Author's Note: sorry if this chapts a little rushed

Disclaimer: i don't own it

Chapter Seven: Reason for Existence

"Your nakama?" 614 asked disbelievingly. "Are they more whitecoats?"

Hoshi stared in astonishment, then laughed. "No way! They, I mean, WE'RE pirates!"

All nine kids gaped at her. "Pirates?!"

She grinned. "Don't worry, they're a good bunch. We'll just put it like this if we get captured: I kidnapped you. How's that? Then you all won't get into trouble."

"No way!" 638 said empathetically. Her tail streamed out behind her as she ran. "I'd rather be a pirate than come back here!"

"That's right!" chorused 625 and 694. The others nodded in agreement.

Hoshi furrowed her brow as the next band of scientists blocked their way. "Well if you say so… but then you all have to have names. Not number names, more like real names." She jumped at the first scientist, cracking her whip. "Yosh, everyone listen up!" she yelled.

"694, you are officially renamed Tori.

"625, you are Neko.

"638, you are Kitsune.

"627, you are Panda.

"614, you are Uma.

"659, you are Kakyou.

"648, you are Raku.

"640, you are Oso.

"735 is Koara.

"Everybody, got your new names?" she yelled as the last scientist fell.

Turning, she saw the kids gaping at her. "A… are you sure that's okay?" asked the newly renamed Neko. His tail switched back and forth nervously.

Hoshi grinned, then motioned for them to keep running. They followed her like a bunch of little puppies. "It's fine, believe me. I didn't feel too comfortable with my new name for a while, but I got used to it."

"What's your name anyways?" Kitsune asked.

"Hoshi," she grunted as she rammed her shoulder into yet another scientist.

"'Star'?" Tori asked with surprise.

"Yeah," Hoshi nodded. "I used to be 413," she explained, unconsciously rubbing her shoulder, "but my captain was the one who told me that I should have an actual name."

Raku whistled softly. "I bet he's really smart," she said.

Hoshi stared at the girl in astonishment before bursting out into laughter.

Panda started panting. Kitsune glanced at him, concern in her eyes. "You okay 62- I mean, Panda?"

"Y… yeah…" he gasped.

Hoshi looked at him. This pace they had been keeping would be pretty harsh on a kid of his bulk… she inwardly sighed. "Can you keep up?" she asked, not unkindly.

He looked at her, and Hoshi saw determination in his eyes. "I'm going to even if it kills me!" he vowed passionately.

Hoshi raised an eyebrow. "If you say so." There was a roar of sound that was steadily growing louder… suddenly, she grinned as she realized what it was.

"What?" Oso asked, picking up on the smile.

"We're really close," she said. When they turned the corner, there was a mass of soldiers… all unsuccessfully trying to stop the intruding pirates.

"Just how many of them are there?!" Nami yelled.

"It doesn't matter!" Luffy roared. "Hold until every last one of them is down! We need to get into this building, Hoshi's waiting for us!!"

"AYE!" everyone yelled, before throwing themselves back into the battle with new vigor and strength.

Suddenly, a new voice cut through the fray. "SHIRUBA HEBI!"

In the back of the hall, a bunch of bodies suddenly flew into the air. The Straw Hats grinned.

"HOOOSHIIIIIII!!" Luffy yelled. "WE'RE HERE!! WE CAME TO GET YOU!!"

"AYE!" Hoshi yelled. "EVERYONE! I'M SORRY FOR THE THINGS I SAID BEFORE, I DIDN'T… I DIDN'T MEAN IT!!"

"WE ALREADY KNOW THAT!" Nami yelled. "HURRY UP AND GET OVER HERE SO WE CAN TALK!!"

The next two minutes were a mass of chaos, ending with Hoshi and the Straw Hats almost attacking each other before they realized all the soldiers were gone. They stared at each other for a second, then started laughing.

"But seriously," Hoshi laughed. "I really didn't want to say those th-"

"It's fine Hoshi!" Luffy laughed. "Just forget about it, you did it to save us. No problem!"

Robin looked around. The nine kids were doing their best to hide themselves behind Hoshi, though that was sort of impossible. "Gakushi-san, who are these children?" she asked.

"Experiments," Hoshi replied. She pulled out her wings and wrapped her wings around the kids. "They're just like me." As Hoshi went through introductions, Zoro thought something was wrong… although she seemed happy, there was a faint line between her eyebrows.

Luffy looked the kids over. "Are they like the Lizard-boy?"

