Two hours went by before Zoro and Luffy had run into a well-made up woman leaving her apartment. She was the only person that would listen past Luffy's initial declaration of, "We need help…" She unlocked her door and pushed it aside, letting the men enter first. She walked in behind them, her heels clacking against her tile, before locking the latch and taking a peek out the peephole.

"So…" the woman drawled, looking from Zoro to Luffy. "What's going on?"

"There's uh…" Luffy and Zoro exchanged a look.

"Look here, buckos." The woman said, leaning toward them with an imposing form. "If you think you're here to rob me, or worse, you've got another think coming…"

Zoro shook his head and Luffy nodded. Luffy cleared his throat, "Look, lady. I don't know how much you know, but we just need some place with a sturdy door for right now."

"Lady?" the woman laughed, throaty and full. "I've changed my mind. I trust you."

"Can you, uh, turn on the TV?" Zoro asked, turning toward her television. It was massive, sprawling nearly the entire length of her wall.

"Something you want to watch?" she mused, sitting on the arm of her elegant white sofa.

"The news." Zoro requested.

The woman was curvy and tall, a bit broad, and larger than both Zoro and Luffy. She wore heavy makeup, with long, false eyelashes. And when she leaned forward for the remote, her dress squeezed tight against her body; the hem sliding obscenely up her thigh. "Not the Fox news type, I hope…"

"Nah. I mean it doesn't matter. It should be on every station by now." Zoro answered, staring at the television impatiently.

"This is a message from the Emergency Alert System."

"What's this?" the woman breathed out, sliding off the arm of the sofa and onto the cushion. She crossed her legs at the ankle, resting her rather sizeable head on her large hands.

"The CDC and FEMA have released a joint message: Shelter in place. The office of the governor has issued an order. The state is now under martial law."

"What the firecracker?" the woman gasped, covering her mouth. Her face was hidden by long, painted nails. She stood up and crossed the room. She tore open the curtains, staring long and hard out the window.

"This is a message from the Emergency Alert System." The television repeated, beeping piercingly. "The CDC and FEMA have released a joint message: Shelter in place. The office of the governor has issued an order. The state is now under martial law."

"Change the channel, boy." The woman instructed Luffy, not unkindly. Luffy flipped through the channels, staying on each one long enough to hear the distressing beeps of the EAS. "Turn the flippin' thing off then."

"Well," the woman groaned, flopping into the nearest lounger. She covered her face with a muscled arm and for a moment Luffy thought she might have fainted. "I wasn't prepared for company."

"Thank you for letting us in." Zoro said, bowing his head politely. "We had to have knocked on a hundred doors before we came upon yours."

"Ah, yes, well," the woman smiled charmingly, throwing her arm wide in gesture. "This isn't the sort of place where you go around banging on doors."

"That's why I thought it'd be safe." Luffy added. "Didn't work out so well."

"Are you hungry?" the woman asked, sitting up. "I sure as frick can't cook, but I can microwave like a Queen."

"I could eat." Luffy said, nodding enthusiastically.

The woman nodded as she stood, her stiletto heels clicking across the floor. She squeezed Luffy's shoulder as she passed, making her way into her large, modern kitchen. She pulled a bag of pizza rolls from the freezer and dumped it on a fine China plate. She threw the plate it the microwave and pushed some buttons.

"That's probably way too long…" Zoro spoke up, grimacing slightly.

"I'll take it out when it starts sizzling." The woman replied, winking pointedly. She spun around in a tight circle, kicking open the refrigerator door. She bent over, her dress pulled tight across her ass. "Anything to drink?"

"Sure." Zoro said, looking down at his hands awkwardly.

"I have wine, champagne, spritzer, Schnapps, some vodka…" she bent lower. "And a Brita."

"No beer?" Zoro groaned, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Only the gluten free shiz," the woman rasped apologetically.

"Ugh, better than nothing, I guess." Zoro conceded.

