AN: sorry for the late posting guys.... i almost broke my hand this weekend. hurts to type.
Chapter 2
He had called the detective working the case last night and the man had quickly gotten him into another safe house. This time supposedly, no one but the detective, two guards and the Police Chief would know where he was. Last time there had been a few more officers involved and it was rumored that a possible leak might have been found. This constant threat on his life was beginning to grow old. He needed normalcy in the form of good food, a firm bed and a soft, supple woman. Right now, he would settle for just a decent meal. Didn't these guys know anything other than pizza and Chinese takeout?
"Hey Sonny!" one of the guards called out.
"For the last time my name isn't fucking Sonny, shithead!" he yelled back. Detective Smoker had thought it funny to call him that when introducing him to the guards and somehow it stuck.
"Ya, well just in case someone is listening in to our conversations, maybe it's best that we keep calling you that anyway" the guard argued as he walked down the hall towards the back bedroom. "Sonny" was sitting on the bed looking through the newspaper with a deep scowl on his face. "Here, a package came for you."
Sonny looked at him quizzically for a moment before speaking. "Where'd you get it?"
"The detective dropped it off. He said you'd know who it was from." The guard tossed the large brown envelope onto the bed beside Sonny and walked away mumbling about prissy little bitch witnesses.
Sonny eyed the package cautiously and wondered if the slight bulge in it was the components of a bomb or possibly a tape recorder with a message saying that he'd been found again. Curiosity getting the better of him, Sonny reached for it just as it started to vibrate and let out a slightly undignified squeak as he jumped off the bed. The vibrating stopped for a moment before it started back up again. This time he was prepared for it. Slowly he picked up the corner of the envelope and let out a huge sigh of relief when the flap opened and a slim cell phone fell out. Again the vibrating stopped for a short time before resuming. Sonny picked it up and saw the caller ID said INFO. Maybe that was a hint that he was getting information. With more confidence than he felt, he pushed the call button.
"Hello?"
oOoOoOo
Zoro had promised to join Kokoro for dinner the following evening when he'd left the night before. Stan Iceburg and "Franky" Cutty Flam would be there as well so Zoro knew he'd better be prepared for a competition of some sort to occur. During one of their nightly talks, Kokoro had told Zoro the story of how those two misfits had become family. Apparently Zoro wasn't the only one who had been adopted against his will. The two men had been hired as apprentices by her employer, Tom, when they were still in school. Kokoro was Tom's secretary and instantly took to mothering the boys since they seemed to both lack any parental figure in their lives. Tom saw potential in both Franky and Iceburg, and did his best to keep them out of trouble, though trouble seemed to follow Franky no matter what.
Years ago, when Tom took the blame for one of Franky's pranks, the two boys split and rarely spoke to each other. It took Tom's death, a sudden fatal heart attack, to get them to sit down together again. It was a major effort on both their parts to put aside their differences and forgive not only each other but also themselves. Now, Zoro helped to play mediator and often referee during their mini-wars.
After another boring day at the dojo watching old men and women practice tai-chi, and instructing over arrogant, hormonal young males to beat the crap out of someone smaller and weaker than them, Zoro was more than ready to head home. He contemplated teaching a small kid to kick one of the fucker's asses and laughing while he watched. At least it would be more fun and he could actually teach to his full extent rather than hold back the good moves, knowing that the undisciplined idiots would abuse the power. Zoro didn't need another version of himself running around.
As he showered, Zoro thought ahead to the plan for tomorrow night. He had already taken out his swords and polished them (though he wasn't sure he would actually need them), dug out his old boots and black pants, restocked the medical supplies both under the sink and in his car, so what was he forgetting? Zoro cursed loudly when he realized he had forgotten the most important thing of all. The entry fee! Fuck, there was no way he could come up with five grand by then on his own. He doubted Smoker would front him the money this time since the detective had prohibited him from looking into things. He had just paid off his last debt (at least ten times over by his account) so borrowing from the same people would be his last resort. Zoro tried to count up in his mind what he had left and kept stumbling over numbers. The shower knob was turned off brutally, and Zoro didn't bother with a towel as he stomped into his room to begin tallying just how short he was.
After searching the pockets of every pair of pants he could find, checking all three of his jackets, digging around under the bed, looking beneath the couch cushions, and remembering a few wads of money that had been stashed in the cups of some random trophies, Zoro sat on the floor by his workout equipment to add everything up. Four thousand two hundred eighty-seven dollars. Had he not taken care of Auntie's rent for her, he would have had just enough. Zoro leaned his head back on the padded bench and groaned loudly in frustration. If it wasn't one thing holding him back it was another. Maybe he could make a bet with Franky tonight and win what he needed. They'd have to do it out of Kokoro's hearing, but that might work. The plan of action rolling around in his head, Zoro headed to his bedroom to get dressed.
oOoOoOo
Dinner was a circus as usual with three competitive men at the table. Afterwards, they all sat around the living room nursing full stomachs and sighing contentedly. Chimney quickly grew bored with braiding Franky's hair and moved on to assault her other uncle with questions about Tyrannosaurs, Iceburg's pet mouse. Zoro hurried off to help Kokoro with the dishes, knowing that he was next in line for her attention. He found his Auntie humming softly as she worked and joined her at the sink.
"Now what are you doing in here with me rather than relaxing with your friends?" she joked with him.
"The little monster had made her way through the other two. I knew I was next… Preventative measures," he answered honestly.
"That little girl adores you, you know. She couldn't stop talking about the way you came to save her and the other children last night. All of the kids in her class don't believe her though and she came home crying. It's a shame that she doesn't go to the same school as some of the kids that live in this building."
