True to his word, after bring Usopp back to the Merry, Sanji told Run about what is going on with Robin. He tells the red head that she's been missing for most of the day without a single sign of where she might have gone off to. Chopper also tells them that the last place he saw her was in front of the bookstore they were shopping at, and shortly after that Sanji had seen her a few blocks away with a masked man. The red head sighs and reaches up to scratch the stubble along his jaw.
"I'll go find her," Run finally says. "Just make sure you guys don't do anything crazy before I get back!" Run leaps the railing of the Merry quickly, and heads for Water 7. He hasn't the foggiest idea of where to find Robin but with some Haki and a bit of luck, how hard can it be? He walks through the streets of the city slowly scanning his surroundings. With night well and truly upon the city, the streets have finally cleared out. "Let's see...Chopper said that he saw her outside of-- oh, crap!" Someone suddenly grasps him tightly by the collar of his shirt and yanks him into an alley way. He staggers several steps before catching himself, quickly turning to face the culprit. "Look, pal, I'm in a..." The words die in his throat when he finds himself staring at Robin. She braces herself against a wall, one hand pressed gently to her ribs. She's covered in scrapes and bruises but it doesn't seem that she's bleeding anywhere.
"S...Sorry for surprising you, Run," Robin says, attempting a smile and then wincing in pain.
"Robin!" Run approaches quickly, grasping her by her shoulders. "What the hell? We need to get you to Chopper right--"
"N-No! We need to leave the city. Cipher Pol is here."
"Cipher Pol? What the hell is that? Did they do this to you?"
"Yes. They wanted to use me for the World Government but I managed to give them the slip." He helps her stand straight up now, and carefully approaches the mouth of the alley to have a look down either side of the street. "They're looking for Pluton, and they believe that the blue prints are here in the city...here in the possession of Iceburg."
"Pluton? That battleship from the Poneglyph in Alabasta?"
"Yes. I imagine they want to revive it, and use it for whatever the World Government see's fit."
"You managed to get all of that out of them before you made an escape?"
"They wanted to deal. Your lives in exchange for my cooperation. Truthfully, I considered it for a moment..." Run glances over his shoulder at her, and she smiles at him. "...but I remembered I told you before that I was coming home." He grins in response and approaches her, grasping her free hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Alright...the coast looks clear so it's time to for us to beat feet. I do have bad news, though. We spoke to several shipwrights, and had the Merry assessed...unfortunately, she's at the end of her life. So, we won't be able to use a ship unless we steal one." The red head considers things for a moment before he finally nods. "So, we'll catch the sea train, then. Doesn't matter where it's going, wherever we land we'll hop off and get ourselves good and lost for a while. It's a big sea so they won't be able to track us down faster than we can get in touch with the others."
"Mm, sounds like a plan."
"Aah, I've been known to have them occasionally. Now--" Run tenses and turns sharply moments before a masked figure appears at the mouth of the alley. The person wears a blank white mask having only two black dots where the eyes should be. She's dressed from head to toe in a fitted white suit complete with a vest, a black tie and white fedora. "--aah, I guess it wasn't clear after all."
"My, my," speaks the masked woman. "I shouldn't be surprised that you would find your way back to your lover, Nico Robin. We offer you a deal; a chance to save the lives of your crew, and you show your thanks by injuring several Cipher Pol agents?" The woman crosses her arms slowly. "Ahahahaha~! I told them it was a bad idea! She's been trained by 'Red Hair' I said...but these CP9 guys, they know everything! Ahahahaha~!"
"I'm guessin' you must be the big cheese here."
"Huh? Well, that would be both 'yes' and 'no'. Think of me as...an observer." Run's brow furrows slightly in response. "Ahahahaha~! Well, it's not important. What is, or to be more precise, WHO is important is Nico Robin. So, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stand aside."
"Aah...well, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline, pal." A heavy sigh escapes the woman as he slowly crosses his arms.
"Do we really have to do this?"
"You could always walk away."
