BACK ALLEY AU- BIRD OF THE NORTH TERRITORY

A sixteen year old should not wake up to blood dripping down her arms and a headache sending off warnings of a concussion. This was the thought a young Nico Robin had as she panted with deep breaths and firmly shut eyes on the floor of an alley. Two tall buildings were adjacent on both sides if her, a long pathway lay out in front with crates and junk more befitting of a shipyards waste. She slumped against a crate on the wall, her arm thrown over another short one to her right trying to hold her up. She noted with dry humor she was wearing a black long sleeve, so bloodstains were the least of her worries. Her faint purple shorts were another story. "How…did I get here….What…what happened." She questioned her mind , too tired to speak still, hands not quite gripping the crate because of the smeared blood leaking from her arms. She gave up and slumped against the box. Memories faintly slipped back into her mind. A group of pirates, no not pirates. They sported a jolly roger but acted like common thugs. She cracked an eye open to look at the concrete beneath her, trying to focus. The Jolly Roger….a sneering grin, with a line crossing it out. The thugs were protecting a box of loot, probably something they'd merely pocketed off an unfortunate pirate nearby. Their real treasure was a prestigious man in a tuxedo…she couldn't place his face. One reason or another he was a target, the men were slightly rushing to bring the gagged aristocrat back to their boss…but their conversation in the box in their possession had grabbed her attention as she passed by the alley. Its insides, they were full of sea charts. Robin knew the government was catching wind of her trail and this island was somewhere she had run to in hopes of escaping their hands. She knew little about it and its true location on the waters. Sea charts were gold to her, they would tell her where she was and how she could leave….if she were lucky enough that they were for this island at least. In that moment she felt the desperation burning in her eyes as she locked them onto the small locked box. Her one eye opened eye had closed a while ago, and she managed to push herself up to lean on the crate beside her. The early rays of morning were hitting her forehead and dripping onto her eyes, she felt the warmth of it, sending little strength back to her muscles. All the sudden, the light went away, a cold shadow and an even colder presence taking place.

" Well, you don't look so good…"

A young voice, a boy's. It was cautious but calm, and she heard a small note of curiosity.

Nico robin cracked an eye open to look at two black sneakers, covered in light dirt but overall quite clean and well kept. She didn't have the energy to raise her gaze higher. Saying nothing she waited for another comment or the person to walk away entirely.

"…I take it your still trying to catch your breath, you're really beat up, Miss."

Robin huffed slightly in annoyance, opening her eyes wider and looking up to the person who'd deemed her their new conversation partner. Her eyes trailed light blue pants with leopard spots scattered in an odd pattern, then a black hoodie. Finally reaching their face she saw a teasing grin and wild eyes, this person was on guard but they looked to be unafraid, almost sizing her up in case she'd have a burst of strength and tried attacking. Overall, they held an excitement in them, for what, she didn't know , or want to find out. She felt some turning in her stomach. However, she realized this look suited the stranger somehow…and felt the insanity wasn't pointed at her. Deep gray eyes looked her up and down, before a hand reached out slow to her, fingers lowered in an inviting manner.

Deciding she couldn't stand on her own, and not wanting to sit around till other, less friendly alley dwellers found her, she took the offer and felt herself lifted with ease. Her eyes widened slightly, this boy looked to be about her age. Sort of short hair and some sideburns, a lanky figure that didn't intimidate on first glance.

The strangers eyes did a once-over of her, evaluating her wounds and then gave a small click of their tongue in distaste she almost didn't catch. The smile on their face remained though, and robin tugged her arm softly in a request of release. The boy complied.

"..Thank you." She blinked a few times, and then ran her hands down her arms to swipe off some excess blood, before rolling downs her sleeves. They weren't very deep, she was a cautious fighter and escaped most of their blows, relying on her devils fruit for attacking from afar. She was outmatched though in strength and severely outnumbered ten to one. It was foolish to go after those charts, even if her life depended on it.

"You know….I have some extra bandages, you can have them in you like." The boy tilted his head slightly at her, wondering if she actually trusted him enough to take it. Probably not.

Robin looked up at him, the rising sun's light catching on the two golden hoops in his ears. She nodded slowly once.

His smile widened an inch, and he reached into his hoodie pocket to hand her a small roll of white bandage.

She took it with a gentle thank you, eyes a bit more trusting now.

"No problem. The names Law, what were you doing here at this hour to get wounds like those?"

Robins arms had blood coming through her sleeve, they weren't deep but they were many going down from the top in slashes. One bastard had pulled a dagger on her arms she'd sprouted to cover his mouths screams. She scowled lightly in annoyance at the thought. She needed to be more cautious yet. She then remembered her new company had introduced themself.

"I'm…Robin. I was trying to steal back some maps these thugs had taken. They are very important to me."

"Steal back huh?" Law questioned with a smirk, arms lazily resting in his hoodie pocket as the two started to walk towards the entrance of the alley.

Robin narrowed her eyes slightly, it seemed law knew something she didn't. And did he really feel the need to call her out on the slight lie? He sounded amused.

"Yes, steal back." Robin fiddled with the bandage on her arms with the sleeve rolled up. It was obvious to her partner that the pain of the cuts on her other arm were making it increasingly hard to treat herself. She was also opening up the fine slit wounds with all her movement trying to seal them back up, ironically.

With little hesitation he took the bandage from her hand and moved back slightly near a crate, telling her to sit while he did the job himself.

Surprisingly robin let him, he showed no hostility and she could tell the boy only tried to help, plus her exhausted outweighed her pride.

"Let me." He said, and the two sat as he went to wrap up her arms like a mummy.

She watched him move quickly and efficiently, as if he'd had lots of practice and didn't bother to check if he was making any mistakes.

"Thank you."

"Mhm."

" How did you know I was lying about the Sea Charts?"

His fingers stilled for a second before he continued wrapping her arm, an amused smile forming on his features.

" Because Those Sea Charts were mine."

He didn't offer any more information for a moment, instead looking up at robin and catching the guilty and startled look in her eye with amused ones of his own. He let out a small chuckle and moved to her other arm." I stole them back this morning. Of course I have no need for them now, i already had them memorized. Still had to teach those thugs a lesson though." Here she watched him speak. His eyes smirked with something otherworldly, and she was reminded of the insanity she saw in them earlier. The thugs who'd stolen his maps and beaten her up, that's who they were aimed at.

"I see." She spoke a little tensely. No need for the maps? Did that mean she could ask for them? After all, he did go out of his way to help her, why not spare her the maps, if he no longer needed them?

Law seemed to have caught onto this and smirked. He wouldn't give them to her if she didn't ask.

Finally he made a knot and patted her arm softly, as if to signify a job well done. Then he stood and robin followed suit.

"Since you no longer need them…May I have them please? I will make use of them."

Law smiled. " of course."

The two walked out from around the alleys corner and down the street, the sun higher and brighter in the sky then it'd been when robin first woke up. A small smile graced her lips.