You can fight the fire that's in your head
Lay it down, the hour has come to end
Walk around without her just for a bit
Looking back upon the way things had been

-"Walking" The Dodos

XxxX

Franky visiting the Thousand Sunny was not a one time thing. He came back a few times. Apparently it was difficult to escape the watchful eye of his supervisor but he managed to get away on a few occasions.

He one night he came in and got totally trashed, trying to outdrink Zoro. He had seemed upset when he came in so Zoro pressed him for answers while he was intoxicated. He felt guilty about it but not enough to not do it at all. He hated that he was being such a slime ball about this, but what else could he do?

"Hey, is anything wrong?" He asked cautiously, he didn't want to set off the 'it's confidential' alarm. Damn the military for having so many secrets, why couldn't everyone just be open about things? Because of all the chaos it would cause? Whatever, it was still shitty.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Franky moaned nearly incoherently into the counter.

"Do what?" Zoro prodded holding his breath.

"This unit," Franky lifted his head and made a vague gesture with his hand, "It's just- I know it's not supposed to be like this and I know I shouldn't complain. I went through so much screening to get here but now-" he broke off, slumping again.

"What's wrong with it?" Was wasn't wrong with mysterious military teams that showed up suddenly and stirred up questions that shouldn't have to be asked?

"You know I can't tell you," the blue haired man sighed unhappily, "I would if I could," he assured.

"I know, but what am I going to do with that information?" Zoro said exasperatedly. If he didn't have an agenda and he were just some guy he wouldn't do anything with it, but if he had no agenda then he wouldn't have been on the road where they met in the first place. Funny how things work out sometimes.

Franky looked both ways as if someone might overhear them. Was he really about to tell? Zoro could hardly believe it when Franky spoke in a low, quiet voice. This man was about to become a security breach. What the fuck was the military doing employing people like him? Not that he was complaining because it worked out in his favor, but still.

"Okay, I don't know much because I'm new but whatever we're cleaning up, I've never seen anything like it. Everything's radioactive so we have to use big bulky suits, which are horrible in this heat. We had to retrieve bodies when we first got there, they were so burnt up, they hardly looked human. It was horrible." He shook his head thinking back to the event.

"Was it like a jet or a plane or something?" Zoro asked, he figured if it looked like it had fallen from the sky and it had bodies inside then it must be some kind of flying machine. He tried not to let the thought of a spherical UFO pollute his thoughts.

"I don't know, I used to work in air defense and I know that they got a hit out there on something before we were called down." Zoro's brain immediately jumped to the image of a dark room filled with Cold War era technology and blipping green radars. Technology had probably progressed since then but the sixties seemed to be the usual set up for science fiction stories.

"So was it like some secret test flight or something?" It had to be, right? Something like that could in part validate part of Sanji's story and it seemed more and more like he was trying to prove Sanji's sanity.

"I don't know," Franky said again, "I don't think it was a test. They don't test stuff like that around here, too many people. They usually test things out west. I heard one of the other guys talking about some malfunction or something. He said that the other vessel completed it's mission." That sounded ambiguous enough to be talking about Sanji's pick up and subsequent disappearance. He felt his heart somehow pick up its already rapid pace.

"What was it's mission?" It seemed extremely doubtful that he would know anything but he decided to keep on that line of questioning anyway.

His eyes shifted away, "Beats me. All he said was that it retrieved its target and made it back to base." He was lying. He did know something. That was why he was so upset. Why he was releasing this information in the first place.

Zoro caught on immediately and added pressure to this point, "Are you sure?"

Franky hesitated, "Okay, yesterday I visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and I saw some things that... I can't talk about. I- just- I'm sorry. It's too big. I could get in a lot of trouble. I think my commanding officer already suspects me of something. She doesn't miss anything."

Zoro narrowed his eyes, time for a change of topic, "Hey, I didn't tell you why I was going out to that town when I jump started your car, did I?"

"You said you were visiting a friend," Franky said sounding very confused.

"Actually, I was heading out because a few weeks ago he went missing and I've been retracing his route, trying to figure out where he could have gone. His car actually turned up not that far from your crash site. This wouldn't be related would it?"

Franky was pale and his glass nearly slid out of his hand, "Y-your friend went missing?" he sputtered.

"Yeah, he did." Zoro nodded.

"Poor bastard," Franky choked out, taking another drink.

That didn't seem like a good response. "Why would you say that?"

"Because they- they do tests. I don't know what happens, I just learned about it. I can't imagine-" he made exaggerated motions to try and describe what he could not.