"That's right, she got a scholarship or something to that private school this year." Zoro remembered last fall how excited Chimney had been about going to the all girls' school. "Personally I can't see how anyone would like being shoved into the same role as everyone else. Forced to wear the same clothes, think a certain way, no chance to find your own place in the world."
"Hmmmm. Sounds like you have some experience there." Kokoro dried her hands off on the towel Zoro offered. "Maybe she could learn something from you."
Zoro chuckled and patted the old woman lightly on the back as they walked into the living room to join the others. They found Franky flat on the floor claiming to be invincible to any harm, until Chimney jumped off the back of the couch and landed right on his crotch. The now crying man had curled into a ball, clutching his abused manhood. Chimney sat by looking triumphant, a smug smile on her dirty face. Before anyone could say anything, Kokoro put a hand to her chest and gasped for breath. She immediately began coughing, almost doubling over and holding a hand to her mouth. Kokoro waved everyone off when they came running to her side, Zoro putting a hand on her shoulder to try to turn her around.
"No, no, I'm alright." The old woman wiped her hand across her mouth and shakily straightened. "I just need to get a drink of water."
Iceburg hurried to the kitchen while Franky helped his foster mother to a chair. Zoro looked to Chimney's concerned face and decided that maybe it was time for her to head to bed. No one noticed Kokoro unobtrusively wipe her red tinged hand on her black slacks.
"Come on. You've got school tomorrow." Zoro nudged the little girl down the hall.
"Will Grams be ok?" Chimney asked, her small hand forcing its way into a large calloused one.
"She's a tough old goat." Zoro grinned when Chimney giggled at his analogy. "Franky and Iceburg will see that she gets what she needs."
"While you take care of me?" she chimed in.
"Um, yah. I guess so." Zoro shrugged his shoulders. He tried to slide out of her grasp, but the little angel tightened her grip even further. She pulled him into her room and began searching through the top drawer of her dresser. A simple nightgown was taken out and laid on the end of her bed, before she turned to Zoro and held her arms up expectantly. He blinked a few times in confusion and then shrugged his shoulders again. "What?"
The little girl began giggling. "You're supposed to help me get ready for bed."
Zoro looked between her smiling face and the pink satin garment, the details of what she was insinuating finally coming to light. Zoro shook his head no and began to slowly retreat. "Oh no, I don't think so."
Chimney's arms lowered slowly and tears began to well up in her eyes as she watched one of her favorite people back away. The second her bottom lip started quivering, any ounce of masculine pride Zoro had previously held onto flew out the window and he suddenly felt like the biggest asshole in the world.
"I understand. I'll go ask Uncle Franky to help me," she said tearfully and started to walk around the tall man so she could go out the door. Chimney stopped and looked up at Zoro when he placed his hand gently on her shoulder.
"Che, come here." Zoro guided her back to stand by the bed and knelt down in front of her. "Put your arms up again."
The smile instantly returned and Chimney threw her arms in the air. Zoro hesitantly grabbed the bottom of her jumper and pulled it up over her head, his cheeks warming in embarrassment at seeing her in just her panties and a cotton button-down shirt. Turning away to give her at least a little privacy, Zoro waited for further requests for help. After a moment, all he heard were her small grunts and shuffling of feet. Taking a deep breath, Zoro turned around to see what the problem was. Chimney had gotten her shirt off just fine but was currently tangled in her nightgown; one hand through a sleeve and the other arm tangled somewhere in the folds of fabric around her head. Zoro tried to stifle the laughter but ended up snickering anyway, the small sound apparently reaching little ears.
"It's not funny!" she cried, stomping her foot, but soon her own giggling chimed in. After another minute of struggling, she sighed dramatically. "You know, you could help me."
Zoro grabbed the ruffled hem and gave it a firm tug, watching her blonde pigtails bounce as soon as her head was free. She launched herself at her helper and wrapped her arms tightly around Zoro's neck. A little reluctantly, Zoro returned the hug, praying that no one came down the hall and saw. He might have stopped attempting to slice people in half on a daily basis, but that didn't mean that he had gone soft. Caving in to a woman's (little girl's) desires was a definite sign of weakness in his book. He should stand firm, be strong, never waver, have a will of iron…
"Thank you, Zoro. I love you."
…fuck.
oOoOoOo
Back down the in the living room, Kokoro was arguing with her boys about the state of her health. They both looked doubtful that the story she had just spieled held an ounce of truth to it, but held their final verdict until the information could be verified. Franky leaned against the half wall leading into the kitchen, drinking a bottle of cola while Iceburg sipped his gin and tonic. Kokoro had her own scotch in hand as she narrowed her eyes at the meddling men.
"Well, if you would come visit more often you would know what is going on here," she argued. "I would have called if it was necessary, but at least Zoro was there to take care of me."
Her guilt trip hit both of her children hard, each knowing that they had neglected their duties and shame etched itself clearly on their faces. Franky's hair seemed to fall slightly with his mood and the few braids still intact from his beauty makeover hung in his eyes as his shoulders slumped. Iceburg swirled the ice in his drink, his eyes unfocused on the clear liquid as he drummed his fingers on the padded arm of the chair. Kokoro shook her head at their stubbornness and decided to call it a night. Her bare feet padded softly on the linoleum as she crossed the kitchen and placed her empty glass in the sink. The sound of her door closing echoed down the hall to the silent room. Neither Iceburg nor Franky could meet Zoro's questioning gaze when he entered the room a few minutes later. Zoro stood there looking back and forth between them, unsure what had happened and who to begin asking. Finally, the large mechanic broke the spell.
"Zoro-bro, we'll get you the money back. Just come by the shop tomorrow. It was really super of you to do that for Ma." Franky rubbed the back of his head in thought. "Hey, just where did you get that anyway? Last I heard from Paulie was that you were still paying Nami back."
