to eat."
"You mean steal food?"
"Got any better ideas? Cause I know Sanji will kill us if we step into his kitchen."
Zoro sighed as he looked at the door. "Okay, but if we're caught before we get there, we better find a different way to get food."
"Okay!" Luffy said as both ran towards the door and ran down to the levels of stairs before trying out each floor before getting to the rec room, which there were some people in there, eating donuts.
"Excuse us." Zoro said as Luffy stole a couple and they ran out of there.
"Here Zoro!" Luffy said as he handed the other the donut.
"Thanks." He said as he took a bite as they reached to an empty elevator and pressed the up button.
"That was fun." Luffy said as he finished eating his donut, but his face was covered in some of the frosting.
"Oi, you got frosting all over your face."
"Really?" He said as he used his tongue to get any remaining frosting off of his face before the elevator stopped and they ran to get to the stairs and up to the roof.
-XxX-
From there they headed back down, only to be cornered by a helicopter.
"We got you now! You Runners!" Said a cop with a megaphone.
"Run!"
"Don't need to tell me!"
They ran with all of their ability and they were able to get away from the helicopter by entering a building and going down the elevator to the basement.
"Damn…" Zoro said as he leaned back on the wall. "That was a bit intense…"
"That's Lt. Smoker for you."
"Who?"
"Oh, he has a grudge against me."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the only 'criminal' that has ever escaped from him."
"Ah…" He said as he did some stretches.
"Yeah, and for some reason my brother really likes that guy. Don't know why though."
"Like him?"
"Yeah. More like a crush."
"You're brother likes guys?"
"Just that one." Luffy said as he leaned back against the wall. "When he told me, I thought he had finally lost his mind. But then he told me what he liked about the guy and I supported him. He hasn't told the guy his feelings, because, well… he's a cop and he's a Runner."
"A forbidden love affair."
"Kinda like Romeo and Juliet."
"You know that story?"
"Who hasn't? It's a perfect romantic tragedy in English history."
Zoro looked at the other as soon as the doors opened to the basement. "I'll never get you."
Luffy stuck out his tongue as they looked around the area. "Where to now?"
"You tell me…" He said as they walked around a bit before feeling something rumbling underneath them. "What was that about?"
"A subway."
"Huh?"
"There are subways that run under some buildings. This must be one of them."
"Are we going to take a subway then?"
Luffy smiled. "It's been awhile since I was subway surfing."
"Subway surfing?"
"Yep! You'll love it!" He said as he grabbed the other's hand. "Come on! I think I know a way to get there from here."
"Oi! Wait a sec!" Zoro called, but was dragged either way.
-XxX-
Soon they were faced with the empty tunnel.
"Uh… Luffy… Shouldn't we get to a place where we won't end up being subway kill."
"Would you relax, Zoro! I've done this before!"
"You have, but I haven't."
Luffy shushed him as he cupped his ears and there was a moment of silence before he grabbed the other and they ran up to higher ground and waited for a minute before a subway came and they timed it right and landed on the roof of the subway.
"How did you know it was coming?"
"I listened." He responded as he got up and balanced himself. "Now this is how you do subway surfing!"
Zoro watched as he saw something come up.
"Better get up and move Zoro! Or you'll get hit!" Luffy warned as he moved to the side while Zoro moved to the other side to avoid the middle.
"What the hell was that?!"
Luffy laughed. "That's part of the fun! You have to avoid hitting the signs as you move and surf on the subway.
Zoro got it and enjoyed as well, and found himself having a lot of fun.
-XxX-
Once they were at a stop, they waited until they got down and blended in with the crowd and left the station.
Luffy laughed about the whole thing while Zoro smiled and enjoyed the day.
"Where to now?" Zoro asked when the sound of the other's stomach rumbling. "Well that answers that."
"Everybody should be back at the base by now."
"Aye."
They looked for anything on the side of the buildings that would lead them back up on the roof tops and started to head back to the base when the helicopter found them once again.
"Oh come on!" Luffy said as both ran the other way to avoid the helicopter, only for them to start running when guns were fired. "They're shooting at us!"
"Shit!" Zoro called out as they ran into a building and agreed to take the streets back to the base.
"What's his problem!? He could've killed us!" Luffy said as he pouted.
"At least we'll be okay." Zoro said as they walked up to the base's front doors and went up to the top from the elevator.
-XxX-
When they entered the meeting room, no one was there.
"That's weird. Shanks is usually here."
"Must've went out for something. I'm sure he'll be back."
"Yeah." He said as his stomach rumbled. "Okay, okay!" He headed to the kitchen and saw a bowl of apples. "Yosha!" He reached for one and took a bite of it. "Yum!"
Zoro reached for one himself and sat down on the couch, only to see a couple scratches on the teen's legs. "Oi, Luffy, where's the first aid?"
"Huh? Above the fridge, why? You're hurt?"
"No, look at your legs." He said as he went to get the first aid.
Luffy did look. "Huh? When did I get cuts on my legs?"
"Must've been from the bullets that missed you." He reasoned as he pointed to the couch. "Now sit down while I get this, okay?"
Luffy nodded as he sat down, propped his legs up, and continued to eat his apple as the other worked on cleaning and bandaging his legs properly.
-XxX-
When he was done bandaging his partner's legs, he finally settled down himself and looked to see the other was asleep. He smiled as he picked the teen up bridal style and carried him to their shared room and placed him down on the still pulled out bed and tucked him in.
That's when he thought he heard something and went out to investigate, but didn't stray too far from the room before returning and sitting by the end of the bed to see if anyone, or thing, passed by the door.
Even after a whole hour of watching, he still felt uneasy about leaving his partner alone and look for something that may not even be there to begin with.
"Zoro?"
He looked back to see that the teen seemed okay and well rested. "Hey Luffy, had a good nap?"
Luffy nodded as he climbed out of bed. "What were you doing?"
"I thought I heard something, but I didn't want to leave you alone to investigate. May be nothing at all."
"Well, I'm up. Let's see what we can find."
They did and as it turns out, it was just Shanks getting in and fell asleep on the couch.
Zoro decided to take a nap as well and Luffy joined in, since he wasn't fully awake to begin with and spent the next two hours taking a nap when they woke up violently by Nami's fist and joined everyone for dinner to talk about their day.
-XxX-
Somewhere in the city, the man shot a man down in an apartment and walked to pick up a glass and emptied it of its contents.
"Must I do everything myself. How hard is it to find him and push his mind to its limit?" He said as he exited out of the room.
When he got into his car he began to think of the alternative. 'Maybe it is almost difficult to catch him now that he's a Runner… They're very quick to avoid being caught.' He sighed. 'What must I do to get to him?'