The sickening thud of Raven's body hitting the floor reverberated through the room.
Zoro stared down at her still form. She looked like a rag doll, just thrown aside. The dark stain on her stomach was slowly growing, blood seeping through her thin shirt. He looked down at his gun, feeling a million miles away. What. What had just happened? Fury had clouded his mind when Nami pushed him back. His memory was fuzzy, a blur of anger. Until Raven appeared on the edge of his vision, a desperate, anxious look on her face. She hadn't even hesitated. His arm pulled away from Nami, and he had fired before he had the chance to stop. Right into Raven's stomach. That look in her eyes. That sad, distant look. What had she said? Her halting words ricocheted in his head. "No one gets to hurt my family again."
Why would she pull the pistol back towards herself? Why would she risk her life for someone she had only known for a few days?
No one gets to hurt my family again. Her family? It didn't make any sense. She was the one who had hurt her family. She had murdered them all. It made his head hurt the more he thought about it. Nothing about it made sense! Raven was a murderer! A cold blooded killer! She had been running for years, running away from the judgement for her crimes. The selflessness she had just easily portrayed wasn't her. She wasn't this kind. She was a heartless devil. She was a monster, a stain on this world. She was an evil creature, incapable of a conscience.
Wasn't she?
Nami's body wouldn't move. Her heartbeat was thundering in her ears. She had almost been killed. Zoro had almost shot her. She looked over at Raven's lifeless form, the scene replaying in her head like a broken record. She had just reopened her eyes, not feeling a thing. Raven was standing over her, Zoro's attention now on her dark haired friend. Raven's hands were on the pistol, inches from her stomach. Inches from a growing bloodstain. Raven had saved her. She had risked her own life to save Nami. Tears swarmed in Nami's wide eyes.
"No one…gets to hurt my family…again." Raven said quietly, barely loud enough for her to hear.
And with that, she started to fall, the light draining from her eyes. Nami screamed Raven's name, her throat burning as she did.
Sanji had yelled out desperately as Zoro pulled a gun on Nami. There was nothing he could do! He couldn't get there in near enough time!
And that was when Raven had jumped forward. She seemed to break out of a trance, suddenly moving toward the big detective. Sanji felt like he was watching from a different dimension as Raven grabbed the handgun, pulling it away from Nami.
Directly toward herself.
Sanji flinched as the gun went off. He stared as Raven froze, a look of surprise covering her face. Her mouth dropped open slightly, and she glanced over at Nami. Her eyes drifted up to Zoro, and Sanji saw her say something, although he couldn't hear.
And then she fell, slowly and gracefully, her dark hair creating a kind of certain around her face. Sanji couldn't say a thing as she crumpled.
Nami's vision blurred out as tears filled her eyes. "Raven?" She shakily pushed herself off the wall, inching over to her friend's body. "Raven!" She crawled to her side, her head in a fuzzy panic. Her hands hovered over the wound, unsure of what to do. "Raven, don't-" She choked, blinking the haze away. Don't die! "Sanji, help me!" She started to tear Raven's shirt off, stuffing the fabric strips over the bullet hole. "Sanji!" She yelled, breaking him out of whatever trance he was in. He flinched at her voice, but quickly jumped into action.
Sanji scrambled over to the sink, grabbing a towel. He ran to Raven's side, shoving past Zoro as he went. The detective looked like he was in shock, his eyes staring without seeing. He wasn't moving. He made no attempt to stop the two.
Nami grabbed the towel Sanji offered without looking up. She pressed it against Raven's stomach, tossing the bloody fabric aside. "Are you happy now?" She hissed, her teeth clenched in concentration. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sanji glance up at the cop. Zoro didn't say a word.
"Sanji, we need to get her to a doctor." Nami met his gaze, her brown eyes overflowing with worry. His heart hurt seeing the tear streaks down her face, but he had to focus on getting Raven to a doctor. He nodded, "Tony's not too far down the road. If I carry her, we can get there in about ten minutes." Nami nodded, instantly helping him lift Raven. He slid his arms under her knees and behind her shoulders, slowly rising to his feet. Raven's head rolled back, her arm swinging lifelessly at her side. An urgent sense of protectiveness surged up from his stomach as Nami settled Raven's head against his chest. Her face was so peaceful, even while her life dimmed. Without another word, he rushed out the open door, holding Raven tight against him.