"Fucking witch, I paid her back more than enough," Zoro grumbled as he shoved his way past the large man to get his own drink from the fridge. "She probably had to collect all that interest to pay off the idiot's debts."
"Nmaa, and she's always coming in and taking Paulie away from work. I hate it when he leaves. Kalifa never lets me leave early," Iceburg said sullenly, slouching down in his chair and pouting.
"She comes in and grabs Robin whenever she wants too. Be careful, Zoro-bro, if you ever find a woman to put up with you, Nami'll probably do the same thing to you," Franky nodded knowingly as he joined Iceburg, sitting in one of the more comfortable chairs.
"I need a woman like you need another pair of Speedos," Zoro countered and handed the large man another bottle of pop.
"Oh come on now! Seriously, when was the last time you got laid? A month ago? A year? I haven't seen you with anyone in forever." Franky tried to smile, but the underlying concern couldn't be kept out of his voice. "Sex keeps a man healthy. Look at me, I haven't been sick all winter. You know why? Because I have a beautiful woman at home to keep me satisfied."
"Every time I suggest something Kalifa accuses me of sexual harassment, even when we are at home together. Nmaa, everything is under her terms and it's not fair." Iceburg leaned his head back against the chair and began digging in his ear with his pinky.
Zoro stood there staring at the man for a moment before shaking his head dismissively. Here sat one of the most respected politicians in the city, acting like a petulant child. It was a good thing that he had that wife of his, else Iceburg would have thrown away all of his good fortune to play cards with his workers. Zoro flopped down on the couch and stretched his legs out in front of him.
'It has been a while,' Zoro thought to himself as he sipped on his beer. He briefly wondered if he should take up one of the many offers he'd received.
All further musing was cut short by the noisy belch that came from Franky, who grinned smugly when both men stared at him wide eyed. Zoro smacked himself in the forehead with his palm, chuckling at the childish action. Another burp, this one slightly louder though not as long, and the contest was on. Back and forth they went, neither bothering to keep their voices down so as to not wake the sleeping ladies down the hall. Zoro sat by, drinking his beer and wondering how much longer they could keep this up before Kokoro came and threw them out. Finally, Iceburg gulped down the last of his drink and sat forward, projecting the crude sound from deep within his gut.
"Oh good one, Idiot-burg!" Franky laughed and slapped his foster brother on the shoulder. The large man stood up and took a deep breath, the resulting burp lasting for at least ten full seconds.
"Like that should even count. Nma, it's all that soda you've been drinking." Iceburg got to his feet as well and turned his back to Franky. Just as the mechanic opened his mouth to argue, a loud, deep, rumbling belch began. Both men turned to watch Zoro sprawled lazily across the couch, mouth open wide, and a satisfied gleam in his eye. By the time he was done, both Franky and Iceburg had dropped dejectedly back in their seats.
oOoOoOo
Mozu and Kiwi smiled sweetly at Zoro as he walked by the service counter and into the bay area of Franky's repair shop the next morning, both commenting on how they loved his hair when it hung loosely down his back. Zoro managed to actually blush a little and mumble a thank you as he searched out the owner of the shop.
The vehicles dotting the interior ranged from a small scooter to a diesel truck, though the most magnificent work was sealed off by heavy plastic curtains to keep the grease out. Franky was one of the few known shipbuilders that actually hand shaped the wood for his creations, and rarely offered his services to anyone. Currently, the mechanic was working on a beautiful yacht that would be entered in the local regatta at the end of the coming summer. A smile came to Zoro's face as he caught a glimpse of the sunburst shaped lion's head that his friend had insisted on using as the figurehead. It was actually Luffy that had commissioned the boat, something about wanting to sail the high seas like during the age of pirates, but Franky insisted on drawing up the plans himself. Often Zoro wondered where they had gotten the money to do something like that and quickly realized that maybe he was better off not knowing. Now, here the ship sat, almost finished and truly a beautiful work of craftsmanship.
"Yo, Franky! Where're you at Cyborg," Zoro called out as he crossed the shop floor, the nickname striking a cord within the person it was directed at.
"Cyborg? Not yet man. If I could find a way to replace a few of my body parts with working metal machines though I would!" Franky's laughter echoed from under the hood of an old panel wagon. "Did you bring me lunch?"
Zoro began rummaging around the parts lying on a rolling workbench, seeing if he could find anything of interest. "No, but it looks like your sisters are up there taking orders. You might want to hurry up and catch them before they leave or you'll be stuck with some tofu-bean-sprout shit."
Franky dropped the wrench he was using and took off, his greasy hands having difficulty turning the knob, leaving the mechanic to bang loudly on the door as he shouted for someone to open it. A few minutes later he returned, satisfied and with two sodas. "You know you're not going to find your part just lying around. Usually when I get something shipped in, it comes in a box. Try looking for one that says 'Edelbrock.'"
Zoro took the offered drink and looked in the direction Franky was pointing. "Thanks. Hey, I thought I noticed Paulie leaving here when I pulled in, but he was gone before I got out of the car."
"Yah, Iceburg-bro sent him over to drop off this for you." Franky reached in to his coveralls and pulled out two white envelopes, not seeming to notice the amount of grime he was leaving all over the paper. "Mine' s there too. We decided to split the cost, since we were both at fault."
Zoro took the envelopes but waved off the excuse. He ambled over to the table he knew held all the shipping and receiving, intent on finding his part and getting out of here. There were still lots of things to do and Zoro had promised someone they would meet up for dinner tonight before he had to disappear for a few hours.
