Violet leaned against the light post's pole under the illumination, watching the street with interest. The occasional car or pedestrian would pass, paying her no mind. Seldom, a cop would pass by, and she'd slink back to stand in the shadows. They would go by without incident. In these parts of town, most were already bribed by the family, but you never knew when a new kid or some self-righteous prick would roll by. Better to be cautious about it.
It was bitter cold. The jacket that went to her mid thighs didn't do much against the chill. This late at night, nothing could really help this temperature. She sighed, breath fanning out in front of her. Her foot tapped against the concrete, impatient and cold. The things she did when people asked her to…it was hard to say no though. With the power he had, there was no saying no.
Another person went by behind her, wandering off towards her left and closer to down town. She watched with disinterest, seeing nothing of note, then turned her attention back to the road. Not who she was out looking for.
A few moments later, a car slowed to a stop on the curb in front of Violet. She rolled her eyes and pushed away from the post, sauntering her way over to the window. She hated keeping up appearances when there was really no need to. It rolled down to let her talk to the occupant inside.
"Well, hello there beautiful." The man said, smiling what was supposed to be a charming and disarming smile. Violet flashed one in return, but she felt little for him. The little purple hair, obviously dyed himself and not very well, fell in waves on either side of his face to about his shoulders.
"Something I can help you with, sugar?" She asked sweetly. Almost too sweet.
The man chuckled, eyes sweeping down her figure suggestively. "Heh, I sure hope so. Why not get out of the cold and let me give you a ride?"
"Where would we be going?" She asked, not really caring for the answer, but forcing her interest into her tone anyway.
He shrugged. "Wherever you want to go, hot stuff."
Yuck. Pet names were the worst.
"Sounds like…quite the offer, Mr…"
"Spandam."
Violet smiled another thin smile, then glanced at the road around them. Maybe another 'potential client' would come around and save her from this disgusting guy. The inside of his car didn't smell that nice, and he honestly wasn't kind on the eyes.
No one was around, save for some guy in a hoodie passing on the other side of the road. He was hunched over from the cold, head down, minding his own business. She could barely see him until he passed underneath the opposite light post. The back of the hoodie was nondescript and other than the body type-
Her eyes narrowed. He looked…
"So, how's about you hop on in and let me enjoy you for the night?" Spandam tried to woo, but didn't seem to notice she had stopped paying attention to him.
The man on the opposite side of the street payed her and the stopped car no mind even as she stared after him, instead walking along his way towards the unoccupied and run-down part of town.
"You know, on second thought, I think I'll be on my way." She said, straightening from the window of his car and backing away.
"What? What the hell? You're a hooker, aren't you?" The guy asked in outrage, leaning towards the passenger side to see her. "I'm good for the money!"
"Fuck off, asshole. Go home to your wife." She spat with contempt, stepping away from the curb entirely and following the same direction as the man in the hoodie. Hopefully he wasn't aware of her following him.
She kept to the shadow, stepping carefully to the heeled boots wouldn't make too much noise on the sidewalk. With as little traffic and background noise as there was out here, that was difficult. One wrong or loud step and she could lose him.
Violet could barely make out his figure in the dull darkness. Nothing more than a dark shape against the outlines of buildings. He continued along his way, never looking behind him, before turning to cross over to her side of the road.
Quickly dropping out of sight, she hid behind a bus stop's bench, watching from the shadows as he glanced inconspicuously both directions. Perhaps watching for any passing cars. Perhaps watching for any unwelcome followers. One couldn't tell. He trudged on through the snow, disappearing behind a fence to Violet's left, and she waited a few seconds before picking herself up again and following after him.
She made it to the turn in the fence, then stopped, listening for anyone hanging around close by, or any breathing. She heard none, and cautioned a glance around the edge of the fence. The man wasn't lying in wait to ambush her like she originally suspected. Instead, he was several dozen yards ahead, tromping along none the wiser. Violet shook her head in disbelief.
