Lost [Open]

[Deleted]

Zoro was hopelessly lost.

It wasn't like he had never been lost before. In fact, he got lost on a daily basis. He might be perceptive in a fight, but he couldn't tell north from south if his life depended on it. It had long since stopped bothering him. The swordsman just sort of went with it now, and let his feet guide him. He'd end up where he wanted to be eventually.

The only problem was, Zoro knew this wasn't where he wanted to be. This shopping center was more something that suited that red-headed woman's tastes. She was always trying to buy things and mooch money off of people. It irritated Zoro that he couldn't remember her name, but he was still recovering from rather severe injuries, so the medics had chalked it up to still being slightly woozy.

He didn't feel that woozy, though. His head was clear. He just didn't remember things. They were important things, too. Or he thought they were. Zoro had faces in his head, faces that he knew he knew. But he didn't have names to go with those faces. He could vaguely remember fighting alongside some of them, and being out on... someplace flat. Was it the sea? But how had he ended up here if he had been at sea? There wasn't an ocean nearby, at least as far as he knew.

Snorting and shaking his head, the swordsman just continued trudging along, wondering vaguely where he was. He didn't really like this place. People gave him the weirdest of looks. Zoro had no idea why. Maybe it was his hair? But he'd always had green hair. That wasn't weird. Besides, he knew a guy with blue hair. That was weird.

Or maybe it was because he was carrying his swords around. There didn't seem to be a lot of swordsmen around here. It was kinda boring, and Zoro found himself almost wishing something exciting would happen. He needed a good spar, something to get his blood pumping. Scratching the back of his neck, the swordsman tilted his head back and sighed, "Man... I wish someone strong would show up."

[Megara Argyris]

And someone strong did show up. Not the sword fight, pirate sort of strong that, perhaps, Zoro was looking for, but someone with enough strength in her will to snap a diamond in two.

She didn't steal it. She could have stolen it if she wanted too, but why should she steal such a stupid little trinket when no one was making her? Whatever had happened to her, Hades was nowhere to be found and she was quite content to enjoy her moments of freedom. The dark god could be around any corner, but he hadn't confronted her yet. True, it had only been a half a day since she'd arrived, but it's longer than any other time she'd been let out of his sight. That it, unless she was doing a job, sometimes those took weeks, but even then his little henchmen were always hanging around. She was experiencing a rare moment of light in ehr darkening world. She was already in trouble, so trying to find her way back to Hades to avoid punishment would be just plain stupid. No, she was going to enjoy this while she had it... so then why on the gods' green earth would anyone think she would try to screw that up by lifting some sunglasses from a kiosk?!

Listen, little piggy she said through clench teeth in a poor attempt to stay calm. The man was rather short and chubby, to be honest. Don't screw this up for me, ya got that? These are my sunglasses she insisted, shoving the tortious shell shades in his reddening face. I own them already, get it? said, talking slow and resisting the urge to hit him. Try to keep up pork chop. She spat, placing the glasses on her head and turning to go. Suddenly there was a hand on her arm.

Meg didn't like much to be touched without her consent, especially considering that Hades wasn't forcing her to like it. She was having a nice day off and this chubby little scum sucker though he could just grab her? Maybe it was irrational to see fire, but see fire Megara did and, without warning, she spun around and back handed her assailant's face. This proved unfortunate given that it wasn't actually the little kiosk man who had grabbed her, but an extremely large and irritated security guard.

Of all the things he could have done that she could have handled, the big man smiled. And she knew what he was thinking.

[Deleted]

A commotion snapped the swordsman out of his thoughts, and he blinked in confusion, glancing around when he heard a distinctly female voice arguing adamantly with someone. It didn't take him long to notice the brunette bickering with the kiosk owner a few yards away. From what he could hear - or what he cared to hear anyway, he wasn't terribly interested - the short plump man thought she'd stolen something... sunglasses?

Zoro was suddenly reminded of the red-headed woman again, and the frown that was practically always stretched across his face deepened as he watched quietly from afar for a moment. ... No, this wasn't the red-headed woman. They were both harsh and abrasive, but he could have sworn that he remembered the cat burglar being more... persuasive?

... Cat burglar? Zoro had no idea where that had come from, but it sounded stupid.

Shaking his head, the green-haired male frankly would have left, but as he'd jammed his hands into his pockets and turned to leave, a burly security guard walked up. Zoro's interest was piqued, and his eyes flickered over the man, quickly appraising his strengths and weaknesses. He might do for a spar or two.