"Well, I can't do THAT, I'm afraid. Observer or not, I still have a job to do. So--" Before the woman can finish, Run rushes in quickly.
"Sea King's Lash!" A loud 'smack!' sounds as the masked woman, catches his ankle, stopping his kick inches from her temple. "Oh! That's--" Robin watches as the woman almost effortlessly throws the red head through one of the walls of the alley, scattering bricks in all directions.
"Did we really have to do this the hard way? If at all possible, the World Government wanted to avoid provoking your father but--" A vicious snarl sounds from within the building, and Run comes barreling out seconds later, slamming into the woman and wrapping both arms tightly around her waist. Both immediately smash through the opposite wall, bowling through shelving and then out the other side before the masked woman finally digs her heels in, halting the two inches from the edge of the canal. She raises a single arm and drives her elbow down into the red head's back hard enough to bring him to his knees immediately. She slides a leg back and drives it into Run's face seconds later, knocking him flat on his back, a brief spray of blood trailing a soft 'crunch!'.
"Aaah, fuck!" complains Run, shaking his head and scattering blood from his nose as the woman looms over him. Her hand immediately turns an inky black as she draws back, a single index finger held out.
"Iron Shigan."
"Dos Fluer!" calls Robin, a pair of arms sprouting from the ground quickly. "Drag!" Run finds himself yanked out of the path as the woman's hand comes down, shattering the stone where his head had been only moments before. Rather than irritation, laughter is the woman's only response as he follows the red head quickly. Run bounds to his feet and quickly surges forward.
"Sea King's Rush!" shouts Run, leaping in the woman's direction.
"Soru," mutters the woman, disappearing just in time for Run to pass through.
"Wha--" Run's head snaps right the next second, a spray of blood erupting past his lips and his vision briefly swimming. Run growls as he spins, using the momentum as he raises an elbow. "Sea King's Fang!" A loud 'smack!' sounds as once again the woman catches the red head's attack with ease.
"Iron Shigan." A searing pain races through the red head's side, then another and another.
"Dos Fluer!" Robin calls, a pair of hands sprouting from the woman's shoulder and yanking her chin backwards sharply. The masked woman staggers backwards, barely coming to a halt before she drops into the canal as Run presses a hand to his side. "Now, Run!" With a growl he turns and rushes the woman.
"Sea King's Roar!" growls Run, slamming shoulder, elbow and palm into the woman's chest and sending her tumbling back into the canal. The woman splashes down, disappearing below the surface of the waves while Run staggers several feet backwards. "Aaah! Man, this HURTS!" Robin moves forward quickly, grasping his free hand and pulling him away from the canal.
"Hurry! We need to go...!"
- - -
"Holy Hell!" gasps the woman, breaking the surface of the canal. She reaches up and hauls herself up onto the path before turning to sit with her legs in the water. "Ahahahahaha~! I thought I was a goner for a moment." She reaches a hand up and gently massages her neck. "Now, that woman can REALLY hate." The masked woman glances over her shoulder and then turns back with a sigh. "They made an escape, huh? That is unfortunate." Silence fills the air for several long moments before soft sound draws her attention once more, and she glances over his shoulder to find a pair of masked figures standing several feet away. "Kaku, Lucci...what brings you out this way?"
"Should you so casually use our names like that, Reya?" Kaku questions her. "We're here undercover, after all."
"Ahahahaha~! Sorry, sorry!" Reya stands with a grunt, a twinge of pain causing her to pause for a moment. "That red head is just as bad. That Haki is no joke."
"So, you've failed to apprehend Nico Robin," Lucci accuses.
"Huh? Yeah. She's linked up with 'Red' Run, and contrary to my role I was forced into a small altercation. But it would seem that they have eluded me."
"Are two pirates too much for--" Reya appears before Lucci before either he or Kaku can react. A hand lightly grips Lucci's throat...a very obvious warning.