"Hey, Zoro-bro," Franky hollered out just as Zoro had reached the office door. "If you'll leave that here and give me the keys to your car, I can have it ready for you by morning."
Zoro tilted his head to the side as he thought about the offer. "What am I gonna drive?"
Franky grinned big and pointed to the beautiful yellow Hummer sitting by the rolling door. "Just don't get any blood on the seats, alright?"
Zoro's maniacal grin spread wide across his face as he dug deep in his pocket for the keys to his old GTO. Franky knew what a privilege it was to be allowed to ride in the vehicle let alone drive it, and the blue-haired mechanic was only one of three people alive to ever do so; the third being Smoker. It was for this reason that he trusted Zoro with the brand new piece of machinery that Robin had just purchased a few weeks ago.
Zoro threw up a hand in understanding and ran to climb in to the pristine cab. The strong smell of 'new' still clung to everything and made Zoro's nose twitch. Ignoring it for now, Zoro buckled in and revved the engine as he watched Zambi, one of the other mechanics hesitantly open the door for him to leave. As soon as he had clearance, Zoro hit the gas, leaving long strips of black on the cement.
"Leave me some tread, idiot!" Franky yelled after him, knowing that Zoro tended to disregard the brakes when rounding corners and laying on them too heavy when needing to come to a sudden stop.
Pulling up alongside his car, the thrill of pissing Franky off gone, Zoro parked the borrowed SUV. He quickly gathered his things from the GTO, stowing the swords and his other belongings in the hidden compartment below the rear seat before driving to the pricy café across town. He would get there on time for once, with the help of the fake cheerful tone that emitted from the GPS built into the dash. Zoro couldn't wait to see the look on Smoker's face when he arrived before the detective… or at least Zoro would have preferred to see that look compared to the face he was staring at right now, partly hidden by the newspaper.
"Is something wrong?" he asked of the person sitting at the booth.
A startled jerk sent silverware flying off the table and spilled coffee everywhere. "Oh, Zoro, I didn't hear you come in. Oh, um…. Oops. Here let me grab that."
Zoro groaned as he watched Tashigi fumble to put her glasses right on her face and clean up the mess at the same time. Caught between pity and anger, he settled for exasperation and signaled for a waitress to bring a towel. When the spill had been cleared and a new cup of coffee brought out, Zoro sat down across from the woman and ordered a cup of green tea.
"I take it there's a reason you're here instead." Zoro didn't bother holding back the bitterness in his voice. It was no secret that the two of them had no love for each other.
"Yes. Smoker said that he was supposed to meet you, but was held up in meetings again. He wanted me to come here and have dinner with you so you would be sure to stay out of trouble. It's not exactly my idea of fun to be stuck here with you either. I have much better things to do with my time than babysit a hotheaded ex-con."
"I'm not a fucking con. The only time I've done is an overnight or two for a bar fight." Zoro's voice dripped with malice as he barely held his temper in check.
"Only because you haven't been caught. I've heard rumors about you and your fights. They call you a demon swordsman. No man like yourself should be allowed to roam freely with a weapon, and how you've gotten this far is beyond me." Tashigi pulled off her glasses as she lifted herself out of her seat slightly to loom over Zoro across the table.
Zoro turned away from the sight, still not able to get over the eerie resemblance between the officer and his deceased girlfriend. The action only served to further fuel Tashigi's annoyance at the situation. She reached out, grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward, making his head snap around to face her at the same time. The stayed there, nose to nose, a look of fury on Tashigi's face and wary discomfort on Zoro's, until a loud clearing of someone's throat broke the spell.
"Sir?! I'm sorry, I was just-"
"Save it Tashigi," Smoker cut her off. "I need to talk to my God-son alone."
God-son… so that's what Smoker had told everyone. Zoro idly wondered if it was true.
"Of course, Smoker. I'll just see you in the office tomorrow." Tashigi gathered up her jacket and reading material, bowing her head slightly as she walked past her commanding officer. "Good evening, sir."
"Hn." Smoker's condescending glare was still fixed on the back of Zoro's head as the younger man had chose to begin lightly banging his forehead on the tabletop. "Knock it off brat. We need to talk."
Zoro immediately snapped up and shrugged out of his jacket, sensing that they might be here for a while. A fresh cup of coffee was set down in front of the detective and a plate of warm biscuits between the two men, both digging in immediately. Per the norm, they ordered their meals and ate in relative silence, not wanting anything to distract them once it came time to get to business. Zoro finished first and excused himself to the restroom. By the time he returned, Smoker had already had the table cleared and was working on lighting a cigar. So far, they had continued to find places to meet that still allowed smoking, or Zoro would have found himself out in the cold on many nights. Smoker without his cigar was not a pretty sight.
Unobtrusively, Smoker checked the room, looking for any signs that they were being watched. "We had another witness attacked yesterday. I only have one left, and he's barely been able to survive by the skin of his teeth. I want you to be extra careful and lay low for a few days. I don't know how they're getting a hold of our witnesses, but if they decide to branch out to our informants you can be sure that you'll make the list." Smoker narrowed his gaze at Zoro and put his cigar back between his teeth. "You listening to me brat? Stay out of it. You haven't been in the circuit for over a year now. A fight here and there doesn't count."
"I'm good. Daz Bones stops by every so often to spar and I'm still working towards beating Mihawk." Smoker chuckled at the last name, earning him a warning glare as Zoro continued. "I'm not a little kid that needs to be looked after. Besides, I've lived through worse than a simple gunshot."
Smoker frowned, knowing that he might as well be blowing spit bubbles instead of trying to reason with this idiot. He just hoped that Zoro was as good as he said. "I can't spare anyone to watch your back right now. I know that you'll probably ignore everything I've said and do what you want, but remember I can't save your ass if you screw up."