He seriously hasn't noticed me yet? This is almost a joke…
She waited another second or so, before making her way forward again, trying to stop the chattering of her teeth. It sounded so loud in her own mouth, but she was sure it was muted in the surrounding air. At least she hoped.
The surroundings changed from large brick buildings to much larger concrete ones. The industrial part of town, long ago abandoned and left to rot. Occupied now by those running from and opposing the law, and those who just want to be left alone. Of course. A perfect place to hide away, she reasoned.
The man ahead began to cross to the other side of the street again, drifting slowly through the street in a diagonal line. Violet kept to her side, following him with her eyes as he went, waiting with bated breath for any sign that he'd whip around and see her following there. She was exposed in this area. Nothing to hide behind. And definitely no way to pretend she was just a pedestrian. No one would be out this late on their own for any innocent reason.
But still, he did not look back. She paused, watching as his direction of travel began to coincide with a particular set of buildings further off the road. In the darkness it was difficult to see details, but she was able to see their shape and location. Violet glanced at the nearest street sign. 4th Avenue.
She stopped, then. Even as she waited, he did not deviate from his intended destination. And as he pushed aside the wooden board covering one of the windows, sneaking inside, Violet smiled. The phone was already dialing before she'd turned away to find someplace to warm herself up.
Hitomi was akin to a bee, buzzing back and forth around the apartment in a worried pace. Zoro couldn't help but find it sort of funny, watching her fret and wear at the carpet as she checked and double checked everything in the house was alright. He'd never seen her so worked up before.
"…made sure that your room is clean and your homework is done, right?" She finished, turning to Soma with a questioning glance.
He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Everything's put away and all my homework is ready to turn in in my backpack. Relax, Big Sis, I'll be fine."
"And if you get hungry, you can have a snack in the fridge. You just ate dinner, though, so don't have something too big. Just something small." She continued in a mother-henning tone. Her heels clicked against the tile floor as she wandered back and forth across the kitchen.
"Big Sis." Soma finally said with weight, causing her to pause. "I know how to feed myself."
She sighed, smoothing down her hair in worry. "This is the first time I'm leaving you alone at the apartment. Are you sure you'll be ok?"
Zoro watched with amusement, watching the exchange between the two. They had a strange relationship, but an entertaining one. He had a sneaking suspicion that Hitomi wasn't willing to admit to just how old and mature Soma was becoming, having grown so used to taking care of her little brother who needed her attention and help all the time. Sometimes it was hard to admit that he wasn't a little kid anymore.
"I'm 13. I can handle myself." He stated certainly, crossing his arms defiantly. "Just go. And make sure you're back before 10." Soma finally turned to Zoro with a piercing glare, pointing an accusing finger up at him. "No later than that. Understand?"
The green-haired man nodded dutifully. He'd started to become accustomed to Soma's overly-protective nature. It was just his way of looking out for Hitomi. "Of course."
Hitomi looked between her male companions, before finally seeming to deflate and accept the fact that this was happening. "Ok. But don't hesitate to call if you need anything. I'll let you know when we're on our way back."
"Alright, alright, I get it." He replied, pushing the both of them towards the door. "Now get out of here before I decide that he's not allowed to take you on this date."
Before she could say anything more on the matter, Soma opened the door and pushed the both of them past the threshold, shutting it and locking it soundly on the other side. The two adults were left glancing at each other in the outdoor hallway. It seemed Soma had made the decision for them. They were effectively kicked out of the apartment.
"Shall we go?" Zoro asked, holding out his elbow for her to take.
Hitomi closed her eyes and sighed again, finally reaching out to accept the gesture. "Alright then."
They walked down the stairs towards the parking lot, enjoying the presence of one another. Zoro had started to feel more secure with this relationship, and he no longer felt as nervous about taking her places or just being by her side as he once did. She certainly had a way of easing his mental and emotional tension. It was uncanny. For once he was the picture of calm, while she was a nervous wreck. It wasn't often the incredible lawyer was the fidgety one between them.
