A/N: seriously... i'm really, really sorry. SEE!!! I've been working on this. I didn't forget to work, I just suck at remembering to post to FF as well as LJ. I hope you guys can find it in your fanfic hearts to forgive me.
Leaving It All Behind Chapter 10
He reached up and slapped the alarm for the third time in less than a minute. Why would the blasted thing not turn off? A slender arm reached over him and picked the phone up off the nightstand before holding it in front of his nose. Oh. It wasn't the alarm after all.
"Hello?"
"It's about time you answer your phone. I need you to do some computer work today," the voice on the other end snapped.
"D-detective Smoker… but it's my day off," Usopp stuttered as he finished waking up abruptly.
"Consider this a job hazard. I need you to go over to Sandalwood Towers, apartment 3C."
"Oh no, don't tell me he's actually killed someone…"
"What?"
"Well, he has been a little off lately."
"What are you talking about?"
"Um… Nothing?"
"Good. Get your ass over there and hook up the damn computer. It's a sensitive operation, so make sure to keep it low key. That means you go alone and tell no one what you see or hear. Understood?"
"Of course!" Usopp winced as the receiver was slammed down in his ear, the abrupt ending of the call transferring the detective's annoyance to the worried policeman. Warm arms wrapped around him and a light kiss was placed on his neck as his girlfriend snuggled against him. "I'm sorry, Kaya, but I have to go in to work for a little while today. For some strange reason I have to go hook up a computer for Zoro."
"Maybe the detective has him working undercover on something. Remember, you and Luffy have always suspected Zoro of working for the police." Kaya gave him a squeeze before getting out of bed and slipping on her robe. "Hurry up and get dressed. I'll have Merry fix us some breakfast."
Her words kept echoing in his mind as Usopp sought out the pieces of his uniform from around the room. Curiosity finally took hold and he began to concoct stories in his mind to explain the need for such secrecy; his favorite being that Zoro was deep undercover and needed to have a way to send messages to his contact without being detected. Unable to keep from feeling giddy at the thought of being included in such a conspiracy, Usopp began making a list in his mind of all the tools he might need to stop and pick up on the way, or pieces of hardware for wireless connection to whatever satellite signal he might need. When he got to twenty-three items he needed to gather, Usopp decided it was time to start writing things down before he forgot.
By the time Usopp had eaten breakfast, stopped at his own apartment, and then gone to the electronics store, almost two hours had passed since the detective had called. The young man tripped over his feet trying to run into the apartment building, his arms laden down with boxes of computer equipment and wiring. One of the other tenants had seen him coming and was kind enough to hold open the door for him, even pushing the button for the elevator as well before they left. Usopp thanked them profusely and shifted anxiously as he waited for the lift doors to open. By the time he had arrived at Zoro's apartment, he was a nervous wreck. He awkwardly shifted things around and managed to get a few fingers free to knock on the door, certain that his ultimate doom lie on the other side.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Zoro opened his eyes slowly, the act almost as strenuous as lifting heavy weights. The curtains had been pulled, reducing the bright sunlight that usually filtered into the room during the early hours. He groaned as he turned his head to look at the clock and tried to remember exactly how he got to where he was in the first place. The memories of Kokoro's death came rushing back into his mind, dealing a crushing blow to his heart. He remembered her rough voice demanding he promise to live again and find a reason to go on. Zoro ran a hand over his face and closed his eyes. The sheets shifted across his naked body, reminding him of what else had happened last night.
Anger began to fill him as he thought about how the shitty bastard had taken advantage of him in his incapacitated state. Had he been sober, there was no way that Zoro would have allowed the blonde to do any of those things. Then again, if he had been sober he wouldn't have been brought home by the police covered in filth from fighting in an alley behind some unknown bar after getting totally hammered. Zoro flung off the covers and pulled himself out of bed to go in search of the irritating cook.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Again Usopp knocked on the door, this time using his boot so he wouldn't have to set down the cumbersome burden in his arms. He sighed in relief when he heard the shuffling of feet approaching the door.
"Zoro! Open up. I came to hook up that computer you were talking about," Usopp called out. Locks turned and the door swung open, revealing the last person he expected to ever see again. "Sanji?"
"Usopp? What are you doing here?" Sanji reached out and took the top box from the stack and moved aside so Usopp could enter the apartment.
"Detective Smoker sent me over to hook up Zoro's new computer. What are you… Wait! You're the reason he said to keep quiet. It all makes sense now. Well, parts of it make sense."
"Oi, longnose, keep it down." Zoro stumbled from his bedroom holding his head in one hand and his t-shirt with the other. The glare he sent the blonde was enough to have Usopp quaking in his shoes. "If you ever pull that shit you did last night again, they'll never find your body. Oh, and Robin said to tell you thanks for being there."
Sanji stiffened, knowing that his clean getaway wasn't as spotless as he had thought. "At least I'm better than you. You came home last night smelling like you'd taken a bath in whiskey and shit."
"Um…" Usopp shifted nervously as the two men continued their glaring contest, his small noise enough to remind Zoro of his presence.
"Why are you here?" Zoro slipped the shirt over his head, thankful that his headache was already starting to subside.