She nodded, her face growing serious. "They went through the same things I did… I won't leave them here." Her eyes darkened. "I… I'm going to destroy this place," she growled. "I'm not letting it exist anymore."

Luffy's eyes were hidden under his hat. "Is this what you want?"

Hoshi nodded. "Please get these kids out of here," she said. There was no laughter in her eyes. "Get out of here and hide."

Luffy paused, then slowly nodded. "You can do that," he said.

"Luffy!" Nami yelled. "You can't let her do something like that! Hoshi, how're you going to get out!? Are you planning to kill yourself?!"

Hoshi didn't answer. Zoro narrowed his eyes as alarm hit him.

"Hoshi," Luffy said. "I'm only letting you go on one condition… you have to come back alive."

Hoshi looked up. She paused and looked around at her nakama, all looking at her with concern. Indecision tore her face. "I… I'll do my best," she promised.

Zoro met her eyes. "You'd better not be lying," he told her. "If you are, I'm going to come kill you myself."

That startled a laugh out of her. "Fair enough," she said.

Tori tugged her shirt. "Y… you're going to be alright, right?" she asked, looking into Hoshi's aqua eyes with concern.

All nine kids hugged Hoshi around every part of her they could reach. "Don't go!" they pleaded. "You're the one who saved us, don't leave us!"

Hoshi almost gave in to their pleas, but… "I have to go," she told them with a smile. "I… I have to make sure that they can't make any more of us, can't torture any more of us."

"Hoshi-san…" Panda sobbed.

Oso and Kakyou were trying to be tough, as their predetermined natures were telling them to be, but they couldn't stop their lower lips from trembling.

"Damn!" Oso muttered, biting his lower lip. His pointed teeth caused it to start bleeding.

"Don't do that!" Hoshi chided.

She gently untangled herself from their clutches. She looked around at all of them. "Take care of each other, everyone!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be back!"

And with that, she ran off back into the building.

Zoro watched her go for one second, before he sighed. "Ah dammit," he swore. "Luffy, I'm going to go after her."

Luffy nodded. "Bring her back safely, Zoro."

"Got it!" Zoro yelled, running down the hall.

Hoshi realized he was following her halfway to her destination. "What the hell are you doing here?!" she yelled.

"Making sure you don't die," he responded. "It won't be good for you if you do."

"I'm not planning to die," she growled.

"Well I'm just here to make sure you don't," he grinned, catching up with her.

"Get back to the others, right now!" she yelled. "Yo-"

"Well, even if I wanted to, I can't," Zoro said, looking forwards. "I forgot the way back."

Hoshi was stunned for a second (having forgotten his sense of direction), before she contented herself with hitting him on the head. "BAKA-YARO!" she shouted.

"OUCH!" he yelled, clutching his head.

She squeezed her eyes shut for one second to calm herself, before sighing. "Damn," she muttered. Then, she suddenly looked awkward. "Actually… I'm sort of glad you came," she said quietly, looking away.

Zoro stopped pressing the enormous bump that had risen on his head. "What?"

"Ah, nothing!" Hoshi said, sweatdropping. "Nothing."

Zoro side-glanced at her, but didn't press her.

"So what's the plan?" he asked. "I have to say, this doesn't look promising. We're going deeper and deeper underground, and you say you're planning to destroy this place? We'll both be buried by a million tons of stone."

"No… we won't be," Hoshi growled. "Not if I can help it."

"What are you going to do?" Zoro asked. "I'm not going to let you do anything reckless."

"Ha ha," Hoshi said sarcastically. "I've got to warn you, we might face some… unpleasant people."

Zoro grinned. "It won't have been the first time."

"Trust me though, this guy's really bad. You've met him before."

"Who? The one they all call 'boss'?"

"Yeah… he's worse than Corazon was. He acts all happy and nice, but inside, he's a really ruthless man." Hoshi's eyes darkened. "He's-"

"I'm what, 413?"

Hoshi gasped and spun around. "Boss," she growled.

"I heard something very interesting about you to wanting to destroy this place," he smiled. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"I won't let you stop me," Hoshi growled, hate in her eyes. She turned and ran down a flight of stairs. Zoro scowled at the man before following.

"And where might you be going?" the boss asked.

"I'm going to destroy that treasure hold of notes you all have in the basement," Hoshi growled. "I'm going to watch them go up into flames myself before I destroy this place."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't let you do that either," the boss smiled. "You'll have to stop there."

"I want… I want to see this place go up into flames!" Hoshi growled. "I'm… I'm never ever coming back to this place, or this island. Too much pain here, I'm going to destroy it all!"