Nami followed after the blond, wiping the tears from her face. "Wait!" Zoro's voice fanned the bitterness in the center of her chest, and it erupted as she whirled on him.
"You don't get to touch her anymore!" She swung his outstretched arm away, glowering up at him. "You've done enough to make her life hell!" She advanced on him and he retreated, stumbling back. "You've been chasing her around like she was some animal for you to hunt, treating her like a prize more than a person! You don't understand a damn thing about her!" He looked like a kicked puppy, but she didn't care. She hoped he felt regret. She hoped, with every fiber of her being, that he was full of guilt. She hoped it ate him alive.
"What are you even chasing her for?" He blinked, his mind clouded. "Do you even know? Or are you just some puppet for the government, running her down because they told you to?" Nami's eyes were burning, and he couldn't think. "She…she's a murderer." He said quietly, but the words felt hollow. "Do you really think that? Do you really believe she could kill another person!?" Nami leaned back, taking a deep breath. "You know that's not true."
She turned away from him, her eyes blurring again. "If she dies-" she took a shaky breath, "If she dies, I hope you spend the rest of your life drowning in guilt."
Zoro watched as she slowly turned, meeting his eyes. "Because Raven's never killed anyone. I know you know that."
And with that, she was gone, leaving the man alone with a hurricane in his head.
The entire mission was unravelling, one thread at a time. Raven was coming undone right in front of him. Nami's words sunk into the whirlpool of thoughts, swinging around and around, dancing on invisible strings. He stumbled back, having to catch himself on the sink. Everything he had been taught, everything he had been trained for, everything he was. It was crumbling apart, because of one woman. Or are you just some puppet for the government, running her down because they told you to? He wasn't. He wasn't! He…he was doing what was right. Justice. She was a murderer, a killer. Everybody thought so.
Everybody else.
It didn't match up. The image he had been fed, and the figure he saw. Raven was a murderer. Raven was a monster. That was what they had told him. That she was evil down to the bone. And the Raven that he could see wasn't any of those. The more he thought about it, the more discord he found.
He sunk to the floor, burying his head in his hands. Stop it! Stop thinking! You can't afford to second guess yourself! If you do that, you won't be able to do your job!
Even as the thoughts took form, he could see the truth. That the justice he was chasing maybe wasn't the right thing.
He set his jaw, regaining control his thoughts. He couldn't let Nami's words get under his skin. What was one opinion against all the evidence they had compiled against Raven? He had seen the files of her crime, the slaughter of her entire family. Whatever party they were holding, had ended violently with a fire. A fire that no one escaped. No one except a little girl. The little girl who had trapped them all in the building, setting it ablaze before disappearing. The dozen or so bodies were carefully collected, and hurriedly buried. And police forces had been searching for the killer child ever since.
That was it. He couldn't argue with all the evidence and compiled research. He couldn't take the words and actions of thieves and murderers over the government. You could never trust a criminal, no matter how convincing they might be. They were nothing but liars after all.
Sanji was moving as fast as he could without disturbing Raven. She hadn't woken up, and the longer they went, the more worried he became. The injury didn't look too serious from the outside, but you could never tell with abdominal gunshot wounds. She could be bleeding out internally, and they wouldn't know. He jostled down the steps, faintly hearing Nami yelling in the background. He could tell she was beyond angry. She must really be tearing into that cop. He hoped so.
He had just reached the bottom of the stairs, when someone jumped back in surprise. "Wow!" Franky backpedaled, taking a moment to see what was happening. He stared down at Sanji, and once he saw Raven's face Sanji saw the questions materialize in his eyes.
"I don't have the time to explain, you have to help me! We need to get her to Tony before it's too late." He leaned Raven forward, and Franky's eyes widened upon seeing the blood soaked towel. Without another word, Raven left Sanji's arms, and Franky was cradling her in his big arms. "You're the fastest, run ahead and tell the doc we're coming." Sanji nodded, racing away down the street.