"He's the computer guy that Smoker said he was gonna send over," Sanji said, taking the last box from the nervous man and setting it next to the other on the table.
Usopp blinked a few times at his empty hands and began to look around. He'd heard the story from Luffy about how clean the place was, but seeing it in person was a different matter. Something strange was definitely going on here. The place was almost spotless, and the family picture on the wall brought back a flood of memories. It was then that he noticed Sanji walking around the place like he knew where everything was, and even wearing Zoro's clothes; the distinguishable logo wasn't hard to recognize. All previous theories were thrown out the window as Usopp tried to account for the added factor that had been previously missed.
"I don't see why we need to do that. The phone works just fine," Zoro grumbled as he began searching through the cabinets for something. "I'm not sure that any of that stuff is even usable anymore. It's at least four years old now."
"Yah, but your mom always had equipment that was way beyond what the public had access to, so I'm sure it's about average now." It was easy to tell that the long-nosed man highly admired and respected the deceased woman. "I just hope I can get past her security on it."
Sanji finally got annoyed enough with Zoro destroying what semblance he had restored to the kitchen and pulled out the can of coffee from the freezer, shoving it into Zoro's chest before walking over to stand next to Usopp. He didn't know much about the guy, and even though Smoker himself had sent him over, Sanji felt the need to reiterate the need for silence about his presence in the apartment.
"You know that if you tell anyone I'm here, we'll have to kill you." Sanji spoke in low tones as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it slowly. He almost felt bad for issuing such a harsh threat, but after the initial terror passed in Usopp's eyes, the spark of adventure left behind said he was well aware and loving every minute of it. "So, how do you know cabbage head over there?"
"Zoro? Well, he's Smoker's godson for one, and then he's good friends with Luffy who's my best friend. We all get together a couple times a month for dinner and such. Luffy comes over here all the time, usually to con Zoro into taking him out to eat." Usopp began to relax slightly, wondering why such a high profile witness had been stashed in such an open spot. There was no question in his mind that Zoro could protect him, better than anyone else probably, but Zoro wasn't exactly known for his hospitality. "Are you and Zoro old friends?"
Sanji thought for a moment, trying to decide if he should go with the same response he'd given all of Zoro's other friends or not. Usopp did know the truth about him being in protective custody but the detective had told him to lie at all costs. "Smoker thought that I'd be safe here for a while so he agreed to let me crash with Zoro for a couple weeks. Besides, it's not as if we're complete strangers."
"Oh, ok." Usopp nodded, the explanation making sense to him; until he put two and two together and came up with Zoro in a relationship with another man. His eyes widened to comical proportions and his hand twitched as he had to keep it from flying to his cell phone and dialing every number he could think of.
When the coffee began brewing, Sanji muttered several curses and went to rescue the coveted morning drink from Zoro's brutality. He poured it into a separate carafe and ran another full pot of water through the coffee grounds, this time getting the flavor a little closer to something they all might be able to drink. Seeing that Usopp would probably be here for a while, Sanji decided to go ahead and start on something for lunch. The heated looks he continued to get from Zoro said that the events of last night remained clear in his mind and the green-haired man was not at all happy with them.
-/-/-/-/-
Sanji continued to give Zoro sidelong glances as he watched the swordsman sit in the middle of the living room; eyes closed, legs crossed and blank mask covering his face as he sat in meditation. The cook worried greatly about his guardian, if only for the fact that if Zoro broke, Sanji would be left somewhat vulnerable again. Losing someone close was something Sanji hadn't the misfortune to experience since childhood, but the pain he had felt in his chest when Ace told him that the Baratie had been attacked again was as close as he wanted to get. One day he'd have to plan the old geezer's funeral, but thankfully not today. Another look to the statuesque man and Sanji gave in, gently setting aside the bread to rise before joining Zoro on the floor as he tried to find inner peace.
The feeling of another presence settling to his right caught Zoro off guard, almost enough cause him to give in to the urge to crack open his eyes and investigate. The smell of nicotine and yeast was more than enough to identify the intruder, though the term just didn't seem to fit anymore. An intruder would be an unwelcome person, but rather than feeling anger Zoro felt an almost kindred spirit entwining with his own as their heartbeats slowed; mimicking each other in a rhythmic pattern.
Last night's intimate liberties began to fade into mere irritations as Zoro remembered the painstaking tenderness that Sanji had used when helping him get clean. Anyone else would have just dumped him in the bath and ran some cold water over him, leaving Zoro to sleep off the alcohol in wet clothes. Instead, Sanji had held him close and whispered words of condolence, never once making any unnecessary moves in getting Zoro into bed. Had their roles been reversed, Zoro knew he wouldn't have been able to do the same for the blonde. Somehow now Sanji's actions didn't seem quite as violating as they did when Zoro first woke up; not that he wanted it to happen again or anything.
Anger faded, and finally Zoro could feel balance returning. The pain of his aunt's death eased, as if it were being pulled from him; coaxing him to accept what had happened, no matter how much it hurt. Peace began to settle around him, his ki flowing gently through his body once more as Zoro silently thanked the blonde for his presence.