"And you, boy?" the woman questioned, looking toward Luffy. "I don't have any milk… But I do have some orange juice. I was going to use it to make some mimosas on Sunday."

"I'll take the juice." Luffy murmured, staring expectantly at the microwave.

"You're hungry," the woman realized, following his gaze. "I'll stare at it, boy. That should make it all hot and steamy."

"Yeah, now that I'm not running I'm hungry too." Zoro realized, taking the beer the woman offered.

The woman waited in front of the microwave, resting her face on the smooth, marble countertop. Pizza rolls splattered the window of the microwave oven before she pulled them out. She carried the plate out, her hands covered with oven mitts. "Alright. They're as hot as Satan's vagina. Be careful."

Zoro nearly spit his beer out. He looked at her in shock before sharing a look with Luffy. She only smiled, sitting the plate of pizza rolls between the two men. "Think that's funny, do you?"

Zoro shrugged, focusing on the beer in his hands. But Luffy snickered, grabbing a pizza roll from the plate and popping it into his mouth. Steam poured out from between his teeth. He grimaced as he chewed, blowing on the hot food as best he could. "Yeah," Luffy said around a mouthful of lava-hot roll, "You're fun."

"The name's Iva." She said, extending her hand to Luffy for a handshake. She shook firmly and her hand was warm, comfortable. "Iva Emporio." Zoro finally managed to spit out his drink. He looked her up and down, his eyes wide. He reached out to shake her hand, and she obliged with a smile. "The name ring a bell?"

"I'm Zoro." Zoro introduced himself after clearing his throat.

"Do you know her?" Luffy asked, looking from Zoro to Iva curiously.

"Ah, well, I don't know her," Zoro explained. "I've just heard the name."

"I'm a bit famous." Iva said, waving her hand in front of her face. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. Ah, perhaps you're too young, huh, boy?" She leaned over, pinching Luffy's cheek softly. "And what's your name?"

"Luffy."

"Zoro and Luffy." Iva mused, sitting more comfortably in her chair. "Not the best names in the world… Are you attached to them? Can I change them or…?"

"We're not shelter dogs." Zoro snapped, finishing his beer.

"Fine. Keep your slave names." Iva declared, tossing her hands up in the air. "I'm evolved. I chose my own name."

"Can I be Josè?" Luffy asked.

"What? No! Don't get caught in her pace…" Zoro chastised.

Iva laughed, scrunching up her face in delight, "Fiddlesticks you're a cutie…"

"Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"Heck, both of you." Iva declared, clasping her hands together. Her smiled faded and she chewed on her lip before continuing, "Now listen, I have room here. And I have food for several days. If the power stays on, I imagine we'll be very comfortable."

"But?" Zoro interjected.

"But it appears that the fricking world is ending, honey." Iva explained. "And I don't know about you, but I can't stomach the thought of sitting up here all pretty and not doing a damn thing about it."

"Those people…" Luffy began slowly. "They're not regular people anymore. They're contagious. If you get bit…" Luffy paused, rubbing at his arm anxiously.

"It's hard to believe," Zoro admitted, "but people are eating people out there."

"We can only do what we can do," Iva decided with a nod. "But I still want to help. There will be people needing assistance in the next few days. And when it's safe for me, I'm going to help them."

"Sure." Zoro agreed, nodding his head. "And we'll help."

Luffy didn't respond. He grabbed a handful of pizza rolls and popped them into his mouth at once. He chewed rudely, his mind wandering. Zoro looked over at him and suddenly became curious. Did Luffy know something he wasn't telling him?

Zoro laughed at himself. He barely knew the guy. They met that fucking day. But Zoro stayed quiet. Luffy had saved him, probably twice. And despite how it originally appeared, Zoro was starting to think that Luffy chose him. Maybe it wasn't random that he plucked Zoro, and Zoro alone, out of the bar.

"And now for house rules," Iva announced, standing up for good measure. "Rule number one: No church songs." She mean-mugged Luffy and Zoro for effect. "Rule number two: No drugs unless you're sharing. Rule number three: No stealing any of my shiz. And rule number four: No frickle frackling in my house, boys."