"Franky!" The big man turned as Nami whipped around the corner. "Where's Sanji?" She asked, checking on Raven's wound. "I sent him ahead to warn the doc." Nami offered him a tired smile, "Thanks Franky." He only nodded, following Sanji down toward the doctor's place.
Sanji burst into the small room, scaring a small person off of the stool he was perched on. "Tony! We need your help! Someone's been shot!" The doctor growled as he pushed himself up, "How many times have I told you to call me Chopper! Now where's this person!" The bartender glanced back at Franky and Nami hurrying toward the small clinic. "She's coming, just a moment."
Chopper looked at him quizzically. "It's not that serious if she's walking here." Sanji groaned, "No, she's being carried here. Franky's bringing her." Chopper walked to his side and looked over at the approaching group. "Who is that? I don't recognize her." Sanji hesitated, "She's a friend from out of town, come to visit for a bit." He trusted the little doctor, but he didn't want to get him wrapped up in this whole scandal.
However, Chopper didn't seem to buy that. "A friend from out of town. Who's been shot." He gave Sanji a look, "You don't have to tell me who she is, but don't give me those lies." Sanji nodded down at the man. Chopper smiled, heading back inside to ready his clinic. Franky bustled through the door, his broad shoulders barely fitting. Raven's head rolled against his arm as she took a fitful breath. Chopper had him lay her down, where he quickly got to work.
He hopped up on his stool, instantly assessing the woman. Externally, she didn't look too bad, but he couldn't be sure how she was internally. Bullet wounds were always unpredictable. He carefully removed the various fabrics that had been pressed over her stomach. The wound wasn't too big, and looked like she had been shot at close range. "Franky, come help me for a moment." He had the big mechanic roll her over slightly. There was an exit hole. Good, the bullet had gone straight through her. Most definitely close range. At least he didn't have to go digging around for the bullet. But there was still a lot to do.
Chopper turned to the small crowd of people, "All of you, out." He shook his head at the instant protests, "She may require surgery, and I can't have any of you distracting me if that's necessary. Out!" The group complied, leaving the room.
Sanji pulled the door closed behind him, a heavy silence falling over the three of them. Nami leaned against the wall, sighing heavily. Sanji said nothing.
It was Franky who broke the silence. "So, anyone gonna tell me what she's doing here?" Nami glanced up at him but Sanji didn't move. Neither said anything. "Come on, someone tell me how a wanted criminal got here. That cop's somewhere around here, looking for her. Am I right in assuming that's how she got hit?" Sanji nodded without looking up. Franky watched his friend for a bit. The blond man looked so tired, and so worried. His bright eyes were abnormally shadowed and sad. And the motel owner, Nami, she looked the same. Some unfortunate atmosphere had settled on the two of them, and it seemed to revolve around that woman, Raven. She sounded like bad news to him, but he wasn't about to say anything. They both seemed to really care for her. It made him wonder-how long had she been in town? And what had happened while she had been here?
Sanji stared without seeing. His mind was a mess. Worry took center stage. Worry for the beautiful, selfless woman on the other side of the door. Worry for his darling Nami. Worry for this entire situation. He could feel the anxiety pressing against him in a flood that was barely held back by who knows what. He had to stay strong though. There was no way he was going to let Raven run off on her own now. And he figured Nami wasn't going to either. And if Nami went with her, then he had no choice but to go with them. He closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Sometimes, he hated the fact that he cared so much.
Nami felt like she wasn't really here. So much adrenaline and anger had been burning through her, and now she just felt so tired. She was worried, yeah. But it seemed so distant. She closed her eyes, resting her head on her knees. She had faith in the little doctor, so Raven's life wasn't in danger. Not anymore. She sighed internally. What was going to happen now? Depending on how bad Raven's wound was, she might not be able to fight off Zoro on her own. So Nami and Sanji had to be extra vigilant to keep her safe. She took a deep breath, letting her exhaustion wash her thoughts away. She would think about it later. She just needed a break.
