Desires of Men ~SEQUEL TO THE LIFE I LIVE~

It's Kitten, Not Kat

*One Week Later*

Law pinned the woman up against the alley wall, gripping the collar of her jacket with one hand and pressing his nodachi's blade against her throat with the other. Rain drenched both of them, but it didn't seem to deter the very angry pirate in front of her. Her pathetic whimpers were masked by the pouring rain.

"Ok! Hey, put me-" She grabbed at the Captain's hand against her neck, futilely trying to loosen the hold now half chocking her.

"Answer my question if you want to live." Trafalgar Law growled lowly, increasing the pressure of his blade against her throat. The woman sucked in a breath, eyes trained on the hilt of the sword. Behind the Captain, just barely visible in the dark evening light, stood a polar bear, looking very much soaked, but still very much threatening.

"Hey, let go! Don't you know how t' treat a lady?" She jerked her feet forward, attempting to kick the pirate away, but Law was too far back for her to reach.

"You aren't very smart, are you?" The Captain cocked his head, eyes hidden under the brim of his spotted hat.

"Just because you're a Shichibukai doesn't mean I have to tell you nothin'!" The woman spit in Law's direction, and at first Law didn't immediately react. The bear behind him seemed to rear up at the offensive move, mouth open in a snarl and a low growl emitting from his throat.

"I certainly hope you understand the position you're currently in." Law said calmly. "You are a part of a very large gang of theives. And it's quite common for a group such as that to gossip about information amongst themselves.

The woman swallowed, knowing full well the pirate was correct. Every person in the group knew what the pirate was trying to figure out, but she wasn't sure where he was going with it.

"S-so what about it?" Unknowingly giving herself away. From underneath the hat, Law smirked.

"That means there are several others I can torture to obtain the information, several much weaker people who would certainly tell me what I need to know...which is unfortunate for you. It means you're expendable."

His eyes were still hidden, and the woman's frantic ones searched desperately for some sign that the Shichibukai was bluffing. It was difficult to see in the rain that continued to pound down on them. The pirate seems unaffected by the weather. Neither did the bear behind him.

The blade against her neck pressed harder, and she could feel beads of blood now rolling down her neck. Suddenly, Law looked up, revealing his narrowed and cold eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now." Law ordered, a snarl fixed on his face, and the woman caved.

"I'll t-tell you what y-you need to know." Instantly, the nodachi was retracted from her throat and she let out a relieved breath. The hand on her collar also was gone, and she slid to the ground, her legs turning to jelly.

"What are you-" She couldn't finish her question, as a paw came flying at her face at high speed. She didn't register the pain, just the darkness.

~~~

"Bring her back to the ship." Law ordered, sheathing his nodachi and walking away. His black coat effectively camouflaged him in the dark hours of the night. Bepo picked up the unconscious man and followed his captain, idly noting that the gang member smelled like an awful mix between sewage and tobacco. He wondered how Law could stand being next to her for so long.

~~~

Law waited, sitting in the chair opposite his victim, for the moment she woke up from being hit in the head. He narrowed eyes took in the worse-for-wear state of the woman's clothing, the dirt covering her face, and the very thin structure of her body. She obviously didn't eat much. Or bathe. He crinkled his nose again, catching a whiff of her scent.