"So what, are they hurting him?" Bastards, hadn't he suffered enough? This was presuming that he was taken away by this air vehicle and stored in this military base because there was still no real evidence of that.

Franky grimaced, "Probably. I don't know what-"

"They you have to help us get him out." Zoro interjected.

Franky looked incredibly frightened, "No way, it's impossible. You're crazy!"

"Just listen," he insisted, "If you can get us in then we could-"

But Franky was done. "No! No, whatever idea you've thought up I don't want to hear it. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place," he stood suddenly, fumbling to get the money from his pocket.

"Hang on-"

"No, I have to go now." He placed the money down and turned as sharply as he was able to, storming out. He left Zoro feeling extremely frustrated. Zoro understood that he had his orders but that didn't help with the throbbing pain it caused his head. He wished that he could run and knock some sense into the soldier but he felt that it wouldn't do him much good. Another part of him was hoping that he got back to wherever he was staying safely because he was pretty drunk when he stormed out.

If Franky wasn't going to help then he would do it himself, he already knew where to go. How hard could it be to break into a military base? They were only built to be as secure as humanly possible.

After some heavy brooding, and ignoring Vivi's curious glances, Zoro left the bar to plan his next move, he would have to tread carefully. He didn't want to be arrested after all.

On the way home his thoughts were an ever downward spiral. His thoughts ran together in a messy cycle of shit. Now that it seemed more probable that Sanji was in pain and obvious danger it suddenly seemed all the more important to retrieve him. Unfortunately, he was not a master planner and he was getting nowhere very fast.

How the hell was he going to get himself into Wright-Patterson Air Force Base? It was literally a military base. Zoro had actually been there once to the Air Force museum. He was visiting a friend in Dayton and thought that it would be awesome to check out the massive amount if airplanes they had. It was actually kind of amazing. They had super old World War One and Two planes all decked out with their war paint. They had Vietnam era planes and other Cold War era planes that carried around nuclear weapons. That was actually his favorite thing, he loved a bit of Cold War history, which made the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress an obvious candidate for his favorites.

Who could deny that it wasn't awesome? It was huge and silver, created in 1952 and still in use, the idea of it was created right there in Ohio, and it was strategic bomber. Maybe it wasn't so great when it was dumping bombs onto Vietnam or threatening the world with it's nuclear vessels but it for some reason held a special place in Zoro's heart. But the nuclear vessels thing really shitty, they carried them around while that were going on flights and there was at least one time were one of the planes crashed over in Europe but luckily the hydrogen bombs inside did not detonate. There were more regulations after that, defiantly for good reason.

The point was that it had seemed totally normal when he was there and the idea that there was a place inside that base where Sanji was bing held seemed crazy.

As soon as he stepped into his apartment his cellphone started ringing. Oh, how he detested cellphones. They were convenient but he didn't even want to talk to people face to face let alone from far away into a tiny box. He checked the number; it read unknown. His heart leaped irrationally at the thought that maybe someone had found Sanji or that maybe Franky had somehow found his number and changed his mind. He quickly picked up the line.

"Hello?" He asked, trying to suppress that hope that had begun to swell treacherously in his chest.

A low female voice spoke calmly through the speaker, throwing him off slightly. "Hello, mister Roronoa. I've been very much looking forward to speaking with you," she said. Her voice sounded like it held a smile but the sly sort of smile reserved for those people who are deceitful and cunning at heart.

"Who is this?" Zoro asked nervously. Whatever this was it couldn't be good. His first thought was that Franky's loose speech had been discovered, but then why would he get this call? Surly they would just abduct him like they did Sanji. And he and Franky had only parted ways about an hour and a half ago, could they really know so so quickly. Whoever they were.

"I've been doing my job for longer than I care to admit, mister Roronoa. Do you not think I can see the signs of a soldier in distress, not see the sings that he's unsatisfied, out and talking to people?" So this was something to do with Franky. But the question was unfair. He had no idea how this woman was and therefor could never have judged her intelligence or perception. None the less Zoro's stomach dropped to a sickening low, he remembered Franky mentioning his commanding officer being a perceptive woman. This could be her.

"Who are you? What do you want?" He feigned ignorance of the implications of the situation only because he did not know what else to do. What could he do?

"I want you to do something for me and I don't want you to mess up." Her words were sharp and matter-o-fact.

This puzzled Zoro, if he was right then this woman had authority over at least all the people he had seen at the site, if not more. What would she want from someone like him?