When he grabbed the woman and smiled, though... Zoro didn't think. The similarities between the red-headed woman and this person were enough that he felt a pang of protectiveness, and he felt himself walking toward the confrontation before he could really think about what he was doing.

The quiet clank of his swords shifting as he walked and the soft chiming of his earrings attracted the attention of the security guard before he had to say anything. Surprisingly, the guard was a good few inches taller than Zoro, but that fact didn't bother him. He'd fought tall people before. The swordsman simply met the taller man's gaze, stopping when he was within striking distance with his swords. "Let her go," he growled quietly. Despite not yelling, his anger and intent were clear in his tone. It was only when the security locked eyes with him that the man hesitated, seeing the cold stare directed back at him.

To his credit, the security guard stood his ground. A sneer spread over his features, and he snorted, shifting his free arm to reveal what Zoro had been told was a taser attached to his belt. Zoro couldn't help the derisive snort at the action. Was this man trying to intimidate him? Clearly he didn't know who he was dealing with. "And what if I don't?"

A lazy smirk curved up the corners of Zoro's mouth, and his eyes sparkled at the implications of a fight. "I've been meaning to get some practice in," he shrugged, his tone surprisingly light despite the security guard's implied words. It didn't matter how big this guy was, or if he was armed. Zoro could take him. Slipping his right hand out of his pocket, he let his arm rest across the hilts of his swords as he directed an intense stare at the taller man. "Unless you feel like testing who's the better draw, back off."

The security guard's skin practically drained of color at Zoro's chilling tone, and he reluctantly released the woman, whirling on his heel and stalking off. Snorting, the swordsman watched him leave before turning and staring at the woman. He wasn't trying to come across as awkward or intimidating or anything, but he still had a scowl plastered across his face. "You alright?" Zoro didn't know why he really should care, since it seemed quite likely that the woman was guilty of stealing. Maybe he was just the world's biggest sucker.

[Megara Argyris]

Megara's stomach jolted and her heart sank. She must have the worst luck in the world. Or, more likely, Hades had actually been watching ehr this whole time and sent this horrid man after her. For all she knew he was actually the god in disguise, or one of his stupid minions. Meg narrowed her deep purple eyes at the man and realized that, no, it couldn't have been any of them. His eyes weren't right, she could usually see through the demons, or Hades disguises because their eyes would change with the rest of their body. This man had beady brown eyes, completely unlike Panic's blue or Hades' yellow. They were dark and sparkling with something nasty and terribly familiar to Megara. It had been her job, after all, on many occasions to seduce men with such a similar glow about their eyes. Even if this man wasn't anyone of her fellow soulless inhabitants of the underworld, he could still be some kind of test or punishment. She'd have to accept it too, if she wanted to live. Was another day of this worth living for? Meg didn't have time to debate it any further before the security guard's attention was grabbed by something off to his left.

Meg used her free hand to push her hair from her face and follow his gase to a particularly burly man with stupid green hair. Oh don't tell me he's thinking of playing the hero, Meg thought. She gave him a fierce glare, but his attention was wholly fixed on her capture. Great, just great. Not only did she particularly hate being helped and, well, men in general, but if this was some kind of test or punishment both of them were going to pay severely for resisting. Not that Meg was planning on just going with the big dude without being positive he was sent from Hades, but prince charming over here needed to but out before he got hurt. Yet, he kept opening his mouth.

Meg felt the guard's grip tighten on her arm and Meg's glare grew more intense. Maybe she should just let this guy get a least hurt, he was probably a dick. A dick with three swords, she noticed. What the hell?! Was this guy about the start a sword fight in the middle of the mall?! No wonder the big stupid guard was starting to panic. Green haired guy was obviously some kind of raging lunatic. If the guard didn't hit him, Meg was strongly considering it. So it came to be that her capturer did not hit him, in fact, he took off. What a wuss, Meg could've taken care of him herself after all.

Meg fixed her unimpressed gaze on the green haired fellow again. His words were icy enough, but Meg had plenty of experience with attacks of the tongue. She offered him a pitiful couple of claps before speaking.

Well aren't you just a white knight. she said with a flat tone, ignoring his question. Why don't you beat it kid before you hurt yourself. She offered with a condescending smirk.