Usopp came out of the back of the apartment with cables and wires hung around his neck and different tools stuck in various pockets. He was looking through a stack of discs, mumbling to himself as he stumbled into the kitchen for a drink. The silence itself wasn't unusual in Zoro's place, but there was an odd hum to the atmosphere that he just couldn't quite place. Turning around slowly, Usopp was shocked to see the two men in similar poses on the floor; their expressions peaceful for the first time in what felt like forever. As quietly as he possibly could, Usopp made his way back to his project with a pleased smile on his face.
-/-/-/-/-/-
After a short discussion, they had decided that the best place to set everything up was the spare room, since it had a desk and would be out of the way if anyone did happen to show up. Zoro had no desire to explain to any visitors why he finally set the equipment up after it being boxed for so long. Usopp took his time hooking things up properly and was grateful that all three laptops booted properly, but none of them seemed to accept any command overrides, no matter how hard he tried to hack into them. When done with his meditation, Zoro offered up every possible password he could think of and even brought out the journal his father had written just in case. It wasn't until they happened to connect the microphone to one of them that anything positive happened.
"Waiting for voice authorization." The sound of the electronic voice startled the three of them.
"Voice authorization? Ugh… this might take a while. Unless you happen to have a digital recording of your mom." Usopp looked up at Zoro standing over him, hopeful but not expecting to get what he asked for.
Zoro shook his head and sighed heavily as he sat down on the bed. "Forget it."
"Voice recognized. Zoro Roronoa. Awaiting connection to main server." The computer screen flashed to a faded red background with a white roman numeral ten in the middle.
"What just happened?" Sanji appeared in the door holding a tray of cold drinks, which Usopp gratefully accepted.
"I plugged in a microphone to one of the laptops and it accepted Zoro's voice for authorization. Now I just have to find a way to connect it to the right server and hopefully we'll find out what's so important on here that she's gone through all this trouble to keep it safe." Usopp began looking in the box of cables again and pulled out two more microphones. "Hey Zoro, let's see if the others will boot up the same way."
A few seconds later Usopp had both mics hooked up and waited quietly for Zoro to realize he was done. The swordsman continued to sit there in silence, lost in his own thoughts until Sanji walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.
.
"Back-off, shit-cook," Zoro warned.
"Voice recognized. Zoro Roronoa. Awaiting connection to main server," both computers chimed out.
"Yeah! Now let's see if we can get this thing online." Usopp began digging around in the equipment he had brought with him. "It's a good thing that I thought to bring some of this stuff with me. None of these are wireless. I'll hook up mine and get signal, then send it through the router to the others…"
Usopp rambled on while he worked, none of what he said making any sense to the other two men in the room. As soon as the connection had been established, the laptops came to life and began flashing strange images and kanji across the screen. When they finally stopped, the men stared at the screens, trying to make sense of what was on them.
"I don't get it," Usopp confessed.
"Me either," Sanji agreed as he looked back and forth at the symbols. "What language is it anyway?"
"It's a Japanese haiku by Basho; one of my father's favorites." Zoro's eyes remained focused as he studied the words. Each screen held a different segment, and it had been years since Zoro read the poem. "I could never remember the order in which it read in Japanese, but in English it says 'summer grasses, all that remain, of the warrior's dream.' "
The words faded away and Sarah appeared on each screen. She stared out at them with a radiant smile on her face, though her eyes were full of sadness. Usopp had tears in his eyes and it wasn't hard to tell he had known the woman well. Zoro, however sat there stunned, unmoving, and completely silent. Sanji looked back and forth between she and Zoro, wondering how someone as rough as he came from such an earthly beauty. The laptops each showed a different angle of her face, all in perfect sequence though the voice that called out them came only from the center one.
"Hello, baby. It's been a long time."
"Mom?" Zoro whispered.
"I wish that I could be happy that you have activated this journal, but since this is the last entry, I can only assume the worst. I should have listened to your father and not accepted that interview."
"What is she talking about?" Usopp looked over to Zoro for clarification.
"She was one her way to meet up with the corporate heads for a new project when her plane crashed," he answered, as if in a trance.
"I didn't take the entire design with me just in case it was a poor investment, but what part I did take will be useless without the rest. I actually developed it for you. It was to be a present for your twenty-first birthday. You always were so hard to buy for. Even Kuina had a hard time buying you gifts, and she knew you better than us." Sarah's laughter filled the room, happy and light. Only a moment later, her face sobered and took on a more serious look. "The reason I have recorded this for you is because of the threats I have been receiving recently, or more precisely the demands for my research. I knew that if something happened to me, you and your father would insist on extracting revenge, and I didn't want you to go on a rampage killing innocent people in the process."
Usopp gulped hard as he remembered the bloody matches that none of them thought Zoro would live through. Zoro, on the other hand, was shaking with anger at the new information he was receiving about his mother's death. His father had joined her on the flight last minute, thinking that she was nervous about the interview and wanting to be there with her for support. But, because his mother hadn't spoke up about the threats, both of them were dead. Killed for a scrap of knowledge that was supposed to be his birthday present. Whatever it turned out to be, he'd already decided he would hate it with his entire being.