"Then I'll make sure that I don't," Zoro stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
Smoker sighed heavily and began rubbing the bridge of his nose, hoping to ease the headache that had started. "I already have a man deep inside, so lay off the vigilante shit."
"You gonna let me know who he is just so I don't accidentally kill him?" Zoro joked in a half serious tone.
"I'd be glad to, if only I knew myself," Smoker replied honestly, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. He noticed a few ladies watching their table, all of them turning away blushing when he met their gaze. Knowing he was taking a risk, Smoker decided to go ahead and give Zoro as much information as he had on the informant, which sadly wasn't much. "He just started helping with my last witness. He calls when the safe house location has been found and gives my guy just enough time to escape. Fucking asshole won't tell us how he knows or how the witnesses are being found. He won't even give us a heads up with any of the other people in protective custody. Just this one."
"Someone special, huh?" The whole situation had Zoro's interest piqued. One witness out of a hundred being protected by a man inside the group doing the assassinating; it didn't make sense.
"I have no idea," Smoker's eyes were fixed on something towards the door and the strength in which he bit his cigar had increased tenfold. Whatever was behind Zoro had put the detective on edge. "Watch yourself out there. I lost my best friend too soon in life; I don't need to lose his son the same way."
Zoro was shocked at the unusual show of concern, yet nodded in understanding just the same as he fought the urge to turn around. A distinct laughter near the entrance filtered through the room, causing the hair on the back of Zoro's neck to stand up and sent shivers down his spine. Smoker smashed a foot down on Zoro's when the younger man made to get up from his seat. They shared evil glares over the table, Zoro's more of a snarl than anything.
"Ah, Detective, so nice to see you! Ki shi shi shi."
"I wish I could say the same, Moria." Smoker didn't bother to hide his disgust while speaking with the suspected crime lord, unknowingly grinding his heel further into the top of Zoro's foot.
"And here I had thought we were making progress. Perhaps it's because I've interrupted your date, ki shi shi shi." Moria picked up a lock of Zoro's loose hair, playing with the thick coarse strand as he spoke. "My dear, why don't you come join me this evening? I'm sure you would much prefer the lively atmosphere over this depressing mood."
Fire burned deep in Zoro's eyes as he turned his head to stare at the individual responsible for the mistreatment of his now painful foot. Moria's shocked face was almost worth it as realization set in that the long haired exotic beauty sitting with Smoker had been not a lady, but a very pissed off young man who looked like he was about to slide a knife into Moria's neck.
"I was just leaving." Zoro jerked his foot out from under Smoker's heel, causing the detective to shift heavily in his seat and grip the edge of the table. "Goodnight, Detective."
Smoker took the cue and nodded dismissively to him before turning his attention back to the intruding man. "Was there a reason you ran him off?"
"Ki shi shi shi, you should smile more Detective. You never know what life will deal you next." Moria's laughter filled the restaurant as he waddled off to his waiting table, leaving Smoker to brood alone.
oOoOoOo
Zoro slammed open the doors to the café with much more force than needed, startling a few of the couples gathered outside. He reached the truck and climbed in, not bothering to buckle since he was too pissed to care. Turning to the less than respectable side of town, Zoro let the rest of his mind begin to fade and focused only on the task at hand. It was still early to head to the cages, but Zoro knew that if he tried to go anywhere else, he might not make it back in time if he got lost. True, he had the GPS, but that only worked if you had an actual address to program into the annoying machine. Maybe he could just indulge himself in a few drinks while he waited for the main events to get underway; not too many considering he had just enough for the entry fee.
The bar wasn't really hidden, a normal sized establishment nestled between several rundown and abandoned businesses, but if you didn't know what lay inside, you wouldn't give the place a second thought. The unlit sign that hung on the side of the building read "No man's Home" in faded letters, though it was rumored to originally have said Norman. A few malfunctioning beer signs dotted the sparse windows, all at the upper level of the wall and very difficult to look in if you were of average height. Metal bars further prevented peeping, though it matched every other building in the area in that aspect. Heavy wooden doors that looked to be rotting with age were flanked by two burley men, intimidating to most but a welcome sight to the green-haired man.
"Hey Oimo! I'm taking over Lucci's parking place since he's still gone," Zoro yelled out after rolling down the driver side window.
Looking confused for a brief second, the tall orange haired bouncer scratched his head while studying the impressive SUV the speaker was sitting in. "Did you steal it?"
Zoro rolled his eyes and drove forward to pull into the aforementioned spot, knowing that if the guys really didn't want him parking there, they would have just said no. He pulled on the heavy black military issued pea coat that Smoker had given him for Christmas last year and wrapped it tightly around him. He dug out an elastic hair band from the pocket and pulled his hair back before donning a knit cap, effectively covering the odd color. Climbing out of the vehicle, Zoro grimaced at the sludge that his feet landed in. Apparently the snow had been plowed over to this side of the parking lot and now that it was melting, it created a mess of slush and mud. Growling slightly in annoyance, Zoro opened the back door and retrieved his bundled weapons before storming up to the front doors.
"You could have warned me about the water!" Zoro griped, looking up at them with narrowed eyes as he shifted the items in his arms to clasp the offered hand in greeting.
"Sorry, man." Oimo hung his head slightly, making a few of the people standing around slack-jawed with shock, seeing the massive man submissive to the smaller individual.
"Seriously, where'd you get the ride? You usually come here in that rust bucket," the second guard asked, still curious to know how the familiar man had come into such a nice vehicle.
"Fuck you, Kaashii. My goat will smoke that shitty horse of yours any day." The scowl increased as Zoro failed to escape the crushing hug given to him by Kaashii. "Hey, get the hell off of me! Shit, man, I need to be able to breathe tonight if I'm gonna fight."