"If you want something done why don't you ask one of your people?" he asked suspiciously.

She did not falter in her reply, "Because I need a nobody for this, someone not so easily disappeared as someone working in this area of work. If only marginally so. You have the background I need and I assure you that listening will be to your benefit."

"I'm listening." This was leading somewhere, he could tell, somewhere dangerous.

"Good," again there was the sense of a sinister smile, "I want you to break into the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and I want you to get your friend out. He is most defiantly there and, I'm sure, in a good deal of discomfort. I am sure that you, a loyal friend," she put emphasis on the word, "would very much like him to be safe and sound. I will provide the means and information for you to make this happen at a later date."

It seemed too easy. She was literally handing him the opportunity. "Why would you want that? Isn't it your job to cover things up?" Zoro pointed out, this was quite the opposite of what he was expecting.

"Like I said, I've been doing this job for a long time and I have seen many, many things. I want something interesting to happen, they have to find out at some point, all those silly nobodies. Nothing can remain a secret forever, I'm just giving that little push that will bring certain things to light."

"But bring what to light?" Zoro asked, although he knew that he was pushing his luck.

The woman tutted condescendingly at him, "All in due time, mister Roronoa. So are you willing to join my cause?"

"What if I'm not?" He asked mostly out if curiosity, there was no way he would turn down an offer like this one.

"If you are not then I will have no choice but to make you temporarily disappear, like I'm supposed to, but I should hope that it won't come to that." Words so soft but with implications so dark.

"Fine, how are we doing this?"

"I will send your soldier friend out tomorrow with plans and supplies. It is a pleasure to be working with you," the woman said.

"How will I contact you?"

"You won't, if I need you I will contact you. Just remember this; if at anytime something goes wrong and I need to run you will receive some form of message with the sentence 'Sorry, I jusst couldn't help myself.' If the message is written the word 'just' will contain two 's's, if it is verbal the 's' sound will be elongated. But I hope that it doesn't come to that." She then hung up.

Zoro stared at his phone for a few seconds, rolling this conversation around in his head. He felt as if he had signed away his soul to some demon and was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was not a pleasant feeling and that night he found it shockingly difficult to sleep. His mind kept turning over the strange direction his life had take at the entrance of Sanji.

If he hadn't appeared only to disappear then there would be so much less drama and life would be so much less interesting. And now he knew for sure that Sanji had been taken away. Confusingly, he had been taken away by what sounded like the government and not aliens, which was weird. What could the government be doing abducting people and cutting them open? He might know soon enough, although he kind of doubted it. This seemed like the start if something very complicated that even the people involved had trouble explaining.

When he did sleep it was shallow and filled by strange, dark half dreams.

XxxX

Franky showed up the next day looking a little bit shaken. According to Nami he had been there since she had opened up. Zoro took the seat next to the man and looked to him expectantly. When he had left the day before Zoro had fully expected to never see him again but in light of the phone call he had received his arrival did not seem out of place.

"Are you alright?" Zoro asked lowly. Franky did not look alright, he looked nervous and afraid.

He shook his head slightly, "My commanding officer told me to come here. I thought she was going to throw me out. She gave me a bag," Franky gestured to the book bag at his feet, "I'm supposed to leave it here when I go. Don't look through it here, wait until you're home. I don't like this, I hope you know what you're doing, bro." He looked at Zoro, his eyes wandering in concern.

"I hope so too," Zoro sighed, he was growing increasingly anxious about this whole ordeal. Anything that had to do with breaking into a government facility seemed like a horrible idea with even more horrible consequences.

Zoro decided that he would change the topic to something less dangerous. "So, why did you join the Air Force in the first place?" he asked curiously.

Franky let out a bitter laugh, "Not so that I could do this, I'll tell you that."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I was recruited right out of high school because I wanted to go into the Air Force and I didn't have the money to pay for college."

Zoro nodded in understanding, many people from his school joined the military for financial reasons. He had never seen the appeal of the military, he didn't like using guns much as weapons and he didn't like the idea of being stuck to his orders. He didn't want to be a mindless drone stuck in a fixed action pattern to comply to orders. At least not the government's orders. Despite this he thought he would probably be a good soldier if he ever wanted to be.

"I used to repair planes, that was great. I got my degree as an engineer and I fixed up all the crafts that came in. They all were super, I wish I hadn't left that," he sighed regretfully.

"Why did you?"