"I'm hoping that you and Cutty Flam will finish the project for me. Don't let it go to waste, Zoro. It's all there is left of me in the world." Sara wiped a tear from her face as she visibly tried to compose herself. She seemed to look directly at Zoro when she spoke again. "I've included all the information I should have given you before. Make sure to get it to Garp for me, assuming he's in charge of the case. I know how important revenge is to your father, but please promise me you'll look after him. Don't let him do anything rash. You're all he has left, Zoro. I love you both so much."
The screen faded to black before the e-mail program opened, showing a collection of invitations and demands in the inbox, all signed with a large M at the end. Finally after the messages finished loading, photographs began to appear of envelopes and their contents. There were snapshots of Zoro and his father in everyday activities, and even a few of Zoro during his tournament with Mihawk, followed by letters with threats of harm to both of them should Sarah not comply. Had she shown this to them earlier they could have protected her, preventing this disaster from happening altogether.
"You okay, Zoro?" Usopp asked softly.
"Hn." Zoro finally tore his eyes from the information to look around and laid his eyes on the rest of computer equipment. "Usopp, hook up a printer and print this stuff out for me, then put it on disc so I can give it to Smoker."
"I could e-mail it to him," Usopp offered.
"No. He's having problems with information leaks still, so I can't trust it to be safe that way." Zoro stood and walked out of the room, down to his own bedroom before coming to a dead stop. Without turning to acknowledge the man at his back, Zoro began to speak. "It's like I've just lost her all over again."
"Hn," Sanji murmured in reply, knowing there was nothing he could say to ease the situation.
Zoro's cell rang, and he put it to his ear without saying a word. A somewhat affirmative grunt and he closed it before setting the phone down on the dresser as he dug for something. He pulled out a black outfit and threw it over his shoulder before grabbing clean socks. They were barely on his feet before he headed for the living room and began packing things into a gym bag. As soon as his swords were tucked safely in their case, both bamboo and steel, Zoro slid on his boots and headed for the door. Sanji stepped up beside him as Zoro opened it and their eyes met. Though he was still leery of the blonde after taking such personal liberties the night before, he was also thankful for the bastard's presence in his life. Had it not been for Sanji and the job of protecting him, Zoro would have probably gotten rid of the computers and never known about the events before his mother's death. Now, with the clues taken from the watermark and the letters on Sarah's computer, he was two steps closer to justice. His dark eyes hardened with resolve as he nodded slightly to Sanji, surprised when he saw his determination reflected in the visible blue eye. He might not be doing this with his father, like his mother had assumed, but at least he wasn't doing it alone.
"Keep your ass inside this time shit-cook."
"Try to come back in one piece, Marimo," Sanji shot back.
With a huff of amusement, Zoro grabbed his black jacket before closing the door behind him. His sensei had called to remind him of his work schedule and that if he didn't come in, Zoro could forget that he ever worked at all. The information revealed by his mother was still burning in his mind, but at least he would be able to take out a small amount of his frustration on the students. Hopefully Johnny and Yosaku would be there for him to spar with afterward. A glance back to the apartment before the lift opened reminded him that if nothing else, there was a fairly apt blonde he was sure he could agitate enough to take the edge off.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Usopp came out of the bedroom carrying a disc and looking around for his friend. "Did he leave already?"
"Looks like it's just you and me kid," Sanji said as he nodded from his relaxed position on the couch, freshly lit cigarette in hand. "At least this time we don't have to worry about suddenly getting attacked."
The words had no sooner left his mouth when the front door slammed open and someone came flying across to land directly atop Usopp, knocking the poor man to the ground. Both he and Sanji screamed, the blonde hitting the floor hard as he fell off the couch.
"USOPP! How come you didn't tell me you were coming over here? We always come over here together. I saw Zoro leaving the parking lot, but he was driving too fast for me to catch up with. Then I saw that your car was still here so I came up and decided to surprise you. Jigorou was in the hall being a complete ass, but then he walked right into that old bat who lives in 1F and boy did she let him have it. No one gets by her." Luffy began bouncing on his friend's stomach as the color began to return to Usopp's face. "So are you done here? Have you finished with Zoro's computer? Kaya said Smoky asked you to come over and hook it up for him."
A frustrated groan from the other side of the couch caught Luffy's attention. His curiosity got the better of him and Luffy crawled over to peek around the worn, stuffed leather. The blonde on the floor sat up rubbing his forehead and muttering. Luffy's eyes sparkled with glee when the hand was removed and he recognized his brother's old lover.
"Sanji! What are you doing here? Are you going to make us something to eat? I've missed your cooking. Did you make Zoro clean up? How come I didn't see you the other morning when I was here? Were you at work?" Luffy climbed up on the arm of the couch and waited impatiently for Sanji to respond.
"Hey there Luffy; long time, no see." Sanji smiled sincerely up at the elated face of his old friend. He wondered how many more people from his past would show up in this apartment, connecting him even more with the green-haired buffoon. There were too many coincidences for things to feel natural now, and not even fate could be used to explain what was happening. Sanji took a deep cleansing breath before standing up and ruffled Luffy's hair as he headed for the kitchen. If all else fails, fall back on what you do best. "I doubt that shitty bastard has enough food in this house to sate you, but let's see what we can find for dinner."