"Frickle frackling?" Luffy asked, brows knit together in confusion.

"No buttering the bread." Iva countered.

"Huh?"

"No seeing a man about a dog." Iva clarified.

Zoro's face peeled back in horror, he hitched his thumb toward Luffy in disbelief. "Eh, what? No… No…"

"I don't care about your preferences Muscle Mary; I just want my bedsheets spared from the off-Broadway production of Oklahomo." Iva replied, using her hands as she spoke. "Okay? Okay."

"I met Luffy today." Zoro finally managed to squeak out. "You're misunderstanding things."

"I'm misunderstanding everything." Luffy admitted. "Do you have a dog or not?"

"There's no dog." Iva sighed. "I pay five thousand in rent. I'm not letting some little chi-weenie-doodle whizz all over my floors."

"That's too bad." Luffy groaned, stuffing more food into his mouth. "Dogs are better than people."

"I'm going to turn the television back on," Zoro said, "if that's alright with you."

"It's fine. Knock yourself out." Iva allowed. "I'm going to go take a bath." She stood, sweeping her arm in gesture, "If you need me, bring wine."

"She's nice." Luffy commented, once she'd disappeared into her bedroom.

"I guess." Zoro replied, shrugging noncommittally.

"I mean, she'd be nicer if she had a dog." Luffy added before gulping down his orange juice. "But she's nice."

"Are we staying here?" Zoro asked, grabbing a pizza roll before Luffy could finish them off.

"I need to sleep." Luffy said, plucking the last roll from the plate. "So, I guess, for now, yes. We're staying here."

"Alright." Zoro said, nodding. "Let's sleep then."

"I meant it when I said that I really don't know what I'm doing." Luffy maintained.

Zoro nodded, "Yeah. I know."

"I could get us killed tomorrow." Luffy continued. "Hell, I could get us killed today."

"I won't take it personal." Zoro said simply. He stood up, offering his hand to Luffy. "I'll watch your back, if you watch mine. Deal?"

Luffy smiled, "Deal."

….

"Luffy, wake up."

"Luffy!"

Luffy startled awake, a blinding grogginess still lingering over his senses. He lurched forward, grabbing Zoro's shoulders tightly, "What is it?"

"The fire alarm." Zoro explained.

"Oh, that? I know. It's been going off for a while now…" Luffy muttered, settling back down against the bed.

"Luffy, yeah it has… That's the problem…" Zoro snapped, shaking Luffy roughly.

"Just pick him up, Muscles," Iva ordered. "He can't weigh much of anything."

"Luffy," Zoro muttered, his head pressed against Luffy's. "The building is on fire."

Luffy's eyes opened. He rolled out of bed, his loose pants falling down on his hips. He grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulders. He ran into the bathroom, pulling the fancy, monogrammed hand towels off the rack. He soaked them with water before handing them to Zoro and Iva, "breathe through these."

"Here." Zoro said, handing Luffy his bat. "I'll go first."

"Let me." Luffy insisted, pushing ahead of Iva and Zoro. He reached the backside of his hand out, placing it cautiously against the doorknob. He twisted the cool metal, sliding the bolt and latch, and opened the door.

"Is it clear?" Iva asked, craning her head for a better view.

Luffy rested the bat between his legs as he wrapped the wet towel around his face. He nodded, "I think so."

"The stairs are at the end of the hall." Iva directed, pointing a painted finger.

Luffy stepped into the hall, Iva following after, with Zoro at the rear. Luffy moved quickly, the bat held tightly in both his hands. He ran strangely, almost sideways, down the hall. He paused at the intersection of halls, peering around the corners cautiously. Satisfied, he stepped forward, testing the door handle to the stairwell.

He pulled the heavy metal door open; smoke billowed out in a gust of thick air. Luffy made a noise, "Fuck."

"You got your keycard?" Zoro asked, eyeing Iva expectantly.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Iva murmured, opening her small, designer clutch.