[Deleted]

Zoro blinked, confused by the woman's reaction. She was... clapping? He frowned, opening his mouth to ask if she was right in the head - 

And then he heard the sarcasm.

Oh, Zoro hated sarcasm. A lot of the time, he didn't pay attention and he missed parts of what people were saying, so occasionally he took sarcastic people seriously and ended up being the butt of someone's joke. Generally that was followed by someone being on the receiving end of a sword though the gut, but that was only if he really lost his temper. 

Zoro bristled at the woman's words, and an almost comical scowl replaced the darker, more serious look that had been on his face earlier. "Excuse me? ME get hurt?! I wasn't the one that was getting dragged off by some cocky jackass, lady! A 'thank you' would be nice." Crossing his arms over his chest, the swordsman shot a rather childish glare at the woman, unaware that his reaction would probably just fuel her taunts. 

But then she called him a kid, and Zoro really glared. He was not a kid. Sure, technically he was still a teenager, but he'd done things that most regular teenagers could only dream about, even in his own world. He was considered a master swordsman, had killed hundreds of people, and even had a bounty on his head. He'd fought against the world's greatest swordsman and had come from it alive. 

"I'm not some kid, lady," he growled, his tone dangerously close to furious. He was starting to wonder why he'd even bothered stepping in. Clearly the woman thought she could handle herself. He should have just left her. "I'm the best swordsman in all of the East Blue. So if anyone's going to get hurt, it's going to be anyone that tries to challenge me." 

[Megara Argyris]

Wow he was pretty quick to anger, huh? For someone with such a well placed smirk, she might have dared to think he had a better ability to keep his cool. Perhaps she had just struck a chord or two. Either way, she should have guessed. What man had she ever met with an IQ above 40? Well, if she rounded up and carried the two, that would be a huge, resounding zero. Why should this guy defy human nature? Actually, judging by his poor choice in hair color, he was probably lowering average IQ of mankind.

Meg let out a breathy chuckle when he folded his arms and offered her some sorry excuse for a glare. For someone who had managed to scare off a burly man with a taser with only a few choice words, he was having a hard time getting Meg to even raise an eyebrow.

A real Prince Charming, are you? She said, continuing with her venomous tone. I had it under control. she said, dropping the sarcasm for a moment. Thats almost a big deal considering she practically spoke only using sarcasm. Bitting sarcastic remarks were her speciality, they made life in hell a little more bearable. Then he moved on her comment about his age and somehow managed to seem even younger than she thought.

Oh, sorry she began with a shadow of mockery King Charming she corrected herself, touching ehr heart as though she was really torn up about having belittled him. Why should she care if he was the best swordsman in the East Blue? Where the hell was the East Blue? Gods, where the hell was she?!

Meg rubbed her temple Easy there Samurai Jack, don't over exert yourself. She tossed out. Besides, I'm not sure porky over here can handle too much more of your boasting. She said, gesturing to the kiosk man who was currently cowering behind his display of sunglasses. Megara had to smirk at that.

[Deleted]

Zoro was well aware how childishly he was acting. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly one to work things through with words. It wasn't that he wasn't smart, but he'd grown up with the belief that you needed strength to back up the words you might be spouting. Merely being smart only did you so much; eventually you'd need someone strong to help you support the weight of those words. He'd chosen a goal that required the cultivation of strength, not wit, and he'd let others do the talking. 

So when the brunette snapped at him about how she'd had things under control, his first impulse was to snap back at her. He'd even started opening his mouth to growl out some half-baked retort, but then he'd stopped. He might not be as intelligent as some, but he was quite perceptive, and he could see bitterness in the woman's expression. He could remember seeing a similar expression on that red-headed woman, and he vaguely remembered how she just hadn't trusted people. Zoro absentmindedly wondered if it was the same way with this person, but he wasn't going to be stupid and ask. People didn't frequently like spilling their secrets with strangers. 

Huffing out a calming breath, Zoro grumbled, "Fine. Sorry." If that was how it was, and she didn't want help, he wasn't going to push it. He did narrow his eyes, though, watching the woman with a faintly quizzical expression. "... What do you have against people helping you, anyway?"

Any concern or further insight he might have had was lost the moment she kept mocking his age. "I'm nineteen, dammit!" he snapped, bristling defensively when she sneered at him. Most of the time, people thought he was older than he looked, so he didn't know entirely how to react to someone acting like he was a stupid kid. He was almost positive that she was baiting him, but he didn't really care. 