"I was offered a promotion; higher pay, under the utmost secrecy, repairing more interesting vehicles. That sort of thing. I just though they would be having me work on prototypes and that is part of it. I enjoy that part, it's super, but the other stuff I can't stomach."

"What part is that?" Zoro was getting tired of always having to ask questions. He wished that he could just be all knowing and get it over with.

"The part where I have to do stuff like cleaning up hazardous materials. They don't want to involve more people than necessary so they make nonessential personnel do stuff like that. That's not even the worst part. The worst part is that I know what's going on downstairs," he shuddered, "Every time I go in there I think about it and it makes me sick. I've only been down there a few times for medical aid because that's where all the doctors are but it makes my skin crawl."

"Is that where Sanji is?"

Frankly nodded mutely, "Yeah, I'm not going to talk about it anymore, you'll find out soon enough anyway."

Franky left after about ten minutes later, his foot steps heavy and his demeanor gloomy.

He seemed like he really did not want to be there but Zoro couldn't really blame him for that, they were making him put his ass on the line for someone he didn't know. After he had hurried out Zoro strategically waited another fifteen minutes before leaving, carrying the backpack out with him.

He rushed home and as soon as he was inside he unzipped the bag. Inside there were notes on the inner workings of the Air Force base and how everything was to be planned out. Zoro was slightly alarmed that this plan included some of his other friends, who he assumed must have received similar calls. Along with these plans there were cosmetic supplies and fake identification to get in, they were to make themselves match the pictures on the IDs. He was going to need help with that.

Zoro busied himself committing the plan to memory, the operation would take place on that Thursday, not long to prepare and the instructions should be burned as soon as possible.

Memorizing the plan wasn't so hard. As soon as he could recite it backward and forward he took the papers and put them in his bag. The next day he went out to one of the beaches where no one was around and lit them on fire, letting the ashes fall slowly into the cloudy water. He hoped that this wasn't too bad for the lake but it already had so much shit in it that it hardly seemed like something to worry about, although he knew he should. Caring is just really hard sometimes, especially when one has other things on their mind.

These few days of waiting passed excruciatingly slowly and were filled by knowing looks between himself and his friends. No one said anything, of course, but they all were aware of what was going on. Zoro was surprised at how well Luffy contained his excitement. He was nearly at the point of explosion but he held his tongue. This was like a dream come true for him. They were going to go rescue someone like a gang of secret agents. It was like something out of a action movie, very exciting.

XxxX

When the day came Zoro nervously awaited the time for the action to come. The disguising was the irritating part. Before they left they had to make themselves look different. Usopp, being artistically inclined, helped Luffy. Zoro was aided by Nami.

Nami's disguise wasn't especially difficult for her to pull off. She had used temporary dye to color her hair light brown, put in dark blue contacts, and concealed any facial imperfections (a light dusting of freckles) with a layer of makeup, then pulled her hair back in a tight, clean ponytail. None of these things were difficult to do, the part she hated about this was taping her chest to throw off her figure. She felt like she was going to explode from the tension.

She did look pretty different and it startled Zoro as he walked into their designated meeting place, not bothering to knock. They were meeting in a little condo outside of town. The door was unlocked and Zoro didn't bother to think how this had been arranged.

Nami, in the middle of pulling her hair back in front of a mirror, turned to him in irritation. "You know it's polite to knock, I could have been naked in here."

Zoro wrinkled his nose. "I'll be sure to knock next time." That was not something he wanted to subject himself to. It would be uncomfortably like seeing a sister naked.

Nami rolled her now blue eyes, "Come here and we'll get started," she said, beaconing him over to her kitchen table where an array of make up was organized. Zoro sighed and resigned himself to whatever torture he would be forced through.

The first thing they did was dye his hair black, it didn't take long but Zoro disliked the way it looked and he disliked that he had to dye his eyebrows to conceal the green color of his hair. Once his hair was dry it was combed down over his forehead because there wasn't much else they could do with it to change the style. Ugh, he was looking more and more like a normal Japanese man instead of like himself but that was the point even though he didn't like it. Next, Nami used liquid latex to cover the three piercings in his ear. The other cosmetic products she used were to add contrast and make the structure of his face appear different. She also drew on a small freckle on his left cheek. The final touch was padding under his clothes to make him look bulkier than he really was.

When Nami was done she guided them to a mirror and they looked at their own reflections in shock. It was amazing what a little make up magic could do. Obviously, people who knew them might recognize them, but they would not be studied in depth where they were going. It would only be brief studied glances to get through security. No problemo.