"No. The elevators make too much noise." Luffy argued. "We should take the stairs down as far as we can. Then use the escalator. Hopefully the second floor isn't on fire too."

"But if we get in the stairwell, we're stuck in the stairwell." Zoro disputed. "If we're out in the open we have more opportunities for cover."

Luffy and Zoro gazed at each other for a long moment. Zoro pulled a coin from his pocket, "Heads or tails?"

"Tails." Luffy replied, watching Zoro with interest.

Zoro tossed the coin in the air but before he could catch it, Iva snatched it out of the air. "These heels are sex itself. But they are not made to trek down twenty stories of stairs." Iva chimed. "We're taking the elevator." She leaned down to glare exaggeratedly at both the men, "And why exactly didn't I get a vote in the first place?"

"My bad." Luffy murmured.

Iva handed Zoro his coin back and turned, giving a dramatic swish. "This way to the elevators, boys."

"Hey, wait…" Luffy protested. "Let one of us go first."

"I'll have you know that I'm a purple belt in Ju Jitsu." Iva declared, smacking at Luffy with her clutch.

"Is there a lot of biting in Ju Jitsu?" Zoro grunted.

"No, but there's a lot of biting in my social life." Iva remarked, winking pointedly.

"Anyway, let me go first." Luffy breathed out, walking quickly down the hall. "Nothing personal."

"By all means, Luffy-boy," Iva sighed in resignation. "Just be careful darling. I never finished nursing school." Iva seemed determined to fill the silence, "I don't suppose either of you are doctors or anything…"

"Nope," Zoro said flatly. "I'm just a fucking bartender."

"What about you?" Iva questioned, squeezing Luffy's shoulder.

"I'm no doctor." Luffy answered, snickering.

"Are you at least in the smart kid classes at school?" Iva teased, nearly bumping into the back of Luffy as he suddenly stopped.

"Shhh…" Luffy breathed out, pressing his finger to his lips.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Iva joked, nudging Zoro.

Luffy's face was stern, his eyes dark and narrowed, as he silently mouthed, "Shut the hell up."

There was a deep groan. Someone was shuffling down the hall. The agonized moans of the person approaching made the hair on the back of Zoro's neck stand up. A moment later the man turned the corner. He staggered toward them, lifting his head slowly. It was obvious when he finally saw them standing there. His eyes bulged and his mouth opened. His arms reached out, his fingers curling like claws. He began to run, a vicious shriek escaping his lips.

"Shit!" Zoro spat. "He's too loud."

Luffy didn't hesitate, he rushed head-on. He swung the bat once, smashing the man's head and driving it into the wall beside them. The man crumbled, blood pouring from his shattered skull. "We need to hurry. No way no one heard that."

"Maybe we should just go back to my apartment…" Iva suggested, running behind Luffy. She moved quickly, even in her stilettos. She was determined to stay safely between the two men

"I'm not fire proof." Luffy replied, looking toward Iva and Zoro. "Are you?"

"Nah." Zoro said, biting his bottom lip. "I sure ain't."

"I'm not bite-proof either." Iva groaned, gesturing down her body. "I have over six feet of Iva that some psycho could try to take a nibble of…"

"Even if it wasn't on fire," Luffy explained, dragging his bloodied bat along the carpet. He wiped the blood and hair off quickly, without even slowing his pace. "We can't stay in one place for long."

"And why not?" Iva questioned.

"They broke in here didn't they?" Luffy murmured, peering around a corner before continuing. "And then they made it upstairs…" Luffy raised his bat as a woman bounded toward them. He struck her lower than he intended, spinning her head around to the other side. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know." Iva groaned, stepping over the dead woman. "Why do they do anything?"

"They're spreading." Zoro said, pressing the elevator button repeatedly. "Recruiting, I guess…"

"That's messed up." Iva sighed.

"Got that keycard?" Luffy asked.