Predictably, they didn't get very far before she spoke again. "I suppose I'm overreacting, aren't I?"
He only shrugged, matching his speed to hers in her heels. Perhaps they hadn't been the best choice in shoe, considering the snowy weather. "Maybe, but it's understandable. You just want to make sure he'll be ok."
"Yeah…" She trailed off for a moment, breaking away from him as they reached his vehicle. "But maybe he's right. I need to start trusting him more. He's already a teenager, after all."
"Soon he'll go on dates of his own."
She shook her head. "One step at a time, yeah? I don't want to even think about that right now."
Zoro grinned, unlocking the car so they could get in. "Whatever you say."
Corazon watched the bar from the corner of the back hallway, relatively unseen to the patrons attending. He puffed out the smoke of his cigarette, gaze occasionally watching Luffy do his job. The kid was a natural. A little flamboyant and perhaps a bit too energetic for the night shift—his evening regulars tended to prefer Law's calm demeanor and quiet service, as he'd observed—but otherwise he did the job well.
Corazon would have to look into getting another replacement during Law's absence. He had no idea how long this could go on for, and as much as he hated the thought of hiring someone for a temporary and unknown period of time, he still had a business to run. It was getting to be a bit much doing the bartending day shift himself and also overseeing for the night. He was tired. He needed sleep.
Perhaps he'd put out an ad tomorrow, but in the meantime, he'd enjoy the quiet that this moment afforded him.
He hoped Law and Summer were both alright. He hadn't heard a word since that fateful night. He supposed that could be interpreted as either good or bad, depending on how you looked at it, but he wished for at least some bit of information. Being kept in the dark was agony. He worried about Law's wellbeing enough as it was.
Corazon had never married. Had wanted to, definitely, but…well, Law was the closest thing he'd ever have to a-
The phone in his pocket buzzed rapidly, and he dipped a hand down to grab it. The caller ID was not who he'd been expecting, and he turned away to head back to his office to answer it. "Hello?"
"I've got a, uh…strange question for you. Might seem out of the blue."
The bar owner grinned, pushing into his office and letting the door shut behind him. "Bellemere, I've known you a long time. I doubt anything you say or do would be strange at this point."
She chuckled on the other end, letting out a puff of breath. No doubt smoking as well. It was something they'd always share. "Heh, don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not but, hell. I was wondering if you'd seen Summer recently. Her apartment's been empty for a week or so, and I haven't seen her car in the parking lot."
His smile fell a little and he settled himself in his chair. This wasn't exactly his favorite topic. And lying wasn't something he enjoyed. "She's out of town on a trip with Law, I think. Not quite sure when they'll be back."
There was a long silence on the end of the line, and Corazon knew that she was thinking over his answer.
"You know what the problem is with knowing you so well, Rosinante?" She asked, using his first name She didn't do that often. "It's nearly impossible for you to lie to me without me knowing about it."
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. Come to think of it, he'd always been a pretty terrible liar. Especially to her. It was what had caused their irreconcilable differences in the first place. He sighed. "Yeah, I know. Worth a shot though."
"You wanna tell me the truth, then?"
"Law's mistakes are catching up with him." Was all he said.
Bellemere had heard the full story years ago. They told each other nearly everything, despite no longer being a couple. They were too close of friends to let something like that stop them from being there for each other. Even when Bellemere had her two kids as a single mother to a deadbeat dad. And even when Corazon took in some kid off the streets to protect from his own family.
She hummed in sympathy, and he could almost picture her head shaking sadly. "Poor kid. He's more than paid for all that if you ask me. Lost all he had to begin with."
"You're telling me." He agreed, rubbing at his face tiredly.
"I'm guessing Summer's caught up in this too?"
"Right in the middle of it all."
"Shit." She cursed, sucking another inhale of her cigarette. The nicotine was probably helping her keep her calm. "That brother of your's has gone too far."