"Oh you're gonna want to just sit back and watch this time," Oimo said with a grin. He laughed heartily at the look of disbelief on Zoro's face. "We've got a bunch of new guys since the last time you were here. A whole group of them came in a few days after you wiped the floor with Hachi and practically took over. Most of them were knocked to their asses by Ohm, but there's a few that show promise. I didn't see them here last night, so tonight should be good."
Zoro took a minute to let the new info run around in his head before he spoke, a devious grin spreading across his face. "Sounds like fun. I could use the change of pace."
Both door guards laughed loudly and slapped him on each shoulder, the weight of their hands sending a jolt down to Zoro's knees and ankles. Damn those two were strong. Good thing he didn't have to test his steel against them. It would take a significant amount of damage to bring either one of these guys down and Zoro kinda liked the giant pair. With more of a grimace than smile, Zoro assured them he would prevail and started to walk inside. A couple of guys, dressed in wannabe gangster attire, came up to the door behind Zoro and tried to follow him in.
"What do you think you are doing?" Kaashii asked, placing a large hand on the first guy's chest.
"We're goin' in asshole," the idiot said with what was assumed to be an intimidating glare.
The door closed behind Zoro cutting off the screams of "Oh Shit!" as the guy was thrown out into the street in front of oncoming traffic. Walking over to the far end of the bar, Zoro set his bundle down on the counter and began taking off his coat. He glanced around at the sparse amount of patrons, nodding to a few who raised a hand to say hello. The dim lighting made the chain link area seem slightly ominous to those not used to its presence, though it would be brightly lit here in the next few hours. The black coat and hat were taken by the bartender and hung with care on one of the few hooks along the back wall, a sign that Zoro was a favored visitor.
Grabbing his swords back up, Zoro headed over to an empty table in a dark corner behind the cage and waited for the young barmaid to come around with his drink. Just because he hadn't been here in a while didn't mean that he expected any less than what he had been used to. Sure enough, a tall skinny woman with long, blue, bushy hair waltzed over, her hips swinging back and forth exaggeratedly. She sat down a bottle of sake and two glasses, an indicator to Zoro that someone he knew would be joining him shortly. A perfectly manicured hand caressed Zoro's cheek as she smiled seductively at him.
"You know I never mix business with pleasure, Paula" Zoro warned her.
"Darling, this is business." The woman bent down and placed an impassionate kiss on his mouth before whispering against his lips. "And for you it's Miss Doublefinger."
"Never. You're too expensive for my taste," Zoro said, turning his head away. "Besides, Bones would be fairly pissed if he knew you were still after me."
Paula leaned in further and brushed her lips across his ear as she spoke. "You didn't use to turn me down."
"And you didn't use to charge," Zoro retorted, placing a hand on her chest, mindful of her voluptuous breasts, and pushed the aggressive woman away.
The pleasant look on her face was gone now, replaced by a scowl that greatly distorted her porcelain features. "I always get what I want, Roronoa. Willing or not, I'll-"
"Zoro!" The enthusiastic shout cut off Paula's threat, further deepening the creases on her forehead. Making his way through the empty tables was a tall lean man, dressed in a deep burgundy trench coat with decorative armbands, the same silver color as his hair though he looked to be roughly Zoro's age. A long cream sash was belted at his waist with a worn katana, roughly half the length of the impressive ones Zoro carried, shoved snugly between the layers. The man's right arm hung limply at his side, though its lack of movement was clearly made up for by the left. "I was wondering when you'd drag your sorry ass back in here."
"Saga, how's the family?" Zoro reached out and took hold of the offered hand, giving the man a nod of thanks for interrupting. Paula took the obvious hint and walked off in a huff, swinging her hips even harder from side to side, looking more ridiculous than sexy. Both men shook their heads, amused by her antics as Zoro kicked out a chair for Saga to sit down in.
"Maya's doing great. She's due in May, though I think she'll probably go before then." Saga poured himself a drink and raised his glass in a toast. "Here's to hoping you get your chance at fatherhood real soon."
Zoro paused his glass midway and glared at his old friend. "I'd rather get another blade through my chest." The green-haired swordsman shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image. He cocked his head to the side and studied the man across from him a moment. Saga worked as a PI, and had been the one that Zoro had hired to help with the investigation of his parent's death, but they both knew his skills far exceeded that of a mere pretend cop. "What happened to you joining the FBI? You ever hear back from them?"
Saga gave a half laugh and looked over to the caged arena. "They said my mind was perfect for investigations, but they were sorry they couldn't use me in field work. Apparently having two fully functioning arms is a prerequisite."
Zoro felt the pain arise with the memories of how his friend had lost the use of the right arm. The car crash hadn't been Zoro's fault, but the teen had blamed himself anyway. Five years later, Saga was still twice the man as most of the officers Zoro knew, with the exception of his father and Smoker. "I wish you'd let me pull a few strings down at the station for you. Smoker-"
"Smoker would vouch for me and I'd be getting in on a technicality, not because of my skills," Saga argued, clearly not happy with the offer. The doors opened, drawing their attention to the front of the bar to watch a few more regulars enter. Saga sighed, and a concerned look covered his features. "You know, there's some new guys lately, right? The Shandian family. It's not that I don't have faith in you, but these guys fight with a strange style I've never seen."
"Something new is just what I've been looking for." Zoro smiled and downed the last of the pale liquid, enjoying the familiar burn warming his chest before excusing himself and wandering back into the office to pay his entry fee.