Luffy's whoop echoed around them as he bounded after the blonde, never faltering in his excitement as he grabbed the phone that had just started to ring, much to Sanji and Usopp's dismay.
"Zoro's place." Luffy chirped, his grin staying firmly in place as he listened to the voice on the other end. "Oh hey Smokey. No, Zoro's not here… I'm not sure. You want me to ask Sanji?... His boyfriend… Yah? … Ummm okaaay… Bye!" Luffy hung up the phone and smiled up at Sanji innocently, the look promising disaster in huge proportions. "Smokey said that he'll kill the two of you later."
"Of course he will. Hey Luffy, what's the story behind him and your brother?" Sanji's voice became lost under Luffy's overzealous storytelling as the cook rummaged for something to pacify the giddy young man.
"Oh no, Detective Smoker's gonna kill me, too," Usopp whimpered as he watched Luffy bounce around Sanji in the kitchen, the blonde appearing completely clueless to the catastrophe ahead.
-/-/-/-/-/-
The large meeting hall was beginning to fill, men and women of various shapes and sizes seeming to materialize from the shadows as they took their seats at the long table. A delicate blonde woman, face and body littered with scars, came to stand behind the seat at the right of the head of the table. She waited with due diligence for her companion to arrive, blank yet sad eyes staring off into nothing. Cindry did as little as possible to draw any more attention to herself, though the action was pointless; no one seemed to pay her any mind to begin with.
Tonight would be the first time that all of them would be together in almost two years, and it was already promising to be an interesting evening. The reason for the summons was still unknown, but everyone had their suspicions. When the door at the end of the room was thrown open, a hush fell across them as each member of the crew watched their leader walk to his place of honor at the head of the table. His loud voice echoed up to the rafters as he slammed his hand on the table to call attention.
"Is everyone here? Ki shi shi shi." Geko Moria reclined back in his seat and looked out over the men and women seated in front of him. Several empty chairs caught his attention and he looked to the nervous man on his left for answers. "We seem to be a few short."
"Ah, yes. It seems that Perona took a hit and was captured a few days ago. Her partner Bearmy was killed. Several of Captain John's generals were taken into custody as well. The only ones left now are present and accounted for." The short round man with beady eyes and long fanglike canines wiped the sweat from his brow as he read the list on the clipboard in his hands. "There are three available assassins now, a few dozen footmen and a couple of informants. Fortunately our feed into the police database is still operational although I don't know the progress on the software."
"Hn." Moria laced his fingers together over his chest as he reclined back, the frown on his face deepening as he mulled over the update. "I hope you bring me better news than Hildon, Dr. Hogback."
"Fosh, fosh, fosh! Indeed I do, Master Moria." The portly doctor held his hand out, and turned to look coldly at the blonde standing behind him when nothing was given. "Cindry, you wretched girl, give me the computer."
The laptop slapped him in the face as the annoyed woman shoved the electronic device at Hogback. The doctor snarled at her but held his tongue as he set the computer down and opened it up. In a few clicks, he opened the necessary files and connected to the large monitor mounted on the side wall. Everyone turned in their seats for a better view and waited anxiously for any good news that might be reported. Ooh's and aah's escaped as they took in the pictures on the screen.
"As you can see, I've made some modifications to the original design. Strength and speed have been increased, though we are still working on agility. The endoskeleton is holding up perfectly and our skin grafting research is showing promise. In all, project Oz is coming along nicely." Hogback brought up several different pictures, each a more disturbing level of medical debauchery than the last. They showed different stages of a creature of some sort, being constructed of bone and metal then covered in multiple patches of skin, obviously from different donors. In one, you could see the flesh being ripped off of an apparently still living man to use to cover an open section on Oz's chest. "Unfortunately, our biggest problem lies in the intelligence. So far all we can get him to do is walk or run into things. Cognitive thinking is our main focus, and I have some breaking research that I am anxious to get to work on as soon as possible, fosh, fosh, fosh."
More slides passed across the screen showing different testing stages of the large, somewhat man shaped beast. The creature stood half again as tall as an average man, though its skin looked more like the patchwork on a crazy quilt. Just looking at the thing you could tell the massive level of destruction it would be capable of, if it had any intelligence. Once that was obtained, the robotic warrior would be almost unstoppable.
"Soon my soldier will be ready, and I can proceed with my plans, ki shi shi shi shi," Moria exclaimed, clearly overjoyed with the update. Others joined him in laughter, some of the earlier tension finally dissipating with the Boss' good mood. When everyone quieted down, Moria began to tap his forefingers together as he appeared to be deep in thought. "Hogback, tell me how it goes with the search for the little rat. Once we have him taken care of, there will be no one left to oppose us."
"While it was unfortunate that Perona was lost, her sacrifice was not in vain. We were able to discern that the one we are looking for is under the care of our very own Detective Smoker." Hogback knew giving Moria too much information could jeopardize his operation, but not giving the man any would be suicide. "I have already ordered Absalom to-"
"No."
"Sir?" Hogback questioned, a nervous tic starting at his temple.
"I believe it is time for our samurai to earn his keep. Ryuuma will handle the blonde, understood?"