Zoro frowned at all the nicknames this woman kept using. He didn't quite understand what the context of those was. For starters... "My name isn't Jack. And I'm not a samurai." He might occasionally follow Bushido, but that didn't mean he was one of them. Samurai were only from the country of Wado. Anyone knew that. At the mention of "porky", Zoro cast a glance in the rotund man's direction, arching an eyebrow as he did. Why should he care what some shopkeeper thought? "I wasn't boasting. I was stating the truth," he deadpanned. He wouldn't have even mentioned it, but no one here seemed to know who he was, let alone what anything he talked about was. He'd mentioned the Grand Line to a few people, but nobody knew what that was. Someone had thought it was a train. A train. 

[Megara Argyris]

Meg wrinkled her nose unattractively when he apologized to begin with, then move on to ask an almost sincere question. This conversation was getting dangerously close to friendly. Meg didn't do well with friendly, too many years spent dealing with unfriendly people will do that to you. Trust was certainly a large element of it, but at the moment she was just uncomfortable with the idea of being any kind of close with this guy. He was some maniac with some swords that thought he was being helpful, possibly even more idiotic as most of the men she had met, and he had stupid green hair. This had nothing to do with with the fortresses of emotional barriers she had put up around herself, no obviously not, this was simply because this guy had freaking freakish hair. Clearly.

Meg internally breath a sigh of relief when he took offense to her next pair of insults and they were back to verbal sparring. Well...if you could even call it that, Meg felt like it was pretty one-sided.

Wow, congrats big man... she mumbled when he pushed his age at her like it was extraordinarily impressive. It wasn't. Sure, she was only twenty herself, but there was something about still having teen after your name that made it still sound childish. Actually, she was a little surprised. Despite his childish attics, if she had guessed his age she might have though at least her own age if not older. Maybe she had just never seen a teenage carry around three big swords. There was a dirty joke somewhere in there, but Meg was not in the mood for such thoughts, plus to say it out load might give him some ideas. That was the last thing she wanted. No, bullying him was way more fun then anything like that. She cringed thinking about the amount of times she didn't have the choice of what direction her conversations would go in.

She focused back on the swordsman when he corrected her nickname. She wasn't really interested in his name. Names marked a step closer to friendship. No thanks. She only shrugged in response and was glad when he didn't offer any more explanation. She managed a smirk, however, when he insisted what he said was the truth. She snorted.

Just because it's the truth, doesn't mean it's not boasting...kid. she said, approaching him and giving his shoulder a small shove as she spoke the last word. Touching was okay, it was okay if she was in control of the whole situation and she was certainly feeling in control here. What was he going to do? Pout?

[Deleted]

Zoro scowled darkly, not understanding why this woman just kept antagonizing him about his age. Why did it matter, anyway? Where he was from, he was considered an adult. Hell, nobody cared about age there, at least not unless you got crazy famous - or infamous - and that was only to see if they were considered prodigies. This place was... different, he guessed. He hadn't seen a single swordsman or pirate or Marine, so maybe this place was just... really far away from where he was from. It might have been some undiscovered continent that people always rambled about. Maybe they had different standards here?

Still, it irritated him. He wasn't a child, and he didn't want to be treated like one. But arguing was just going to make things worse. How did he deal with that red-head when she did stuff like this? Didn't he just ignore her? That wasn't exactly possible here, but he could at least try to stop getting so frustrated. "Che, whatever," he grumbled, hunching his shoulders slightly. He didn't like conceding in fights or arguments, but there was no way he was going to win this one, so why bother struggling?

It still irritated him, though.

The shove to his shoulder was... well, surprising wasn't the word for it. He hadn't been expecting it, certainly, and he actually took an unconscious step back. That, coupled with the jab about him boasting, would normally have been enough to set him off. Had he been back home, he would have yanked a sword out and proven just how strong he was. But here, apparently that wasn't acceptable. So he settled for glaring. It was all he could really do. His options were severely limited, after all. It wasn't like he was going to go around beating up random people just to prove himself to one person.

