Zoro glanced up with a hand shielding his eyes, "You see him?"
Sanji shook his head, "Nope."
They then both turned to Faythe who's known for having excellent eye sight. But all they received was Faythe raising both her cuffed wrists with a middle finger for each boy.
"Oh." They both muttered.
Sanji sighed and tucked his hands into his pockets, "If he's on that roof, there's no way to climb up there."
"Unless you're made of rubber." Wyper stated.
Nami stood beside Faythe as she looked at the three that caught sight of Luffy earlier, "How many CP9 members did you see?"
Zoro kept his gaze up, "Just the huge horned guy. He's only one person but..."
"Any of the CP9 members are freakishly strong in their own way." Wyper grunted.
"They probably took Robin and Franky somewhere other than that roof." Sanji brought up, "It's hard to think that everyone's up there."
"They're all probably cooped up in that Justice Tower as a last resort." Faythe suggested with a frown.
"At any rate, we've gotta catch up to Luffy! We've gotta hurry and save Robin!!" Chopper asserted in an urgent tone.
The shouts and hollers of screaming agents and guards was of no avail as they tried to stop the pirates.
The hair on Faythe's neck rose slightly as a chill wave went down her body. She whipped around first—alerting Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper.
But before an entire wrecking ball could hit the crew head on. A familiar frog dove down from the sky and landed in front of the crew with his webbed hand out.
Nami jumped and hid behind Faythe from the sudden appearance, "UWAA!!"
Faythe held an arm in front of her eyes from the sudden stream of dust and dirt, "Well look who decided to join the party...! Yokojina—!!"
The frog let out a deep rumble of a croak in appreciation. Turning to the redhead and giving her a thumbs up.
While a few of Franky Family marveled at Yokojina's strength and impressive save. A couple caught sight of the attackers leaving the sight, "Ah! Three of them are fleeing!!"
Chopper looked on in confusion, "Why are they running!? Weren't they the ones to challenge us?"
"Dishonorable cowards who would rather use sneak attacks than fight up front like warriors." Wyper frowned with his arms crossed.
Just as the Franky Family were about to give chase, Zoro's powerful voice carried over, "HEY, YOU MORONS, CHASING FLEEING ENEMIES ONE BY ONE IS A WASTE OF TIME—!!"
The alley that the enemies had rushed into had been suddenly destroyed by another force. Dragging one of the men out of the alleyway was none of than Sanji himself, "Here's our confirmation." He dropped the massive man's body in the center of the plaza for the allied to get good look at em.
"UO—!!! YOU STOPPED HIM!!"
"EHHH!?"
"SO FAST!?"
"We should know what kind of enemies we're up against, right?" Sanji suggested.
"Must be nice to be up to full strength..." Faythe let out a dramatic sigh, "Getting to act all cool and everything... Stupid Zoro... Stupid Sanji..."
Wyper sweat dropped at her attitude, "I'm sure you'll get your turn." He then turned his attention to the enemy on the ground, "What is with this strange warrior armor? It is not covering much to protect himself..."
Faythe rubbed her chin, "I don't know, but were now calling these type of enemies, 'Kinky Balls.'
"What is this term, 'Kinky', you speak of." Wyper raised a brow.
Nami heard with a small flush to her cheeks, "WERE NOT CALLING THEM THAT—!!"
"I'll explain it to you later." Faythe rushed off from being choked out by Nami—who was swearing to the high heavens that she'd smack the red head for both her and Usopp at this girl's shenanigans.
Chopper just blanked out, "What...?"
Zoro coughed into his fist, "Pfft—!"
Sanji watched with a small smile before turning to some of the henchmen, "There are still a bunch of people hiding, right? Be careful!"
Zoro was already cutting the massive Courthouse doors down at the bottom—giving everyone enough room to squeeze under, "YOU GUYS ARE LAGGING BEHIND AGAIN!! WE'RE GOING TO AHEAD!! He addressed the seemingly distracted Franky Family group—which she assumed were discussing plans on lowering the drawbridge.
Faythe rushed past Zoro trying to get away from Nami's still annoyed look, "IM GETTING THERE FIRST—!!"
Wyper used his shooters to jump over Zoro and follow quickly after Faythe who was looking around the massive Courtroom with large eyes.