"Of course, Master." The aging swordsman stepped out of the shadows to stand just behind Moria; his stoic façade masking any emotion the man might have felt.
"We will not stand for it! This was supposed to be our fight, our kill. He cannot take what belongs to us." Absalom stood quickly, knocking his chair out behind him and slamming his fists on the table. "Look what happened at the last job. How can we send in someone we barely know to do something of such importance?"
"What happened with Perona is unfortunate indeed, Absalom. Her loss though is her own mistake. She was told to be careful." Hogback intervened, trying to keep things from getting out of control. "Ryuuma has proven himself very worthy, and should the need arise I am sure he will call upon you for assistance."
Absalom snorted in disgust and disbelief as he turned his back on the room. A light "chink" was heard and a breeze rustled the edges of his coat before the blonde realized what had happened. He inclined his head to look up at the tall man before him and felt the top half of his beloved hat fall to the floor.
"It is disrespectful to leave a meeting before being dismissed." Ryuuma's voice was smooth, even, and commanding respect, just like his movements as he dodged the rabid onslaught of attacks from Absalom.
/-/-/-/-/-/
Sanji rubbed at his temples, trying to ease the headache that always seemed to come when dealing with Luffy for long periods. He wondered how long Zoro's shift was at work and if he should make dinner for one or two. Being by himself so much was actually starting to get on his nerves and for a brief moment, he thought about calling Smoker to tell the short tempered detective he'd been left alone. The stiffness in his muscles finally helped Sanji make his decision, and the blonde headed into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. While it brewed, he could take the time to do some long missed exercise of his own.
The couch and chair were pushed further from the center, since the coffee table was already removed, and made an area wide enough to do stretches and basic warm-ups, but nothing extravagant. There was an iPod docked into the surround sound system, and the cook took the liberty to look through the playlists to see if he could find something that caught his interest. "Workout" was selected and Sanji sat in the middle of the rug to begin. He groaned a little at the tightness in his legs, silently chiding himself for foregoing this simple task for so long. The brief spat with Zoro the other day showed him how much he was out of practice, so why had he waited so long before starting this again? Oh yah, maybe it had something to do with him running for his life every other day. Sanji forced his circumstance out of his mind as he continued with his regimen.
-/-/-/-/-/-
He put his ear to the door again and listened hard. There it was again. That thumping noise and music had been going for almost two hours now. It sounded like the crappy stuff normally played around this time, but no one should be home right now. He himself had seen the car leave, and checked periodically to make sure the occupant of the apartment hadn't been brought home by anyone. So who in the world was in there? Jigorou scowled as he tried to figure it out.
Curiosity finally got the better of him and he pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket. It turned to anger when the appropriately marked key didn't fit the lock. This was now a matter of breach of lease contract, and the superintendant took great pleasure in pulling out a lock pick in order to gain access to the apartment. Jigorou was so focused on the task at hand, that he never noticed the music stop or the presence waiting on the other side of the door. With a malicious snicker, Jigorou felt the lock give way and he quietly pushed the door open to enter. What met him was far from what he could have ever imagined.
"Ace, just knock… Who the fuck?"
A bare foot connected with his face, cracking his jaw and sending him flying back out into the hall. Jigorou blinked twice to clear his vision, just in time to see the second attack. He blocked it with his forearm and lashed out in return, intent on not letting the assailant have another chance. The super swung hard and managed to plant his fist into the man's gut, giving him enough time to right himself before another kick was aimed at his chest. Arms crossed in front of him, he took the impact with a grunt and finally was able to get a look at the devil that had emerged from Roronoa's apartment. Blonde hair shadowed most of his face, but a single blue eye glared at him, full of hate. Although his features were distorted with rage, Jigorou recognized him from last night in the lobby. He wondered how long the man had been living here without his knowledge. His hesitation cost him, and the blonde managed to land another blow to his face, this time breaking his nose and splattering blood across the hallway. Jigorou fell against the wall and slid down, grabbing his face with one hand and looking up to see an extremely pissed off blonde looming over him.
"Who the hell are you? What kind of shit is this? You're breaking in, in the middle of the fucking morning? You've either got balls of steal or shit for brains, asshole. You're lucky I'm in a good mood, or I'd give-"
"Hey, shit-cook, what are you doing?" Zoro stepped off the lift to see Sanji standing half naked in the middle of the hallway, covered in sweat and looking angry as hell. On the floor, dazed and confused, sat the semi-bloody superintendant of the apartment building looking back and forth between the men as he tried to figure out what was going on. The green haired man sported a new cut to his temple and looked very tired, but otherwise ready to fight.
"I've been receiving a lot of complaints about the noise in your apartment, Roronoa. That combined with the changing of the locks and someone who is not on the lease living here is all I need to evict you. In fact, I think I will." Jigorou pulled his hand away and winced at the amount of blood on it. "I'll be charging your friend with assault as well."
Sanji's ankle was caught mid-air, just inches from having his foot connect with Jogorou's face again. The blonde glared at Zoro's hand then back to the swordsman who gave him a warning look.