They had finished with limited time to spare so they immediately went out to Nami's car, Zoro had been dropped off down the road by Yosaku. The witch would be driving because they couldn't take any chances with this. Back at the bar Vivi was in charge, she was their alibi. She didn't know what exactly was going on but Nami trusted her and she trusted Nami enough to do this for her. The security tape in the bar, which Nami kept for security reasons, as the name suggested, had a prerecorded film of Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Nami in the bar. They were not on the video for the full time, that might seem a bit too convenient. They were planned to have left at different times but they would all be cleared of suspicion.

The two of them drove for about an hour out of town to a parking lot where they met with the others. It was one of those lots you drove by in the middle of nowhere where there were always cars but you never saw anyone ever getting in them of driving off. They had never really made sense to Zoro until now and he suddenly appreciated them and their lack of security cameras.

The drive was mostly quiet aside form the low playing radio spouting off shitty popular songs to break the tension. The sky was clear with only a few thin gray clouds appeared frozen in their place in the upper stratosphere.

Tension was rising and the adrenalin was starting to flow through their veins so they tried to focus on other things if possible, not on this absurd thing they were about to do. When they pulled into the lot the army vehicle was already there. Luffy was leaning leaning against it nearly vibrating in excitement. He was wearing boots to make himself taller and there was a small about of bulk added under his clothes. Zoro guessed that had used liquid latex to some degree because something about his face looked off somehow, he couldn't quite tell what it was but it was weird. His scar was covered and his hair was smoothed back. There were the edges of a tattoo just slightly poking up above his collar and a few freckles dotted his face.

"Let's go, let's go!" He urged them, throwing two uniforms their way. They had to change outside but they were in the middle of nowhere so they didn't mind much. Inside the vehicle Franky sat in the driver's seat, clenching the steering wheel anxiously. He had already been seen by at least some of the base's employees and the hope was that because of this there would be less suspicion with them arriving, they were expected anyway. Franky's commanding officer had set everything up for them.

In the back Usopp and Chopper were sitting. Usopp would not be going with them, he had a very... Distinguished face and would be more easily recognized. It wasn't his fault that he looked like Pinocchio but unless they wanted to surgically alter his face he would be staying behind in this lot and keeping in contact with the spider that set all this up. He had a laptop to monitor their progress and would inform her as to what was going on, from their she would instruct him. When they got into the car he got out wishing them good luck and giving a nervous smile. Zoro suspected that he was secretly glad that he didn't have to go with them.

Chopper was nervously fiddling with the end of his shirt. His short light colored hair was dyed a darker shade of brown and slicked back, he had in blue eye contacts and had freckles painted over his face. He an Nami looked like they could be brother and sister. He still looked young but whatever makeup he had done made him looked older than he was and the height the boots helped with that. Zoro felt bad for him being there, he was still just a kid but if Sanji needed medical attention then they would need a doctor and Chopper was the very best doctor they knew. What was worse was that he would be going alone for his part of this mission. Zoro wished he could just wait in the car or something but evidently that wouldn't cut it here.

With the four of them safely in the back they began the two hour drive to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It was seven PM when they left and the darkness surrounded them as if to aid in their disguise.

Luff seemed to be the only one who displayed no hint of nervousness. Maybe Zoro didn't either, he couldn't feel his face well enough to tell, but he felt it inside. Luffy didn't even look like he felt the slightest amount of pressure. He was a one of a kind, that one.

They went over the plan once again, just to make sure they all had it down. Flawless. They couldn't make any mistakes on this, the stakes were way, way, way too high for that. The gravity of what they were doing was nearly great enough to crush them under it magnificent force. Despite this none of them backed out, that may have been attributed to the threat of being disappeared but more likely it was their sense of loyalty. If Sanji was in harm's way they were going to get him back, no matter the cost, because he was one of them and they weren't going to let anything get in the way of that.

XxxX

A/N: Wright-Patterson is actually the reason why Ohio was perfect for the setting. For those of you who don't know hanger number eighteen in that base is caught up in a conspiracy theory. According to this crazy conspiracy after the supposed Roswell UFO crash the bodies of the aliens found there were take to this hanger where other other worldly articles have been gathered. Actually, they have an amazing Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson that I've actually been to, so it seems pretty normal. Also I'm going to go out on a limb and say Roswell was total bullshit, go figure.

Also, I imagine it's not too hard to guess who set all this up. I should warn you that I know very little about the military. And you may be surprised at how far a bit of stage make up will take you.

Thanks.