The first thing she felt was the ache throbbing through her body. She felt stiff and a strange coldness settled on her. What had happened? Ah, that's right. She had gotten shot. She reached up slowly to rub her eyes. Pain rippled through her stomach, but it wasn't near as intense as she was expecting. "Hey, you probably shouldn't be moving yet! You're nowhere near fully healed." She startled at the sudden voice, and looked over to see a small man standing over her. He glanced up at her face, but turned his attention back to her stomach. "You're a doctor?" She asked quietly. He grinned, leaning back, "Yup. The name's Tony, but you can call me Chopper." She smiled, "So how are things looking, Dr. Chopper?" He blushed, giggling, "'Dr Chopper'! Saying that doesn't make me happy, you idiot!" He hopped off the stool he had been standing on, his laugh drifting back up as he scuttled around the room.
She laughed softly, but winced when the movement sent waves of pain across her core. "Where are the others?" The small doctor hopped back up to her side, a new roll of bandages in his hands. "What others? Oh, Sanji, Nami and Franky?" She frowned slightly. She wasn't sure who Franky was. "Yes. Are they all okay?" Chopper nodded as he motioned for her to sit up. "Yeah, they're just outside. As soon as I finish replacing this bandage, I'll go and get them if you'd like?" She nodded, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position with the doctor's help.
Nami jerked awake as a hand fell on her shoulder. Chopper gave her a smile. "She's awake now, and wants to see you." The ginger smiled, relief washing over her. If she was already awake, then that was a good sign. She pushed herself up, making her way inside where Sanji was already gushing over a tired looking Raven. The minute she walked inside, Raven's blue eyes met hers, and a genuine smile split her face. Nami blinked back tears, running to Raven's side.
A pure sense of relief and happiness flooded her, along with a small stab of pain, as Nami took her hands. The panic she had felt at the thought of losing her melted away at her friend's smile. "I'm so happy you're okay! I don't know what I would do if you weren't! Oh, Raven!" Nami slid her arms around her shoulders in a loose hug.
But Raven felt a twinge deep in her stomach. She gently pushed Nami back, "Actually, um-" She took a deep breath. "I have something I need to tell you. To tell all of you." She glance up at Sanji. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "My name…" It wasn't that big of a deal, it should be easy! Shouldn't it? "My name isn't Raven." She paused, waiting. No one said anything. "It's uh," She looks up at them, her eyes traveling between their faces. Sanji's eyes were wide and slightly confused, but waiting. Nami's eyes were unreadable, but she was watching her friend without judgement. She blinked, looking down at her hands in her lap.
"My name, my real name, is Robin. Nico Robin."
Oh my god, I'm so sorry I'm so late! There was next to no inspiration to write, so this chapter feels like it sucks compared to the others. I think I rewrote it at least 10 times, and I still hate it. Please tell me how you feel about this chapter! Not much is happening this chapter, but I'll try to make sure next week's update is a little more interesting.
Delnikita98: Thank you for the compliments, you make me blush x)
Why would Zoro shoot Nami? I tried to clear that up at the beginning of this chapter, not sure if I did a really good job though? He gets blinded by rage and gets a little too caught up in the moment.
I will definitely keep writing, so don't worry :D
Capritacorn: I really liked last chapter too. It was fun to write! Although this week's a little sketch :/ I'm working on getting the rest of the Strawhats in here, so no worries! They're coming too :P
Anyone: I am evil, I'm so sorry x( However, I am continuing! Slowly...but surely, we'll get there.
JJ: Last chapter was intense :0 Like omg, I surprised myself tbh. I always find myself going way into detail with fight scenes...it's kind of strange, but at least it makes them pretty good :D
Yeah, the separators makes it easier for me too, not really sure why I didn't use them earlier-but oh well, thanks for the suggestion.
Miitchan: (Loving the new name btw) Why did I do this? I don't know, I'm so sorry T-T Heh, SIKE NAH 'cause I gotta live with no regrets :P This chapter sucks, so sorry if I ruined it. Next week will be better, I hope :D
Newbee: (I love your name, it's so cute xD) I try to update every week, but uh...that doesn't always happen. I won't quit writing tho, so please stick around.
Thank you all so much for reading still! Much love for continuing to put up with me~
The last few weeks have been hectic with school starting. But now that it has, I've got the house to myself almost all day, so I should be able to get back to weekly updates again. Woohoo! I owe all of you if I don't keep that promise.