"Careful, boy. I'm in a good mood at the moment...but you'd do well not to spoil it, understand? You've been undercover for five years and have nothing to show for it but a potential lead on some dusty old blue prints that may not exist or that may never have existed, and now what stands to be a long shot at abducting Nico Robin. Perhaps if you'd have attempted negotiation instead of making the leap to assassination you would have what you seek, and I wouldn't have been needed to supervise your mess. But as it stands all we have are thousands of wasted man hours with nothing to show for it. So for now you'd do well to impress me. One could even say your future depends on it." Several long moments of silence follow before Kaku finally reaches out and gently places a hand on Raye's wrist, drawing his attention.
"We understand," Kaku tells her. "Blueno has carried out his task using Kalifa as a stand in. Regardless of whether or not Nico Robin was captured now, Water 7 will still turn against her in the morning. The odds are in our favor for the time being." Raye remains still for several moments before finally releasing Lucci's throat. Neither of the two men move as Raye reaches up and actually pats them both on the cheek through their masks.
"Ahahahahaha~! Now, you boys are finally using your heads instead of your fists!" She steps between the two men, walking away from them.
"Where are you going?"
"Why, of course, to make my report, gentlemen! Don't worry, I'll send word when I've finished!" The woman disappears before their eyes, leaving Lucci and Kaku standing in silence.
"I'm going to kill that woman," Lucci growls.
"Bear with it for now," attempts Kaku. "CP0 sent her here, after all." Both men fall silent as the sound of running footsteps behind to fill the air, accompanied by the sound of whistles blowing. It seems that the local police have come to investigate the scene...which means it's time for them to go. The two men disappear as lights begins to appear at the end of the street...
- - -
"Aaah, is it bad?" Run asks, holding a hand behind his head.
"It looks like the bleeding has stopped," Robin tells him, carefully examining the punctures before standing. "It's also not as deep as I thought. I suppose you have your Haki to thank for that. How's your nose?" After sinking the masked man in the canal, they'd quickly made their escape through Water 7, all the while listening to the sounds of what they imagine to be guards, or perhaps police. Fortunately, Robin's years dodging the Marines and World Government allowed them to make a clean get away before finally stashing themselves in a small warehouse to have a look at Run's wounds.
"I don't think it's broken, thankfully." He lowers his arm, and quickly slips his shirt back on. "Those Cipher Pol guys are no joke."
"Agreed. We need to leave as soon as possible. It'll only be a matter of time before we're found again."
"Are you sure you're alright? You were done in last night, and it's almost dawn now."
"Unfortunately, I don't believe we have a choice." Robin steps closer, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Although, I do appreciate your concern." She steps back and he captures her hand quickly.
"Just...let's at least wait until night fall. I'm not an expert on infiltration but I do know that we stand a better chance if we wait until dark." Run scans the around, motioning with his free hand to all the dust covered boxes surrounding them. "It doesn't look like this place gets much use, so we could rest here for the time being and then set out when the sun sets." Robin sighs and opens her mouth to protest only for Run to quickly hold up a hand. "Please? For me?" After a few moments she nods in agreement.
"Alright. We'll wait until night. BUT...we do need to get you some bandages. We don't need you picking up an infection."
"I'll go. They've seen both of our faces but they're definitely going to be on the look out for YOU." Run walks towards the entrance of the warehouse.
"One hour." He glances over his shoulder at her. "If you're not back in an hour I'm going to come looking...so you'd better hurry." He flashes her a bright grin and nods firmly.
"Oh, yes, ma'am..."
- - -
The streets of Water 7 are absolutely abuzz with activity, people are dashing this way and that, and nearly every one of them has a newspaper in hand. Run does his best to blend in with the crowds while listening to the conversations of the groups of people he passes...and it's quite the shocking bit of news. Apparently, someone broke into Iceburg's home and attempted to assassinate the man in the middle of the night. While he's still unconscious after the attack, he's more or less in the clear and the doctors are just waiting for him to wake up.
"Just what in the hell happened last night?" Run mutters, dodging people as he walks through the maze of streets. "It's gotta be those CP9 guys."