The harsh glare of the halogen lights only made the room bleaker as the man behind the desk sat scribbling in a thick ledger. His faded brown duster and blue scarf were thrown over the back of a side chair carelessly, as if he had been in a hurry when he arrived. Rose tented glasses were pushed back up his nose before he ran a hand over his dark blonde hair. The man scowled slightly as Zoro continued to stand in the open doorway, neither in nor out of the room, but continued his writing in the book.
"You usually give us a little warning before you show up. You know, give us time to put the bug in a few people's ear and make things interesting. If only some of the younger – and by younger I mean less experienced. God knows you're probably the youngest one out there. But if only the greenhorns show, this won't be much of a fight." The tinted glasses hid the color of the man's eyes, but did little to cover the disapproval on his face.
"If I called, then it would have spoiled the surprise. Besides, I hear that you have a few promising looking men out there that can easily fill in for me when I'm absent. Or did you just miss me, Kohza?" Zoro smirked as Kohza's irritation grew.
"Did you actually bring money this time, or another IOU slip?" Kohza laid down the pen and pulled out a strong box from one of the desk drawers. "Those guys put on quite a show, but the crowd comes for blood, not fancy moves."
Zoro tossed the thick envelope of bills at the manager and let his smirk fade. "I'm looking for something, and it has nothing to do with flash; maybe a gunman by the looks of it. Know anything?"
Kohza marked the entry fee and sat back in his chair, the scowl never completely leaving his face. The blonde crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes as he began to think of all the participants that had come in over the last few months. Nothing coming to mind, he shook his head and gave Zoro a slightly apologetic look.
"No, just the guys you'd heard about. They're supposed to be here tonight, so it's actually good you showed up. Ohm is out of town on business for his boss and won't be back until tomorrow. Seems like a lot of people are absent right now… except you." The emphasis on the last part didn't go unnoticed and Kohza kept his glare steady as Zoro's eyes hardened.
Zoro stepped further into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. "You know I can't talk about it. The only reason that man overlooks this place is because the assholes that get the shit beat out of themselves here deserve every ounce of what they get. That, and this is where answers come from."
"If there's something going on, I need to know," Kohza insisted.
Zoro shook his head, trying to decide just how much information he could divulge without jeopardizing the case. Knowing that Kohza had his ear to the ground and could prove very useful was the only thing that had the green-haired man even considering the idea. Confiding in the rebel was a big risk, but he'd dealt with Kohza in the past and the man had always been honorable. If anyone could help him discreetly, it would be this man. With a heavy sigh, Zoro began the abridged version.
"Several people are going missing. Cops are turning up dead and criminals are running free. So far, we have nothing to connect these things together except that they seem to be killed by assassins, some of them sloppy."
"You think that the guy behind all of this has been recruiting from here?" Kohza leaned forward in interest and laced his hands together as he placed his elbows on the desktop.
"If he is, I'm hoping to catch his eye," Zoro admitted honestly.
A knowing grin spread across Kohza's face as he pulled out a small notepad from the metal box. "Then let's give them something to talk about. I'll match you against Braham. He's not their best, but his techniques will throw you off enough to make things interesting."
Usually the names were tossed into a box and pulled out randomly, hence why Kohza liked to know when Zoro was coming in. If too many armatures entered, one of them could easily be killed by the infamous veteran. Also, if others knew Zoro was attending, they would often try to come back to save face, or exact revenge. The only man to defeat Zoro in a match after he had started fighting outside the official tournaments had been Dracule Mihawk. Though the expert man took Zoro down easily, he was impressed by the youth's budding skills and encouraged Zoro to continue training. It was the last fight before the plane crash, the last one that Zoro's father had attended. Zoro was jerked into the present by the office door being thrown open, almost hitting the green-haired man in the back.
"They're back, what- oh, hey Zoro." The Irish descendant pulled his large tophat off and ran his fingers through his already messy bright almost orange hair. His grey button down shirt hung off him as if it were three sizes too big and the tattered ends of his white pants had seen better days. His scruffy beard twitched with the grin on his lips. "Guess this explains why Saga's in such a good mood. I'm assuming I should call up the doc, huh? Have him on hand just in case?"
Kohza nodded and stood from his chair, reaching for his jacket and scarf. "Keep the Shandian's out there for now, and don't mention our special guest. Zoro, just chill in here for a while, take a nap or something."
Liking the idea, Zoro walked over to the worn red couch and rested his swords against the arm. He glanced back over his shoulder to see the door shut again, leaving him the only one in the drab room. A last look around for anything of interest, and not finding any, he sat down and kicked back, intent on relaxing for as long as possible.
oOoOoOo
The sounds of uproarious cheers drifted to the back room, waking the slumbering demon. A dark, almost black eye cracked open and glared towards the source. Realizing that the fights had already begun, Zoro groggily wiped the sleep from his eyes and grabbed for his swords. Stretching with a loud groan, he sat the blades on the desk and withdrew the green fabric from the stack. Zoro's eyes held a slight tinge of sadness as he wrapped the haramaki around his waist and secured the swords within its folds. The black bandanna was tied around his bicep, completing the look and signaling to Zoro it was time to join the party.
"Wi-per! Wi-per! Wi-per!" The crowd chanted, watching the man in the cage wail on his opponent. The tribal tattoos across his face and his chest glistened beneath the layer of sweat, his half shaven head reflecting the light on each side of the long mohawk. Zoro could see a few other fighters with similar tattoos and hairstyles hanging on the chain link, shouting encouragement towards their comrade.
One man in the group drew Zoro's attention above the others. The man was a few inches taller than Zoro, or at least the green-haired man thought so. The hat that sat atop the man's head resembled an old WWII helmet, but it came down over the man's eyes, blocking any opponent from reading the fighter's moves. His fur trimmed bomber jacket lacked any of the fresh blood the others were sporting, so Zoro had an idea that this would be the man he'd be facing, and pretty soon by the looks of things. One last hit and the black man in the cage flew back, blood flying from his mouth across the nearby audience and ending the match. The tattooed man stood over the immobile body, looking down with satisfaction as the cage door was unlocked and the other man's medic came running in.