Iva nodded, she dug through her clutch, "Right here, honey." The elevator pinged and Iva sighed in relief, waving the card at Luffy, "Finally."

The doors opened and without warning people were tearing at them. Luffy swung his bat, but he didn't have enough room to put any power behind it. He elbowed his attacker, slamming them into the wall. He dropped down on their chest, using his knee to choke them. But it was no good. He cursed loudly, forcing his weight off his other leg. He jumped slightly; bring his other foot directly down on his attackers head. He bounced repeatedly until he felt a sickening crunch beneath his foot.

He couldn't catch his breath before another man attacked. He rolled across the ground, springing for his abandoned bat. He wasn't close enough to reach and he had teeth inches from his cheek. There was a sudden bang and the man dropped dead. Luffy climbed to his feet, staring from Iva and her gun to the dead man. "Thanks."

"Sure." Iva breathed heavily, nodding.

"Let's go." Zoro barked, dragging Luffy by his hood into the elevator. He grabbed Iva around the waist, pulling her inside. "We've got company…" Zoro breathed out, pressing the 'doors close' button in rapid-fire secession. The door closed with no time to spare.

"Wouldn't it be funny," Iva laughed nervously, placing her keycard in the slot. "If I had dropped this little thing…"

"Go to the second floor." Luffy suggested, closing his eyes.

"I don't know if I'm ready." Iva admitted, struggling to catch her breath.

"Third floor then." Zoro suggested, punching the button.

"Boys," Iva chuckled, throaty and low. "I was not prepared for this kind of day."

"Me neither." Zoro agreed, tightening his hold on his bat.

"There's a cute little restaurant, down by the wharfs," Iva began. "There's this boy there. Oooh, he's sweet on me, I just know it…" Iva paused to take a deep breath. "I never had the courage before… But I think… I think I might… just… tell… him…"

"Hey," Zoro grunted, steadying Iva. "You okay?"

"Boys," Iva whispered, eyeing the floor counter. "When the elevator stops, and the doors open… run…"

"Iva?" Luffy spoke quietly, tugging at her arm unsurely. His hand came back wet and warm, his palm stained crimson. "Hey, hey, Iva! Iva! Are you hurt?"

"Sorry," Iva muttered, her skin blanching. "Boys, I'm just not feeling well."

The elevator pinged loudly. The doors opened. Blood was smeared across every surface. It soaked into the carpet and pooled on the marble floor. A group of battered people stood a few yards from the elevator, between the escalators.

Iva stepped out, swinging her clutch wildly. She kicked her shoes off, stumbling weakly before righting herself. "So long, boys," she called out charging toward the escalators.

"Wait, Iva!" Luffy shouted. "You could be fine… Wait…"

"Come on," Zoro barked, yanking Luffy from the elevator.

"Iva-" Luffy's cry was silenced by Zoro's hand. He struggled only a moment before giving in. He nodded and followed Zoro silently to the down escalator. He ignored the shrieks of the people. He ignored Iva's delirious exclamations as she pranced up the escalator to her death.

"We have to stay quiet." Zoro breathed out, backing slowly toward the stairwell.

Once in the stairwell, Luffy and Zoro bolted down the stairs. Smoke choked them, nearly suffocating them before they could make it to first floor. "These stairs keep going," Luffy realized.

"Yeah," Zoro answered. "Parking garage."

"Holy shit. Yeah?" Luffy rubbed his face, relief evident on his features.

"Do you know how to hotwire or something?" Zoro asked, shaking his head unsurely.

Luffy nodded, "Yep."

"Hurry," Zoro barked. "Before we asphyxiate in this fucking place."

Luffy hesitated, looking up the stairwell, "You don't think she…"

Zoro shook his head, starting back down the stairs. "Nah, man. I don't."

"Zoro," Luffy said softly, tugging at Zoro's shirt. "Don't get bit."

"Yeah, I'm not planning on it." Zoro huffed. "And you too. Don't you go fucking crazy on me."

Luffy smiled, a peculiar, almost guilty smile, "No promises."