"I know…most of this is my fault…" He admitted, having voiced the thought that had been growing more pervasive as time went on. Doflamingo was his own flesh and blood. Wasn't it his responsibility to make sure his family was kept in check? He'd failed to do that a long time ago, and in return more and more lives were being ruined because of it. Law's—and now Summer's—included.
"Oh, you know there's nothing you could have done." Bellemere reasoned in a chastising tone. "Even when we were together, there were never any signs of what he was. You couldn't have known. And you couldn't have prevented this."
She was repeating an old argument. No use in continuing it now. They hadn't ever come to an agreement for it, and he doubted they would now. Corazon would always hold that guilt to himself, no matter what she or anyone else said. It was his fault Law's life had fallen into the trap that it had, and he'd do everything he could to help get him back on track for a normal life again.
He couldn't bring himself to respond, and she seemed to understand.
"Tell me as soon as you hear word. I want to make sure they're both ok. You're not the only one worried about them."
"Of course, Mere." He said, letting slip the nickname he'd always called her back then. Sometimes old habits died hard. She didn't seem to notice, though. Or care. He couldn't tell which. Because she said nothing more about it and the call ended.
Soma was right in the middle of battling the Elite Four gym masters on his DS. Jeez, this must have been the third time around. It was almost too easy at this point. He'd have to ask for the newest version of Pokemon for Christmas, because this one was getting a little boring now. There wasn't any Pokemon trainer on the map that he couldn't beat in ten moves or less.
He sighed and tossed the game to the bed beside him, staring up at the ceiling. He was bored. Hitomi and Zoro had been gone for over an hour and he didn't know what to do to occupy his time now.
Maybe watch some tv? There wouldn't be much on right now. It was a Wednesday. There weren't any good tv shows airing on Wednesdays. How boring. He wasn't hungry either. Dinner had filled him up, and the sound of a snack wasn't appetizing right now.
In an attempt to find something to do, Soma stood from his bed and wandered into the kitchen and living area. He leaned against the wall and looked around. The Xbox was one option. He could see if any of his friends were playing right now, but at the same time he didn't feel like socializing. It just wasn't one of those days for it. Maybe tomorrow.
Dang. So many options and so few that Soma felt like actually doing.
The sound of the front door handle jiggling made him whip his head around to the entrance to their apartment.
It had only twisted for a second, then snapped back into the default position. But it had definitely moved. Eyes wide, he stood stock still and watched it, waiting, trying to see if it would move again.
His eyes glanced briefly at the window, thankful that the blinds were closed and nobody could see inside. Just as he looked away the knob twisted again, a little more forcefully this time, as if really testing to see if it was locked. Soma's heart beat a little harder against his chest, adrenaline kicking in.
Hitomi hadn't called or texted to say they were coming home, so it couldn't be her returning from her date with Zoro. She always kept her promises like that. Which could mean only one thing.
Someone was trying to break in.
From years of Hitomi telling him what to do if this situation ever came about, he snapped into action without hesitation. Sneaking quickly and quietly to his sister's bedroom, he went to the nightstand and opened the top drawer, taking out the pistol she had stashed there. He hadn't ever actually shot it before but…
"The first thing you do is turn the safety off, then snap the slide back into place. There's a bullet already in the chamber. Always make sure you've got it pointed at something you intend to shoot at. No straying." Hitomi's instructions played over again in his head, exactly how she'd told him before.
It was heavier in his hands than what he expected. Unfamiliar and alien to him as he did as she instructed, a weapon ready to kill if need be.
There was another loud rattling from the front door, prompting him to move a bit quicker. Not too quick that he made excess noise, but enough that he wondered how long it would take whoever was trying to get in to unlock the door.
He shut the nightstand door and stepped to leave the room. But it was at that moment he heard the front door open entirely. His arms and hands felt cold, then. He was running out of time. And options. His eyes scanned the room as the door up front shut behind the intruder, and Soma made the snap decision to hide in Hitomi's closet. It had a sliding door, and wouldn't make any noise to open and close.
