Guess who's back...?! MMEE! Hi... XD
Anyways some things about this chapter I need to note.
When I first introduced Lucci I didn't expect him to take such a strong presence in the story but then I realized he makes for an excellent character and not many really use him. It also helps me keep other characters close to her as I intended without it feeling forced.
Don't think I have forgot about Kaku either. I have plans for him.
As always, thanks for the wonderful support! I hope to get more chapters out this weekend since I go straight to work again next week. Please feel free to write your thoughts in the review section and if you have any questions drop a message or a review. Take care!
After relieving her stomach in the bathroom, Katie made her way to her house and changed clothes. It was against her own wishes but there was nothing the brunette could do. Kuzan wasn't around and she simply couldn't run around in her grandfather's t-shirt. The twenty-three year old had donned a pair of tanned capris with a spaghetti strap tank top made of soft black cotton. After Garp's granddaughter had finished, the young woman took a moment to collect her thoughts inside the home where everything had started. She didn't feel calm or scared, but as if she were inside a dream and nothing the little female had experienced was real. A sort of humdrum or bland sensation had washed over her. A sort of disassociation with the reality.
This left her feeling slightly isolated and alone with no one she could really talk too. Aokiji had taken Rain into custody but was unsure when he'd be able to come back. The admiral did warn her not to wonder about as the marines were still looking for Kane. The man should have known better. Katie was feeling restless. She needed to move about. Relieve some of the physical tension that had built up.
Now was the time the brunette needed her space to think. Everything was happening in what seemed like a muddled mess of a weird story in an adventurous book. Her life nearly taken, not once but twice. A kid from her past had been a part of that whole incident, and Kane had returned with assassins trying to weasel their way into taking her life. It seemed too much of a coincidence and in this world, there was no such things. So who was behind it all and why did they want her dead?!
Quickly the young woman made her way across each rooftop with ease. The slightly cooler moist air felt refreshing. As time had ticked by, Katelyn had noticed the large hands on the clock tower revealing it was almost four in the morning and the reddish sunlight peeked through the thin purplish-grey clouds. Another storm was brewing, the vertically challenged female thought. The brunette made her way upward and stood on the bordered edge of the clock tower, just under the clock itself. The wind was furious and the noise drowned out the sounds of her surroundings but it felt delightful through her hip length hair. She hadn't even bothered putting it in a ponytail.
It was nice to be alone and free again. Having such a large family with Dadan, the bandits, her brothers, and those from the village made Katie a bit of a private person. She valued her space from time to time. From her spot, blue orbs could see most of Marineford. Her trained visions spotted several marines searching for Kane while officers stood in the cross-ways of every street directing their subordinates. The man they were hunting was a resourceful individual; they weren't going to find him like that, the brunette continued in her own thoughts while she relaxed her stance and crossed her arms over her gifted chest.
After taking a long stretch, Katie thought it best to work off her alienated feelings. Both her grandparents did drill into her about the value of training while under stress. She hated to admit it but the old men were right. It always felt refreshing to focus on a bit of physical exercise if her thoughts caused her to be too distracted. In the end she'd be too tired to think of anything else only to be able to revisit the subject the next day with a clear head.
The young woman leapt and bounded across each building with precise skill. A technique her grandpa Garp had taught her rather vigorously when she was little. Her brothers didn't really have a knack for it but they excelled at other things that she didn't. Like… throwing a punch. Ace's thumps still stung in the young woman's mind but looking back now, all she could do was smile. It meant the brunette still had a lot to cover and work on to catch up to him. She may have been older, more agile, but he was definitely stronger in a fight and Luffy wasn't far behind.
Thinking of the fun times they had as kids really relieved much of the stress that had been stewing. The brunette didn't like to admit it but she was really rattled once she discovered Rain's true identity. Katie was sure she had put all those horrid feelings behind her but that didn't seem to be the case. Instead Garp's granddaughter immediately felt as if she had to go on the defensive. Again, too many coincidences to be such a thing. If there was someone she could simply talk too, maybe that would be easier to sort it all out than to work herself into an exhausted sweat machine.
Katie thought of the list of people she could speak with that resided on Marineford. Grandpa Garp was the first on her mind. No…, she scolded herself. He's too busy with work and this mess, the brunette continued. Grandpa Sengoku was the next on her list of people she could trust; again, that would be impossible since he already had so much on his plate. The young woman thought how easy it would have been if she had Luffy and Ace with her. Then she wouldn't be this startled.
The young woman continued to think further into her list of friends. Tashigi wasn't a good match. She'd be forced to repeat everything to one of her grandfathers once they knew about the two of them having a heart to heart. Garp would be upset that she didn't go to him first. Sengoku would simply feel that the young woman rejected him after her interrogation. It would cause unwanted drama at both ends.
Then there was her friend Mary, Zephyr's wife, but she had kids and her own life. She didn't need to be bothered by the brunette's concerns. Kuzan had already helped her much more than what was needed. Even if she were growing strong feelings for him, it was simple. He was an admiral and second in charge of one of the three world powers. The man was off that list of friends before it was even formed.
With a heavy sigh, the young woman found herself in front of the demolished store she had plans to turn into a café. A large yellow note had been stuck to a wooden pillar. With precision, the brunette snatched it and read the letter. It was from the inspector. "Finally good news", Katie breathed with a sigh of relief. The note simply informed her that the inspection had documented the building's foundations were sound and she could move onto full renovation at her own leisure.