Zoro jumped, "WHAT—!" He then ran after them, "WHEN DID THIS BECOME A GAME!?"
Chopper huffed out, "Guyssss...!! Don't leave me behind—!!" He rushed in with his more humanoid huff form.
Zoro pulled out his swords and used an ability that makes a massive tornado of destruction. It was actual carnage in the front of the room, booths and agents who were seated went flying around and slamming into carved pillars.
Faythe let out a whistle as she smashed the end of her rifle into a nearby guard's head, "That's one way to make an entrance." She smirked.
Zoro rested his sword on his shoulder, "There you are! You can't keep running off like that! You're not with Luffy!" He sighed before looking around the area, "It seems like there aren't that many people here."
"I wonder why." Wyper deadpanned.
Zoro smirked at his statement before looking across the room, "I guess we can proceed at once, but..." Everyone looked to what he was staring at and there was a variety of reactions, "What the hell is that?"
Sitting on the judges booth was a square shaped man with a mutation of three heads. All of which have a mind of their own, interestingly enough.
"Ew." Faythe all but said.
"What an absolute horror of a creature." Wyper stated.
"WHOA!!"
"A THREE-HEADED MAN—!! I've heard of a three headed watchdog, but... WHAT IS THAT THING—!?"
The man—or men, in question shouted, "SILENCE!!! THIS IS THE HOLY BUILDING OF JUDGEMENT!! WE WILL NOW ANNOUNCE A VERDICT THAT WILL SEAL YOUR FATES!!"
Everyone immediately tuned him out. Zambai took the lead of instructing the crew, "RIGHT!! Guys, just run towards the roof, where Strawhat-San is! Yokojina and a few others will stop the pursuers at the door. We've got your backs, so you guys just charge on through!!"
"Gotcha—!!" Chopper nodded.
Nami gasped and pointed back at the three-headed Judge, "Hey, look at that!! It seems like the trial has begun!!"
"Ignore it; too much trouble!!" Zoro turned towards Zambai, "Which way is it?"
In the background, you could faintly hear the judges callouts of all their crimes.
"I remember last time I went through a trial..." Faythe sighed at the bittersweet memory, "Almost like it was yesterday."
"Really? You went to court?? What was it about." Nami blinked.
Faythe smirked as if she had gotten Nami into a tangle of her webs, "It was a Trial of Balls."
Nami seemed to snap and almost hurdle her staff straight at the redhead, "STOP PLAYING AROUND!!"
Zambai ignored the chaotic ladies on his other side and continued talking to Zoro and Wyper—who was listening for Faythe, "Look up towards the front... there's a staircase on each side!! We can go upstairs using those."
Zoro nodded and proceeded to wipe the floor with them. His swords all equipped as he used the attack, "Enbima... Yonezu... ONIGIRI—!!!" Taking the sword out of his mouth, he lead the crew past the path of destruction, "Let's move, the path's clear now."
"WAIT, WAIT, WAAAAIIT!!!" Sanji caught up from taking care of a few agents from outside, "GET OUTTA THE WAY, REINDEER, SHANDORIAN, SWORDSMAN!!" He yelled and jumped into a kicking lunge, "THIS IS DANGEROUS ENEMY TERRITORY!! I WILL CLEAR THE PATH THAT FAYTHE-CHAN AND NAMI-CHAN TAKES!!! GET OUTTA THE WAY!!" He then aimed at the men in the crew.
"WHOA—!! Watch out!!"
"I thought we were allies—!????"
"YOU WANNA FIGHT, PUNK!!?"
Zambai snapped at the scene, "WHY'RE YOU GUYS STARTING A FIGHT THERE!!?"
Faythe looked around and noticed Nami, Chopper, and Sanji had already started to make their way towards the right side staircase. She turned to Zoro who looked ready to follow, "Hey! I'm headin' the other way!"
"Okay! Just don't get lost!" Zoro hollered, just before he was heading towards a door that led to the Courthouse storage unit.
Faythe and Wyper deadpanned at the sight.
"There he goes..." Faythe muttered.
"Not our problem. We'll just get to the roof first." Wyper called out, waiting for Faythe to follow.
Faythe nodded and sprinted past him, "Then let's not waste another moment..!"