"Way to keep out of sight, shithead," Zoro grumbled as he used his grip on Sanji's ankle to force the blonde back into the apartment. Once Sanji was inside, Zoro turned to face the other man, who had finally managed to gain his footing again. "Go fuck yourself, Jigorou and try to throw me out, I dare you. I gave a spare key to the owner of the building, and I know for a fact that there weren't any complaints." Zoro glanced over to the thin pieces of metal scattered on the floor by the doorway, his face darkening as he put two and two together. "Stay the fuck out of my home, or next time it will be a sword and not a foot that connects with your head."
Zoro stepped back into his apartment, keeping an eye on Jigorou until the door was closed between them. As soon as the latch clicked, he slid the safety bolt into place and leaned his head against the doorframe. He took a couple deep breaths before standing straight and turning around to look at the blonde.
"You okay?"
Sanji clasped his hands together in front of his chest and smiled sweetly. "Yes dear, and how was your day?"
The swordsman stared at him blankly for a moment, the sarcasm not sinking in right away. When it did, Zoro was torn between being pissed for Sanji teasing him, and embarrassed at the stupidity of his own question. In an effort to save face, Zoro decided to ignore the comment and focus instead on putting away his coat and swords, fiddling with this and that until he heard the bathroom door shut and the shower turn on.
Remembering that he had forgotten his phone earlier, Zoro began searching for the elusive device. After ten minutes, he finally gave up and used the home phone to call it. He traced the faint ringing to the pocket of Sanji's coat and groaned when he looked to see how many messages had been missed and from whom. It looked like Luffy had been bored indeed. Zoro was about to erase all of them when he noticed the last was from Ace.
bird down
dog rabid
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Folders, pens, notebooks, and an assortment of other supplies went flying as Smoker threw everything off his desk in anger. This time the assholes hit a little too close to home, and he was going to make sure they paid. From the corner of his eye, he could see the others in the office eyeing him wearily, waiting for him to finally crack. If it hadn't been for the strict order he'd received, he would have already broken, and that pissed him off even more.
Three hours ago, Hina had been attacked. Smoker knew this because she called him from where she laid, covered with blood in an alley behind a rundown market store. Fortunately, most of the blood belonged to her attackers, but still. The hospital was keeping her overnight for observation due to the blow to her head, but assured the overprotective man that his friend would be fine in a few days. None of the assailants were conscious to question, one even in critical condition, so at the moment Smoker had no one to take his anger out on. Resisting the urge to throw the desk out the window, Smoker snatched his coat and stormed out of his office, raising a hand in warning to Tashigi as the young woman tried to speak to him.
Garp watched him leave, holding back his grin long enough for the pissed off man to be out of sight. The chief's body tingled with mischievousness as he thought about an earlier call. Sometimes it was good to play dumb, but sometimes the truth was so much more fun. Garp wondered if there would be anything left on the block when his favorite detective got home.
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Smoker saw him the instant he turned onto his street. It didn't matter that the detective's house was a quarter mile down with a slight curve in the road; he saw him. Or maybe it was more correct to say he felt him. That shiver that creeps up your spine when you know something extraordinary is about to happen, the clammy hands sweating with anticipation, the heat that begins to build in your gut. Smoker knew without a doubt who would be in his driveway, and damn it to hell if he wasn't looking forward to it.
The garage door was up, and an old Ford pickup sat occupying the right side. Tools were strewn all over, along with shop towels and bits of clothing. Smoker's brand new turbine heater was plugged in and blowing full blast, heating up the garage and probably half the outside too. Sticking out from under the open hood of the truck he could see cargo shorts, bare legs, and untied black boots. Turning the radio off in his car, Smoker could hear the familiar sounds of Ace's favorite music blaring from the small stereo sitting on the workbench. If it weren't for the fact that he'd probably damage some tools in the process, Smoker thought about pulling into the garage and running the intruder over. Instead, he settled for hitting the siren and smirking devilishly when Ace jumped a foot, smacking his head on the underside of the hood and cursing loudly.
Ace stumbled out, revealing his bare torso and rubbed his head, sending a nasty look towards the unmarked car as he moved to the side, allowing the sedan to enter. How the man had gotten in wasn't in question, considering Ace's respect for privacy, but why the fool had returned was unknown. Whatever had brought him here must be important though, considering… Smoker shook his head to clear the memory and opened the car door. He hadn't fully gotten out before Ace spoke.
"Hey, Taisa, you know that heater of yours can use anything from jet fuel to kerosene. I have to get me one." Ace hopped up on the side of the truck bed and watched as Smoker carefully made his way around to the front of the car. "I couldn't find the shop towels I usually use, so I opened up that new pack you had on the shelves."
"What are you doing here Portgas?" Smoker knew avoiding him would be impossible, so he might as well get this over with as soon as possible.
"How's Hina doing?"
The sudden question caught him off guard and Smoker took a moment to process it. "She'll live."
"Good. I heard about what happened but Gramps wouldn't let me in to see her." Ace slipped down from his seat. "I have some friends looking-"
"Don't get involved, Portgas. I've already had some complaints about your friends poking around the Baratie." Smoker began working his way around the garage; picking up scattered tools and placing them neatly back in their respective spots. A familiar keychain, that should have been in his glove box, stared back at him from the workbench. The last time he remembered seeing it, he had been searching for the key to Zoro's apartment. Smoker wondered if maybe his passenger had somehow snagged it and passed it on. He looked over to the truck that was leaking some kind of fluid all over the garage floor. "Get that piece of junk out of here before I have it towed to the scrap yard."