Soma scrambled—silently, of course—to get inside the hiding spot and close the door behind him. For being such an orderly and neat person, Hitomi's closet was in a less-than-organized state. This actually worked to his advantage, though. The anomalous interior, coupled with the darkness, would make it difficult for him to be spotted. He settled himself at the back behind a box of her shoes. He hoped it would be enough to conceal him.
Hitomi caught herself staring off again, and she shook her head to snap herself out of her funk. Zoro, who was perusing the menu of the Thai restaurant they'd decided to eat at, noticed and raised a brow. "Everything alright?" He asked in concern.
She smiled ruefully and shook her head. "It's fine. I just can't shake this feeling…"
Her skin itched. She couldn't sit still. It just felt like…something was off kilter, but she didn't know what.
"Is this about Soma?" He guessed, and she shrugged.
"I'm not sure…"
He closed the menu and regarded her fully. "He's old enough to take care of himself, right?"
She nodded. It was true. He was 13 now. Old enough to figure out how to take care of his own needs when she wasn't around.
"I thought this earlier, but didn't mention it." He started. "Maybe you just don't want to accept the fact that he doesn't need your constant help or attention anymore."
Hitomi initially frowned, ready to deny it, but Zoro continued.
"You like being the one he depends on. Maybe you don't want to let that feeling go." He concluded with a shrug. He wasn't a lawyer like her, able to read people even when they put on their best poker faces, but he had been around her long enough to pick up some tricks of his own.
The more Hitomi thought about it, the more it made sense. She'd gotten so used to being the one Soma looked to for support and assistance, the thought of that routine changing was a scary one.
Soon, Soma wouldn't need her at all. Given enough time, he'd go off to college, and date, and get married…She was getting off on a tangent again. She blinked several times, placing herself back in the moment with Zoro again. She was on a date. This was supposed to be a night of enjoyment and fun.
"Perhaps you're right…" She looked up and regarded him with a small smile. "You're more observant and intuitive than you think you are, Zoro. We'll make a lawyer of you yet."
"I'll leave the lawyering to people like you." He said, snapping up the menu again as she chuckled.
Soma could hear the paced, heavy footsteps of whoever was in the house. The darkness of the closet made his visual senses utterly useless, but this only heightened his hearing. Every creak of the house and shift of the wood beneath the person's feet was amplified. Each one set Soma's teeth on edge, clutching the gun in a tight grip.
He was careful not to have his finger on the trigger quite yet, though.
"The only time you should have your finger on the trigger is when you intend to shoot. Any moment before and you run the risk of shooting something or someone you don't want to by accident. In a situation like that, you can't afford to be careless."
Hitomi's even and measured voice in his head, recalling the instructions she'd given him was keeping him calm so far. He felt ready, each footstep still further down the hall.
Whoever it was wandered around the kitchen and living room area a bit. The fridge opened, and several things sounded like they'd been knocked over or turned aside. Soma hoped nothing was broken, but the sound of glass did pervade in at least one of the bang that carried through the apartment.
Soma knew he should call the police, but he didn't want to run the risk of being heard in the closet. Better to be quiet and safe for the time being than to hope the intruder wouldn't hear him whispering. Maybe Hitomi would disagree, but it seemed like a logical idea to Soma.
The intruder seemed to finish up in the kitchen, because he could hear the footsteps coming closer down the hallway. They turned into Soma's room, tromping around inside and searching through his things. He got pissed, swearing that they better not be breaking any of his stuff. Most were gifts from Hitomi, and he treasured those above all else.
Before he had much more time to think, the footsteps approached directly outside of the closet. Soma tensed, dry swallowing as a shadow passed across the faint amount of light trickling in beneath the door to the closet.
They were slow, measured, methodical, even. And that seemed all the scarier. Soma had felt calm throughout this endeavor so far, but having someone dangerous not three feet from where you were hiding, blocked by nothing more than a door you could easily push aside, it began to eat away at his confidence. It started slow, but eventually Soma's whole body shook with fear, eyes wide and unblinking as he listened to the person outside the door look through Hitomi's room without thought.