"Right!" Wyper nodded, keeping up with her.
There was a little situation where the Judge got ticked off for being ignored and proceeded to become a pick-me girl and strike Nami's side of the staircase. But that confrontation was cut off by the Franky Family's intervention. This allowed the rest of the crew mates to make it up the stairs and out of the Courtroom.
Running up another level, Faythe had lost count of how many guards she's knocked out with this dinged rifle—it was practically falling apart at the seams. Loose parts started to fall off or the wood started to chip, it didn't matter.
Faythe felt the stitches in her sides ache, making her lean against the wall for a moment.
Wyper swung his bazooka straight at one of those Kinky ball enemies, his strength alone was enough to knock him out. He turned to see how Faythe was putting up and noticed her exhausted position, "Do you need more time?"
Faythe sucked in a harsh take of air and leaned off the wall, "No. That's all I need." She reloaded the rifle and pointed the gun. Firing a bullet, it hit an agent that was trying to sneak attack the shandorian from behind while he was focused on the red head, "Let's keep going."
Wyper watched with a slightly hesitant look, "Faythe—" He reached a hand out to help her but it was instead slapped away.
"—I'm fine!" Faythe grunted as she hefted the rifle up her shoulder, "The sooner we're up to the roof, the sooner we can save Robin and get the hell outta here!"
Wyper frowned as he let his hand fall to his side, "Why.." He failed to find a certain way to phrase this question, "Why did you come back and not Luffy... Better yet, why did you separate...?"
Faythe stopped walking. A heavy sigh left her as Wyper could see her shoulder's slump.
"Faythe...?" Wyper hurried over and stood next to her.
"His words haunt me, Wyper." Faythe finally spoke up.
His brows furrowed, "What?"
"Back on the Merry when he denied my help... HehehHAHAHA—! After all I've done for him...! I-I just...! I try so hard...! And the thing he says is that he can't trust me...!" Faythe let out a weak cackle, her lips forming a crooked smile, "What am I missing.." She turned to Wyper, "I don't understand... I'm starting to doubt even Robin trusts me anymore."
Wyper looked at the red head with a blank look, "Did Luffy say that to you...? Did he say he didn't trust you...?"
"No. But he didn't need to say it. He... You know what...? I'm probably just overthinking... This entire thing is stressing me out." Faythe rubbed her face with a small groan, "I'm just tired. But I don't have time to rest."
Wyper watched with worry as she pushed forward. His shoulders tensing at the look she gave him. Pleading for an answer he couldn't give. Because if he did, it'd be a lie.
And Faythe doesn't tolerate lying with these specific topics.
"Hey... Uh.. Faythe?"
Faythe glanced over her shoulder, "Hm?"
"Umm... I might not be as good as Usopp but I-I would like to.. I would like to be given the honor of preening your feathers after this...!" Wyper took a small bow, his wings fluttering in anticipation.
Faythe paused, before her brows screwed together and she felt a snort leave her lips. A small laugh escaping her as she watched Wyper look up at her confused, "Pfft—! You're such a silly...! You don't have to be so formal about such things..." She felt her face clear and a smile was left, even if it was temporary, "C'mon. I'll even do your wings after you finish mine!" She grabbed his hands and dragged him into a run.
/:/~***~/:/
Just as Faythe had swept a guard's feet from under him and nailed him in between the legs with the butt of her rifle, she snapped her eyes towards the floor where she felt it rumble beneath her.
Cracks started to form at her feet, "Uh... Wyper...!?"
Wyper right hooked a marine that tried to fire a gun at Faythe while she was distracted. He whipped around and saw just in time the ground beneath them break away from a massive whirl of wind.
A tornado forming out of thin air beneath them in the building.
"Holy shit!!!" Faythe screeched as she kicked away some spiraling debris.
But as she blinked, she and Wyper had been blown straight up through the roof and into the air.
And apparently Nami and Chopper as well.
Nami managed to stick the landing.
Chopper.... Not so much.
Wyper on the other hand was a surprise. His wings had expanded a bit and he started to glide down. His arms were held out as he caught Faythe bridal style. The red head blinked.
"Wait you can fly...!?" Faythe awed at his straining wings.