[Megara Argyris]

There was a dangerous light in Meg's eyes, this often happened when she wiggled her way into a verbel chicken match. She was purposely trying this guys patiences to see how much he could take. What was this green haired goon really made off? Was he actually so childish through and through? How far would he go to retaliate? If he was like any other man, the push might have been too much. She was really setting herself up for disaster, which she often did though she'd never admit to it. She was just angry, deep down she was just plain and simple angry. She lived in constant fear for her life and it was a comfort to take out some of her pent up hostility on poor unsuspecting souls. She judged that it wasn't extremely likely that this guy was going to pull out his sword and slash her to bits...but...so what if he did? So it's terribly dark to wish such a painful end upon yourself, even if it's just a fleeting thought, but she already lived in hell. She was a soulless minion of Hades, the worst anyone could do is send her back.

Then, unfortunately, did the exact oposite of what she was hoping and proved himself a bigger man. Ugh. She was banking on his childish tendencies to cause him fight back in some way shape or form. Instead, however, he shrugged it off. That was annoying and just completely and entirely no fun. All he did was offer her a glare, which she was certain she could best on a bad day. What was she supposed to do with this? She could push him again maybe, but that obviously wasn't working. Maybe she should try a different tactic. He was had been a pretty decent distraction up until now.

Meg sucked in air through her lips, hissing slightly in disappointment. Pretty impressive, hot shot She said, though he tone didn't mimic her apparent enthusiasm. Why do you have three swords, anyway? Over compensating for something? she said, with a quick glance downward.

[Deleted]

Apparently being a swordsman just meant that you were compensating for something. Zoro knew that anyone who whipped around large, potentially-phallic objects was going to be the butt of somebody's jokes, but it was still irritating, nevertheless. And the larger the sword - or the more you carried, as was often his case - the more you were supposedly "overcompensating". 

Zoro didn't know if that was the case for all swordsmen, or even himself, but it wasn't like he was planning on going around and checking.

In fact, he'd heard that insult enough times that he almost tuned it out. Almost. Frankly, he had been absentmindedly wondering if he should just leave, but something about the insinuation that the woman threw so easily at his face was... familiar. He hadn't even really processed what she'd said before his mind was supplying a stupid retort back about how "you could talk, Dartboard Brows", and his right hand was already inching towards the hilt of Wado. But... the almost instantaneous prepared reaction confused him. This woman didn't have "dartboard brows", and she most certainly wasn't going to fight him. As far as he knew.

Besides, he wasn't even sure if she necessarily meant that he was compensating in that category. Maybe she was implying that he was just a terrible person, or that he had a low self-esteem, or something. Glancing at the brunette, he arched an eyebrow, about to ask what she meant - the exact moment that he saw her glance down.

Oh. Oh.

So she did mean compensating in that way. There was something different about hearing that insult from a woman instead of a man, and it brought on a whole different reaction instead of "kill whoever just insulted me". Zoro froze, his expression going completely blank before twisting with a mixture of surprise and horror, and there was no way it was happening, but he felt a faint bit of heat spreading over his face.

Nope, he was most certainly not blushing. Roronoa Zoro did not blush.

"What? No!" he spluttered, his voice just a bit too loud. Grimacing, he rubbed a hand over his face, taking a moment to figure out a way to make this better. 

Oh, who was he kidding? There wasn't exactly a graceful recovery from that. Gritting his teeth, he growled out, "I use three swords because that's the style of fighting I use. And don't start on it being weird. Where I come from, that's not weird at all."

[Megara Argyris]

His reaction warranted an eyebrow quirk. A splinter of surprise registered on her face for the glimmer of a second then faded into a devilish smirk. The way his hostility had spiked before, she would have thought he might have handled such an insult with a little more grace. She was admittedly glad that he didn't, but she was expecting a little more anger and a little less blushing. She didn't seem to care that she was a woman up until now, in fact, his obvious lack of interest was strange and new and nice. No, not nice, that was weird, why would she think it was nice. He was nice, he was a stupid guy with green hair and a tiny....well, let's just say, judging on his reaction, maybe he was overcompensating for something.

Her smirk very briefly extended to bare her teeth when he pushed away the idea a little too forcefully. It was indeed a rare sight, Meg's teeth, unless she were baring them in a grimace of some kind. Smiles did not become her, but every know and again one will bubble to the surface only to be quickly hidden away. This was no exception and she let her face fall back into a comfortable smirk in a flash, despite the chuckle she allowed to escape her lips.

Right... she mocked after he tried to explain himself. She offered him a slight grimace that was meant to be some shade of sympathy before leaning in and speaking in a loud whisper. Don't worry she said Your secret's safe with me.