Wiper was escorted from the cage to his own doctor standing by, ready to attend to his wounds. He held eyes with Zoro as he walked past, each refusing to look away first, and only loosing eye contact when their heads could turn no further over their shoulders without moving their bodies. Zoro smirked when he was the last one to keep contact due to Wiper's rapidly swelling eye. A raven haired woman followed him out, grumbling loudly about pigheaded men as Kohza stepped up to the mic and began addressing the room, telling them it was time for the final match of the night.
Stepping from the shadows, the light hit Zoro's face just as his name was revealed to the crowd. The overwhelming noise drowned out his opponent's identity, though Zoro had already been informed of who he would be paired with. As previously thought, the helmeted man entered the cage to stand by the announcer, his height exceeding Kohza's by several inches. Zoro measured his steps to slowly enter the ring, taking the time to study the other man a little.
The instant the latch shut on the gate Braham sprang into action, launching himself towards Zoro and ready to strike. Zoro withdrew a single sword and blocked the punch almost effortlessly; scoffing at how pathetic of an enemy he had been given. Then there was the bright flash of light followed by a heavy impact to his gut. Coughing and wheezing for breath, Zoro tried to reorient himself, wondering where Braham had disappeared to. The air changed behind him and he turned just in time to block another blow aimed at his head. Again, the flash of light came, along with another solid hit to Zoro's body sending the swordsman flying back into the chain link walls.
So this is what Kohza meant by interesting. Zoro made a mental note to repay the favor as he picked himself up and faced the impassive man. Since Braham was uninjured by the contact of his arms to Zoro's blade, the only conclusion was that the man had some sort of metal arm protectors under the leather jacket. However, the bare chest that could be seen showed that the man was not invulnerable, just well prepared. Taking the offensive, Zoro brought his sword up in a wide cross swing, aiming to slice through the jacket and see if he could find just what lay beneath.
Braham spun and dodged each swing and thrust Zoro delivered, showing more grace and flexibility than a man that size would normally have. The tip of the sword finally broke through his guard and blood began to flow from a shallow wound across his sternum. A deep scowl crossed his face and Braham barely missed moving out of the way as Zoro closed the distance between them again. A flick of the wrists and Zoro was again blinded by the bright light. Double punches to the lower ribs, followed by a head-snapping hit to the jaw again brought Zoro to his knees.
Angry with himself, Zoro spat the pooling blood from his mouth onto the already disgusting floor and slowly stood up. He cautiously propped his sword against his hip and untied the black cloth from his upper arm. Zoro kept his eyes on Braham as he secured the bandanna around his head, keeping a close eye on the man's forearms, looking for any signs of the source of the light. Braham gave him the courtesy of allowing Zoro to finish before rushing at him again. This time, Zoro caught the glimpse of a metal cylindrical object beneath the jacket cuff before he was blinded again. He wasn't able to block the attack fully, but at least he kept his standing and was able to feel his blades make contact again with flesh instead of metal. The scream of a woman and the increased roar of the audience confirmed that it was a vital hit.
Blinking vigorously to try and clear his vision, Zoro withdrew a second sword and began to plan. He needed this to look vicious, but yet he had no desire to permanently disable this man or even kill him. In order to do that, Zoro had to be very precise in his strikes, so it was time to do a little fake slashing. A slight turn of his wrists and Zoro had a blade reversed, hoping to lessen the damage a little. The man would be laid up for several days, possibly a week or more even, but he would live. Now… to get rid of the lights.
With a fierce war cry, Zoro aimed the brunt of his attacks at the hidden objects attached to Braham's forearms. The first one broke and sent pieces of metal, glass and wires flying across the cage floor. If the helmet hadn't been covering Braham's eyes, Zoro was sure they'd be wide open with shock. In what looked to be an intricate dance, Zoro began to slice into Braham's body, each wound placed to look significantly deeper than it actually was. Zoro began grinning as he caught a look of worry from Saga, a good sign that everyone had thought he'd gone off the deep end. When the second light factor had been damaged, Zoro knew it was time to end the façade. A large black boot connected with a bloody chest and sent Braham flying. The defeated man held up a hand to signal he was through, but Zoro ignored his surrender and brought his swords up to deliver one final blow.
"Enough! The match is over."
Zoro narrowed his eyes angrily at the interruption, but lowered his swords just the same, doing his best to not grin at how perfect this had all played out.
"Victor… Zoro!" Kohza announced and the crowd again burst into a frenzy of cheers and angry shouts.
Money was passed around as the winners beamed and the losers tried to argue their way out of paying their debts. Zoro wiped his swords off on his pants before returning them to his side, promising to clean them properly when he returned home. He glanced over to where Wiper had knelt down at Braham's side, checking his companion's injuries. The apparent leader of the group caught Zoro's stare and gave him an almost imperceptible nod, showing that he knew just what Zoro had done and was grateful to the swordsman for sparing his friend's life.
In the shadows, a suspicious looking man in a black trench coat watched as Zoro was escorted to the back to receive his winnings, the swordsman oddly scowling after his gruesome victory. Everything was picture perfect in the watcher's eyes. Power, anger, bloodlust, this fighter had it all. He pulled out a phone, quickly pressing in a familiar number and waited for an answer on the other end.
"We've found someone rather interesting." A sinister grin crossed his face as he listened. "Hmmmm… That will work well with our plans." The man almost purred with approval at his orders.