"An impressive speech," the boss acknowledged. Hoshi turned her back on him and kept running down the stairs.

A knife sliced off a lock of her hair. She stopped. Zoro growled at the man. What is with that speed? I didn't even see him move!

"Do you know why you were created?" the boss asked Hoshi, paying no attention to Zoro.

Hoshi scowled. "I don't give a damn about that. I know that you guys made me, and then abused me with tests till I thought I'd die. That's all I need to know."

"There's a reason why we can't let you go running around with a bunch of bastard pirates," he said calmly. Hoshi's eyes widened with anger. "Would you like to know?"

"CUT THE CRAP!" Hoshi roared. "I already said, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT!" She drew her whip and charged. "GO TO HELL ALREADY!"

The boss stepped lightly to one side, dodging her attack. "Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to go to hell today."

Hoshi spun and cracked her whip again. "You think I'm giving you a choice?!"

The boss suddenly disappeared. Hoshi blinked. "Wha-"

Suddenly, Hoshi felt all her strength flee her limbs, and she dropped, gasping, to the ground.

"Do not take me lightly," the boss said, seemingly amused. "I'm not like the ignorant opponents you met outside this place. I know your weakness."

Hoshi clawed the silver bracelet wrapped around her wrist, but her fingers were trembling too hard to unclasp it. "D… Damn," she muttered.

The boss laughed. "You cannot hope to stand against me, 413. I was chosen to create you by the World Government for a reason. That reason bei-"

"Hyou Kin Dama!"

The boss barely dodged Zoro's attack, but as it was, a rip appeared on his shirt.

"Hoshi's not alone here," Zoro growled. "You'd better not forget that."

"As expected from Roranora Zoro," the boss smiled. "However, you cannot hope to defeat me. I am, after all, the one who is able to control the World Government's most valuable weapon."

Hoshi's eyes widened.

"I don't give a damn," Zoro said. "Let her go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm also frankly amazed you consider this," he said, kicking Hoshi, "to be a 'she'. It is a finely tuned weapon, greater even that that of the ancient weapons that could be revived by the Poneglyphs."

Hoshi cried out in pain, but gritted her teeth and glared at the boss. "Why did you make those other kids then?" she demanded.

The boss smiled. "No reason other than to keep the scientists here happy. There was only one purpose for this lab, to create you, but of course, that was classified information. All genetic scientists flocked here to grab at the chance to further their research through the World Government. We needed them to test the extents of your strength."

"You… you made those kids suffer to 'keep the scientists happy'?!?!" Hoshi screamed. "No other reason?!"

"They were but research specimens," the boss said coldly.

Hoshi gritted her teeth. Their eyes… the eyes of those kids… their personalities and voices… put into a small box like that?! With difficulty, she hauled herself to her feet and lunged at him. "BASTARD!!" she screamed. Her eyes suddenly turned a demonic red, her pupils became slits.

"Tut tut," the boss said, stepping to one side. "Drawing on the phoenix's power now, are we? How are you going to kill me? All of that energy is just going into making you able to move at all."

Zoro hit Hoshi with the back of his blade. "Hoshi! Calm down!" he ordered. She fell. Kneeling, he quickly took off the bracelet. "I'll deal with this guy. Hurry and go!"

Hoshi sat up, rubbing her wrist. Her eyes were aqua again. "Bu-"

"No buts! Go do what you came here to do."

Hoshi faltered, then nodded. "I'll leave it to you then," she murmured. Then her face lit up. "But if you die, I'm going to kill you," she teased.

Zoro grinned. "Fair enough."

She ran down the stairs.

"I won't let you," the boss said. He tried to go after her, but Zoro held a blade to his throat.

"Let's let her go," he advised. "It would be good for your health."

"Why are you getting involved?" the boss asked. "It has nothing really to do with you."

Zoro's eyes were shadowed. "'Nothing really', huh?"

Hoshi, screaming that she hated them all and she never wanted to see them again…

"Yes, it has nothing to do with you. You're a pirate."

Trying to push them all away, while she was ripping herself to shreds in the process…

"You say it is your nakama. Why? It will only betray you once it has what it wants from you. That is the nature of phoenixes."

Laughing, singing for the crew, pure joy shining on her face...

"Why would someone like you involve yourself in the affairs of the World Government?"

Crying in his arms, trying to hold all her pain inside, not wanting anyone else to hurt like she was…

Zoro glared at the man. "I involve myself… because you made her suffer," he growled, his eyes dark and cold. "I will never forgive you."