"You'd be correct, sir," calls a voice, causing Run to stop in his tracks immediately. He slowly turns his head in the direction of the voice, finding a masked woman in a white suit seated on the patio of a small cafe, newspaper in one hand and coffee cup in the other. Her mask is slightly raised, revealing her jaw and her mouth...which is twisted into a rather friendly smile. The woman takes a sip from the mug and slowly nods. "Mmm! Aah, forgive me." She carefully folds the paper, sets it on the small table and motions to the empty seat in front of her. "Where are my manners? Please." When Run doesn't move she once again motions to the chair. "Please?" After a few moments Run approaches, steps up onto the patio and actually sits.
"So...what now?"
"Whatever do you mean?" A woman approaches and sets a cup of coffee down in front of the red head as well as a small plate of what he assumes to be macaroons. Run looks around the crowded patio and the crowded street before focusing on the masked woman again.
"Aah, seems like a crowded place for a fight. I'd prefer to take our business somewhere else, if at all possible."
"Now, why would we fight?" Run's brow furrows and the woman's smile widens. "Ahahahaha~! You seem to be mistaken, Run. My objective isn't you but Nico Robin. Apprehending you, or fighting with you may or may help me achieve that goal...but it WILL endanger the civilians around us."
"You want her? You'll have to kill me first."
"Damn but you are determined. That's GOOD. That's the way a man should be." She pauses for a moment before suddenly snapping her fingers. "That's right! Once more my manners have slipped my mind. I know YOU but you don't know ME. My name is Raye, and to be clear...I'm not with the one's who are after your beloved."
"Well, please forgive me if I'm not buying what you're selling. I've got a few extra holes in my side that say otherwise."
"And I have got quite the bruise on my chest from you, Run!" The woman reaches forward and picks up one of the macaroons before popping it into her mouth. "Now, I hope you understand that none of what has happened between us is personal."
"So, you're just following orders."
"Sometimes that's all we can do. Truthfully, I couldn't care less about whatever forgotten 'ancient weapon' they're after. Some things are better left forgotten. I think the man in charge of all of this it completely off his rocker, however, I need time to prove that to my superiors. Time in which I'll be duty bound to pursue Nico Robin, and I suppose by extension, YOU."
"Well, I appreciate your forthrightness, Raye. If at all possible, I'd like to avoid a fight but...neither one of us going to back down." Run looks at the coffee cup on the table in front of him for a moment before picking it up and taking a sip.
"Yes, it seems that way, Run." Raye reaches into the breast pocket of her coat and produces several Beli before placing them on the table. "Stay. Enjoy the coffee." She stands and slides her mask down completely now before walking past the red head. "I hope everything works out for the two of you...and I hope we never see one another again..."
- - -
"I bumped into our masked friend," Run says, as Robin bandages his side. Robin looks up at him sharply and he offers her a smile in response. "I'm fine. We didn't fight...in fact, she sat me down for a cup of coffee and a conversation. Raye, he said his name was. Anyway, you want the good news or the bad news?"
"There's good news?" Robin asks him.
"Of course! We're still alive and not in custody."
"Mm, you have a point. Very well, then, what's the bad news?"
"Cipher Pol tried to assassinate Iceburg last night." Robin pauses for a moment before nodding, and quickly finishing the treatment. "If I was a gambling man, I'd say that they intend to--"
"Frame me."
"Y...Yeah."
"It wouldn't have been very difficult to eliminate Iceburg. They most likely used someone as a stand in, and once he awakens he'll place the blame at my feet. They'll turn the people of Water 7 into their eyes and ears which will make our escape all the more difficult." Run nods in understanding. "Run...we're never going to get there together. Once they point the blame at me, everyone in the city is going to be on the look out."
"What are you--" Robin holds a hand up quickly.
"Just...listen to me. The odds are better if we split up for now."