In her brief excitement, the young woman felt drops of rain hit her shoulders before a down pour soon followed. The weather had forced the young woman to find shelter under a broken part of the roof she had yet removed. This put her tiny form into the darkness of a half-demolished building. The brunette was on the top floor, next to the wall. The clatters of heavy drops hitting the decayed tiles released a relaxing sound. The smell of moist wood touched her nose and quickly she felt the rush of ease. The moment took away the tension in her mind and put it somewhere else.
Katie let out a sigh of relief; noting the air was warm and forgiving unlike the usual cool rain accompanied by harsh winds. The gales were strong but not brutal and the storm seemed to split open the sky with streaks of blinding light. A crackling roar covered all of Marineford while it rattled the windows. The sensation of being out in a storm like this with the feeling of moisture tickling the hairs on her arms, gave a sort of comfort. All the female needed was a good book. The various ambient sounds brushed her ears while the aromas permeated her nose. This took the young woman to another world where it was just her and her alone. That peculiar moment was exactly what the brunette needed to take her mind off the heavy thoughts she had experienced.
The young woman sat on the wooden floor that screamed under her weight. The old wood was safe to sit on but it wasn't without protest. Her back leaned against the wall that partly supported the roof above. With a half-smile that etched its way onto her lips, deep blue hues closed. Heavy steady breaths sated her lungs as she enjoyed herself until her mind and body drifted into a light slumber.
Unbeknownst to the young woman she had caught the eye of one Rob Lucci. Among her bounding around like a lost puppy in his eyes, he had begun to follow her after remembering his pet project. The man kept his distance because of her sense of smell until his dark orbs took in her sleeping form. The World Government's agent took strong precautions approaching her. He didn't want to wake or disturb the female until he was practically on top of this slumbering kitten.
The CP9 agent kept the air flow in mind while tapping lightly around the boards that would normally creek and crack under his weight. Before the eager man knew it, the thrill of being next to her had been achieved. Rob had crouched over her succulent thighs as he rested on his knees. Careful not to lean or sit on her, he was still comfortable shifting his weight onto his heels. Mindful, Lucci kept her caged with his hands place at each side of her head. A precaution if the tawny brunette ever woke.
The official was so close he could smell the strawberry shampoo Katie had used for her long dark tresses. Lucci's heart hammered. It was like he had lowered himself over a sleeping lioness. She had been tamed in a disgustingly wasteful way but he could remedy that over time. There were no words to express how hungry he was to push this one to her limits. To see how far she'd take him in a no-holds-bar fight. The man was confident he'd win and then he'd have what he had been physically desiring ever since he laid eyes on her nude form.
Not many women could ever get a rise out of him but Katie managed. It wasn't her robust chest or her tight thighs, but he knew how physically dangerous she was and for a man like him, there was no better lure. He knew instantly from her sense of smell she was exactly like him but domesticated. Rob didn't know why it bothered him so to see her in such a state, maybe it was because he himself didn't want to be tamed. The feeling of losing that part of himself would only make him feel dirty and weak. It sickened him to see such an equal jumping around like a trained animal. For what? Treats? If that's how she liked it, he'd make her his pet until this tiny woman decided to break her own chains.
While the man was deep in thought, skilled eyes picked up telling signs of her healing capabilities. The crack over her brow, a mark he personally gave her, had all but disappeared. It was faint and thin, easy to miss. Her bruises had already faded and her supple lips were kissable once more. Lucci's thin appendages slanted over her own. He was slow, methodical about it. Feeling her faint breath on his chin only enticed him to steal something that was going to be his eventually.
As his head lowered to swoop in, the menacing sensation of a bamboo stick sliding over his shoulder caused the agent to shutter. The smooth texture of the weapon rested over his left deltoid. Just under it was a broken shoulder girdle. It meant Garp had cracked everything from the top of his clavicle to the head of his humerus; leaving the arm in a black canvas sling. An exploit the marine behind him was willing to pull in the single moment of distraction.
Lucci's devilish smirk faded as he stood to his feet. "You know you're annoying", the curly haired official growled with aggravation.
"Too you, I'm sure I am...", Vergo retorted dryly. "Kindly step away from Miss Laurel." The officer's cold command left no room for argument. His whole appearance behind Rob was frightening as he was mostly hidden among the shadows except for the dango that had stuck to the side of his cheek.
The World Government's official understood the marine wouldn't hesitate to strike his single exposed weakness. If the CP9 agent decided to stand his ground, his shoulder would be put out of commission and he'd have to come up with some whimsical nonsense to tell Paulie and the others. No doubt it would hinder his OTHER mission. Lucci's pet project would have to wait, though admittedly it would be difficult. As midnight hues gazed down to spot a pair of irresistible blue orbs blinking naïvely up at him, the man felt a shiver of want and greed.
The marine wasn't going to allot anymore time but as soon as the slight pressure change in his weapon shifted, Rob had moved swiftly out of Vergo's strike. It had been surprisingly fierce; the air pressure caused much of the wooden structure to crack. A testament to the officer's strength and dislike of the agent.
"I think it would be imperative that I inform you that you can't have your way here." Vergo distinctively expressed to Rob using an abysmal tone. He was serious and didn't need to wear his mask to hide any intent. He honestly was disgusted with the World Government and would love to watch each and every one of them burn alive. All those who worked for them could die by his own hand, he wouldn't have a problem with it. Using Katelyn to get what he wanted made the deal quintessentially sweeter as he could further earn her trust doing so.