Wyper gave a crooked smile, "Well, not fly, per se, it's more of a gliding thing. Can't fly with these small things. At least not like you can."
He managed a soft landing, at the same time of Luffy's strange ending of his speech.
"SO WE'RE GONNA RESCUE YOU ANYWAY!! AND... IF YOU STILL WANNA DIE, THEN—DIE AFTERWARDS—!!"
"What the actual fuck...?" Wyper wished he had a cigarette this very moment.
Faythe squinted her eyes, "Is that supposed to be motivating...???" Her attention drifted to someone climbing out of the massive hole in the roof. Turns out to be Zoro.
"This's what I should've done to climb up from the start." Zoro sighed as he pulled himself up.
Nami gasped, "Zoro! I knew it was you! We're only still alive because we took an indirect hit!!" She jutted an accusing finger at the green head.
"Of course that was him." Wyper crossed his arms.
Zoro sat on the ground and rubbed his head, "Eh? What's going on?"
"DASH!!! SHISHINABE SHOT!!! DORRYYAAAAHHH—!!"
Everyone turned to see another hold get created by another crazy manic from the crew. He spiraled in the air and landed in a kneel with his cigarette between his fingers, "I'm definitely the first one to get here...!! Now Robin-Chan, you've been waiting...!! I've come here to rescue..." He turned around and was met with Zoro's lazy ass chillin on the ground, "MO!! MARIMO! HOW'D YOU GET HERE BEFORE ME!!?"
Zoro blinked, "Ah, you're late. Did you get lost?"
"OH...!! OHOHOHOHO..!!! AND WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT WORD!??" Sanji was trembling in humiliation at his statement.
Blinking, Faythe turned to the sky to see Sniper King causally flying over them, "Oh. How'd he get up there?"
Chopper gasped and pointed a finger at the hero.
Nami grew nervous for the fella, "Eh? He's flying!!"
Sanji frowned, "What's he been doing all this time?"
"I wonder if he can land safely?" Zoro causally commented.
Faythe sighed, "Wyper."
The shandorian let out a loud grumble of coherent words before lining himself up with Sniper King's falling range.
Being caught, Sniper King let out a breath of relief before looking up at his savior, "Thanks—AHHH-!!!" He screamed at the sight of Wyper giving him a nasty glare.
Wyper dropped the man on his butt before dusting his hands, "Yeah. Don't mention it."
Sniper King watched Faythe bound over to Wyper with a small elbow nudge to his bicep,
"You could've been nicer." Faythe smiled.
Wyper's wings perked up at her statement, "Nah. I think he has it coming for him. That was nice from me." He scoffed as he lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips.
Faythe pouted, "If you really mean it."
Wyper chuckled and nudged her forward with his wings, casually walking her away from Sniper King, "I do. With all my heart."
Faythe chirped, "Then all is fine." She sighed with a soft smile.
Sniper King watched in a daze as they walked away. A frown settling behind his perky mask. But even if he wanted, he couldn't help but feel unworthy of joining the conversation. Either it was Wyper's protective walls surrounding Faythe. Or it was Faythe herself and his own effect on her.
He didn't know, but he did know it hurt.
And it hurt bad.
"I DONT CARE WHAT YOU WANT, WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE OR TO DIE...!!!" Luffy began shouting again as everyone managed to fix themselves, "BUT WHATEVER YOU DECIDE... SAY IT WHILE YOU'RE WITH US!!!"
"THAT'S RIGHT, ROBIN-CHAN!!!"
"ROBIN, COME BAAAAACK!!!"
Everyone lined up on the pillar towers that were facing the Tower of Justice. All feeling the adrenaline and determination to settle this once and for all.
"NOW, LEAVE EVERYTHING TO US!!!"
/:/~***~/:/
Wyper does not like Usopp. It's a fact. He's only known him for a few weeks so he can only judge him from what he's done so far.
Also when Wyper is leveling with Faythe he doesn't refer to her as his lady but by her name.
Usopp isn't going to get off easy just because he's helping out with saving Robin. He still caused damage. He needs to own up to it without the stupid mask.
Also, votes for the Thriller Bark Outfits for Faythe and Wyper have been decided. Thanks for voting.
Hope you enjoyed the read!
Word Count:(3016)