Each beat of his heart sounded like war drums, booming and pounding out loud, certainly loud enough for the person to hear. Was his breathing audible? He couldn't be sure. It took everything he had not to rattle the gun in his hands as he shook unbidden, trying to stay as quiet as possible.
And then the footsteps stopped right outside the closet door. Two lines of shadow blocked portion of the light beneath the doorway, and Soma stopped breathing entirely. His mind went blank, desperately trying to remember Hitomi's instructions on how to defend himself but unable to in the face of real danger. All he could seem to think of in that moment was the fact that he hadn't been able to do his sister proud. That he'd choked in the face of danger. That he wasn't able to protect her like he'd always promised himself he would. He'd let her down, despite it all.
The intruder gave out a loud sigh, but didn't open the door. Soma's body was tensing, his lungs slowly burning with the lack of oxygen, but he wasn't risking making a single sound. There was another moment of silence, before the person spoke again. It nearly made Soma jump out of his skin from fright.
"I couldn't find anything at the apartment…No, she's not here. Let Vergo know the tip-off was wrong." The voice sounded so loud in the silence of the apartment.
Miraculously, the footsteps grew distant again, heading back down the hallway and to the front door. It wasn't until he heard the front door open and shut again did he let out the breath he'd been holding, immediately going into rapid hyperventilation and letting the gun go limb in his grip. He carefully set the safety back on and gently settle weapon on the ground, too afraid to be holding it any longer.
For several minutes all he could do was sit there, gaining his breath—and his courage—back.
Hitomi and Zoro walked down the main shopping strip sidewalk. On either side of them were department stores and shop faces, all decorated for the Christmas season. The snow made it quite picturesque, beautifully scened and festive.
"How can you not enjoy Christmas?" Hitomi inquired with a laugh.
Zoro shrugged, hands in his pockets to keep them warm from the cold air. "It's all about spending money. Too commercial. And I like to keep to myself for things like that. Not a big fan of having to deal with giant families surrounding you, smothering you. It's all a big sham."
"What makes you say that?" He seemed to have a pretty bleak view of Christmas.
"All they're there for is taking a good picture to show to their friends. Just makes them look better. Most don't care about the relatives they haven't seen since the year before." He explained, eyes glancing around at the decorations. "I like the thought of Christmas. But the application doesn't seem to reflect that."
"Well, you're welcome to mine and Soma's Christmas celebration. We stay at home and bake all day long, then watch Christmas movies until one of us falls asleep." She smiled, recalling a previous memory. "Normally we'll celebrate with Makino and Shanks, but they'll be out of town for one of his tours. It'll just be me and Soma, otherwise."
Zoro gave it some thought, gaze still far away. "Maybe I'll try it out. See if that's more to my taste." He said, thinking that maybe he'd enjoy Christmas if it were with Hitomi.
Hitomi's phone buzzed and began to ring in her purse. She looked down and dug it out, looking at the contact. "It's Soma." She said, already swiping to answer. "I hope everything's alright."
They continued to walk down the sidewalk slowly, Hitomi staring ahead as she answered the call. "Hello?"
Zoro walked beside her, watching in curiosity out of the corner of his eyes. He saw as she frowned in confusion, before stopping abruptly in her tracks with wide eyes.
"What? Slow down…Where are you right now?" She asked in a panicked tone. Zoro hadn't ever seen her that scared before. She continued to ask questions of him. "Are you hurt? Did you already call the police?"
He stopped walking then, already pulling his keys out of his pocket. Obviously things weren't alright.
"Soma, did you already call the police?" She repeated. They were both now briskly walking in the direction of Zoro's car, the unfinished date long forgotten. "Ok, don't hang up with me, I'll have Zoro call them right now. Just stay on the phone with me, understand?"
The green-haired man pulled out his phone and dialed 911, hastening his steps to his vehicle. Hitomi's sense of urgency began to affect his own, and by the time they reached they corner they were full-on running to get there as quickly as possible.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
