Insatiable Desire

03 - Truth

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?"

"I'm the Chief of CP9. Tone it down, even if you yell your friends will not hear anything."

Nico Robin observed the raven man that was softly pushing her and Franky down some stairs. They'd been walking for some time, leaving the sounds of fights and walls crumbling down behind. She was slightly perplexed... And it wasn't a lot, considering she was still a bit shocked by how things were playing out. She could be feeling irrational, even, and so her judgement could be a bit off. She tried to focus and shoo away her shock and fears.

"AND WHY THE HELL SHOULD I DO AS YOU SAY?!"

The man sighed, pushing them past a door and closing it. "Because I don't want you to wound your throat. Do you wish to shout while spitting blood?" He eyed Franky with an arched brow. "Don't do reckless things and store your strength for later. You may need it."

... What a strange thing to say. "You talk as if you expect our friends to come."

The raven glanced at her once and Robin felt... no chill run down her spine. "My men will not be able to hold them down for long, I can tell." He closed another gate and walked behind the two, willing them to move with only a glare. "And, if you're wondering about it, telling you this won't help you get free."

"OH REALLY?!?"

Franky suddenly turned, Nico Robin wasn't fast enough to stop him. The robot man fell to his knees, along with the woman, defeated by a wave of strong something. She couldn't breathe.

"Yes, really." Right after those slowly uttered words were heard, the dense atmosphere was lifted and they both filled their lungs with fresh, needed oxygen. "I suggest, for your own safety, to not try that again." Robin stood, even if not wanting to, and looked at the Chief of CP9. "We have no time to waste." Franky stood, too, and both started walking again in religious silence.

The archaeologist then knew something was very wrong. She usually felt that familiar fear when facing that kind of officer... But, in front of this one... She didn't. He was not... He didn't seem as cruel as he had showed on the balcony, or as when he had held her neck on the train to fend Sanji and Usopp off. And, even then, his grip had not hurt, not bruised. Spandam had been much worse against her, but he was not the one in charge anymore and it seemed he wouldn't be for a long time.

She breathed deeply, still walking, before looking at the raven, that didn't even spare her a glance. "How did you become the Chief?"

That earned a swift glance that was void of any type of emotion. "Through bloodshed, of course."

Someway, those words didn't feel true.

"Bullshit." She blinked at Franky. "It's obvious you're the least similar to those dogs."

Surprisingly, the man chuckled. "Because they are my dogs. You should not fall in my illusion of kindness so quickly, Cutty Flam. And you neither, Nico Robin. I only need you to be calm and behaving to squeeze information out of both."

Robin didn't believe those words, either.

*-._.-*

Marco took the straw hat and looked around once more before going outside. Ace was leaning on the wall, arms crossed on his naked chest, and it was obvious he was a bit bored. The phoenix appreciated the fact he had followed his request through and communicated that with a smile.

The fire-user, however, after a quick glance at him, had paled visibly. "Ace, yoi?" Marco lifted his hands, remembering one was busy, and noticed how his brother's gaze followed the hat. "What's the matter?"