"Aah...I'm not gonna pretend I really LIKE the idea of separating while you're being chased. But since you have more experience with that kinda stuff than I do...just promise me you'll be safe." She smiles and gives him a nod. "Then, let's not change much. We'll meet at the train station after sun set..."
- - -
The situation in the city had become much worse than Run had initially imagined. Thankfully, Iceburg had woken up after the attempt on his life but unfortunately he'd not only blamed Robin but the blame had even spread to the rest of the crew. With half of the crew carrying a bounty on their head, and their reputation as pirates, the odds of convincing anyone that they didn't have a hand in it would be slim to none. So, in an effort to better hide himself, Run had been forced to...BORROW some clothes from someone's clothes line. He takes a white, long sleeved henley and black pants as well as what seems to be a carnival robe with a hood to hide himself.
To make matters worse, several alarms had already sounded through the city warning of something known as Aqua Laguna and ordering all citizens of Water 7 to evacuate to the upper levels of the city. But with nothing he can do about their situation, Run simply keeps out of sight until the sun finally sets and begins to make for the train station. Perhaps as a result of the up coming storm, the streets of the city are more or less deserted, leaving on the sound of his footsteps and the howling of the wind to accompany him.
"If you're heading for the train station," begins a now all too familiar voice, causing Run to stop in place. "I'm afraid you'll find it isn't the escape you'd hoped for." The red head takes a deep breath before sighing heavily and turning to face Raye. "I regret to inform you that Miss Nico Robin was apprehended two hours ago, Run. As of right now, she should be boarding the final train to Enies Lobby."
"I'll get her back, Raye," Run tells her, discarding the robe he's wearing. "I don't care who's there." The red head takes a single step in her direction and Raye raises a hand quickly.
"Hold a moment. Now..." She unbuttons the jacket of her suit and reaches in to a vest pocket to produce a small gold pocket watch. "...it's currently ten forty-five. The train is scheduled to depart at eleven. You and I could stay here, slugging it out until that train departs or..." Raye tucks the watch back into her vest pocket. "...you can follow this path to the train station, and catch the train before it's departed. If you run like hell you should make it there with a few minutes to spare. Who knows, maybe I'll even pass the information along to your crew." Run glances over his shoulder for a moment before looking back at her.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Ahahahaha~! Who's to say? Maybe I'm a sucker for love stories that have a happy ending." Run continues to stare at her for a moment before glancing over his shoulder once again. "It's a simple choice, Run. Step forward or retreat." With that the woman disappears before his very eyes, and Run turns quickly to start sprinting down the street...
- - -
"Today's last train to Enies Lobby, departing at 11 PM," announces a male voice through the platform. "Would all passengers please board from the second floor due to the raised water level." Run stands shrouded by the shadows, well hidden from the Marines crawling all over the place.
"Jackpot!" Run mutters, staring at a cloaked figure. Even from a distance he can tell it's Robin...he'd recognize her walk anywhere. "Government officials, Marines...and Robin. Guess it's a good thing I didn't just go barging in." Run watches as two men in suits start guiding her towards the Sea Train. Hearing shouting voices the red head looks towards the commotion. Wrapped up tight, and bound by rope is Usopp and another man that he don't recognize. Both are being carried by an even bigger man who has his hair shaped into bull-like horns. They continue they're struggling and screaming until they're knocked out cold. "Those three...Kaku, Lucci and Kalifa."
The Marines and the men in suits form two lines, saluting the four as they pass before filing into the train after them. An announcement rings loud over the platform, informing them that due to the storm surge growing closer, the train is going to be departing sooner than expected.
"Guess it's now or never. Don't worry, Robin. I'm comin'." The red head goes sprinting towards the station, dashes down the stairs and spills out onto the platform before rushing the train. Two of the men working the platform attempt to stop them but Run easily sweeps them aside before diving for the last train car. He barely catches the railing, and quickly pull himself up to safety. "Whew! By the skin of my teeth." He watches the platform fade quickly in the distance, and sighs heavily before turning to face the door. "Alright, CP9...it's time for a break out...!"