"Hey, this is a classic, made the same year you were born." Ace grinned, obviously very proud of the fact.
Smoker took another look at the body style and decided that he was definitely way too old. The truck had to be early to mid 70's, nowhere near old enough to be called a classic. Classics were Chevy Corvairs, Corvettes with teardrop finders, or maybe even a Ford Fairlane. Smoker rubbed his temples in effort to subdue the headache that had begun to form. Fingers carded through his short hair and for a moment, he almost gave in to the gentle touch. With a flick of his wrist, he smacked Ace's hand away and turned away. "Just… move it. I don't have time for this shit tonight."
"Then when?" Ace held Smoker's stern glare when the detective looked over at him, a hint of irritation in the raven's eyes. "You might be satisfied with how things turned out, but I'm not."
"You lied to me. Do you have any idea what would have happen to my career if you were convicted? I'd lose everything." Smoker pushed his way past Ace to unplug the turbine. The heater kicked off, sending a rush of cold air back into the garage, and making Ace shiver.
"It looks like you already have." Ace's voice was dead, lifeless, and unlike his normal cheery alto. "I'll be going then. Sorry for the intrusion."
Ace gathered up his shirt and jacket, as well as the second pair of pants he must have been wearing over the shorts. Smoker recognized the lamb's wool collar of the bomber jacket that had been his birthday gift to Ace last year. Just before he passed, Ace darted in and place his lips firmly against Smoker's, letting them linger a moment before pulling slowly away.
"Goodbye Detective."
The words sounded final, as if this were truly the end. That, combined with the empty look in Ace's eyes told Smoker that this would be the last he would ever see of the brat. His troubles would be over, and there would be no need to double check each lock on the windows at night. No more idle wondering, no more intrusions in his office, no more anything. When Ace left, he wouldn't be coming back.
Pain gripped at Smoker's chest and he felt for a moment that he'd been shot. Up until now, he'd been able to disillusion himself with lies and pour his every waking moment into the current case. Soon the case would be solved, and lies were getting harder to hold on to. Too many nights he had already woke up reaching for someone who wasn't there.
The instant Ace's hand touched the chrome latch Smoker was on him, spinning the raven around and slamming him into the cab of the truck. They instantly latched on to each other, Smoker's hands burning as they ran up tanned skin to tangle into silken black hair. Mouths met in desperation as they kissed, each trying to convey what words seemingly couldn't. Ace whimpered slightly and turned his head away as they came up for air.
"Smoker…"
"Don't speak." Smoker began to nip at the soft skin of Ace's throat.
"Ah.. Tai-" Ace began struggling a little.
"Shut up Portgas," the detective growled as he rolled his hips forward, pleased with the pleasured moan he got in return.
"Door latch," Ace finally managed to get out.
Smoker paused, realizing the reason for the unwelcome interruption, and pulled Ace with him as he fell back against his car, reversing their positions. Ace shivered again, and Smoker could feel the tiny prickle of goose bumps on his skin. He opened his eyes and looked out the where the garage door should have been, groaning as he noticed one of his neighbors gaping at them from across the street. With almost no effort, he grabbed Ace's ass in both hands and lifted him, pleased when long legs instantly wrapped around his waist. Smoker managed to blindly hit the close button as they stumbled into the house, his own impatience combining with Ace's desperation as they literally began ripping off each other's clothes.
The buttons from Smoker's shirt went flying and the detective retaliated by slamming his lover down on the kitchen table, deciding that it was much closer than the bedroom upstairs. Ace shed his shorts quickly as Smoker shoved his own jeans down his hips, neither bothering with removing any more than necessary. Smoker snarled when the heels of Ace's boots bit into his lower back, but never said a word as he stood between Ace's thighs and leaned down to reclaim the raven's lips. Their passion was short and frenzied as they both struggled to keep any means of composure about them. Ace's nails dug into the loose shirt still covering Smoker's back and threw his head back as he screamed out his lover's name.
Smoker's body shook slightly before relaxing and he took in several deep breaths to help slow his heart back down. He refused to look at Ace as he pulled back and stepped away, hoisting his pants up as he turned to walk down the hall. Inside his body was singing, but his mind was in turmoil. For the last six months, Smoker had done everything possible to forget about what they once had, but the instant he feared the brat was gone for good, he panicked. All rational thinking had flown out the window as soon as his hand touched that luscious sun-kissed body and now he was paying the price. One look in the bathroom mirror and Smoker knew he was fucked, in more ways than one. The detective reached over and turned on the shower, setting it to slightly warmer than he normally liked and let his clothes fall to the floor. The door opened behind him and he waited until he heard the thud of heavy boots hitting the floor before he stepped into the spray. When tanned arms began to circle him, he didn't resist. Nor did he stop Ace as the raven stirred his desire once more. He'd arrest the brat for something one of these days, but until then… He'd just have to keep his blinds closed.