[Deleted]

Zoro did not handle teasing well. Years of putting up with it had toughened him, but he still always had the childish urge to throw a fit or shout something stupid back every time someone joked about something he did. He still occasionally snapped at people, and he still sometimes threw fits, but he had a much better control over his temper than he had when he was a child. 

There were certain things that he couldn't handle, though. Like that stupid grin on the brunette's face. What he wouldn't give to wipe that smile off her face... And then she had to act like he really was compensating for something. Zoro's face went an even darker shade of red, but this time it was due to a mixture of extreme anger and embarrassment. "I don't have any secret," he spat, his hands clenched into fists by his side. If it wasn't for the fact that he looked extremely comical and childish when he was throwing retorts back at people, he might have actually been taken seriously.

Scowling darkly, Zoro found himself sorely wishing that this woman was a warrior or something. He would have had an excuse to kick her ass then.  Though, even if she had been, and even if he had beaten her, he doubted that would have stopped the insults and jokes.

The swordsman was done talking. There was no reason for him to stick around. Stomping up into the woman's personal space, he jabbed a finger at her as he growled, "Besides, I don't need people to keep secrets for me. I can handle myself just fine." And with that, Zoro turned sharply on his heel to leave.

Only to nearly smash his face into a fairly muscular chest.

Zoro wouldn't necessarily consider himself "tall", even though he was a sizeable height. Height was a relative thing where he was from, what with giants and fishmen running around everywhere. A lot of people were freakishly tall, and where he was from, Zoro was occasionally considered short. But here, he'd discovered that he was one of the taller folk. 

So when he had to take a step back and crane his head up to see the extremely pissed off expression on the tall security guard's face, Zoro was admittedly a tad bit put off. It didn't take him long to connect the dots, though. The guy from before hadn't run off because he was scared. He'd run off to get backup. There were at least 3 more guys now, including the guy towering over Zoro. The swordsman wasn't bothered by that, though. Frankly, he was glad the guy was back. A switch flipped, and Zoro's entire posture changed, shifting from anger and annoyance to calm and relaxed. An almost maniacal grin curved over his face, and he stared up at the tall security guard like he was no threat. Because he wasn't. Not to Zoro, at least.

[Megara Argyris]

Meg considered pinching his cheeks once his face took on the shade of a ripe tomato. What a big baby, really. So maybe he wasn't overcompensating in the way she was teasing him for, but she was starting to believe he actually needed to compensate for his childish behavior. He probably thought throwing those swords around mad him a real man, he probably thought that he could pout and whine all he wanted just so long as he cut up a few guys at the end of the day. He knew nothing about being an adult. He'd probably never even had his heart broken. Endure that a few time and then come back and maybe Meg might consider you someone what respectable, then again, he was a man so he was already pretty low on her list without having done anything except being born with a y chromosome. Still, it's not like she considered herself anything above the dirt. It's not like she was projecting her insecurities or anything. Never.

She hardly blinked when he jabbed a finger in her face, but then smacked her lips and sneered then he promised her that he could handle himself. Well you don't have to convince me. She shot back, her insincerity ever present in her tone. It was a little more forceful than she had intended, like his anger was rubbing off on her and caused her to bristle more than she had intended. It didn't take too much to get Meg angry. She was always angry, but she had a very calm and cold way of showing it in most cases. She was getting dangerously close to leading the fight into a place where she might start shouting which was dangerous because she might say something she'd really regret...like something actually sincere. She was just taking a heavy breath to calm herself when she too became aware of the security guard's return with backup.

After a brief size up, the green haired kid shifted so suddenly that even Meg managed a look of mild interest. It wasn't a large shift movement wise, but the man's entire feel about him changed. She imagined this is what he looked like on his birthday. The security guard was a gift and Meg was suddenly pretty convinced that Jr Asparagus could slice and dice these burly men without breaking a sweat. She'd seen warriors big and small through the years and, annoyingly, this guy had the appearance of a great one. This sent a shock of utter irritation up Meg's spine. It spurred her that he was going to win. That stupid look on his face. Why should he get to be happy when there was so much in this world worth being angry at. How many woman had seen him smile curve his sickening lips as he tore their worlds apart? Meg's eyes glowed with rage, then a smirk wrinkled her pale and pretty cheek.

Boys... she purred, stepping between them without an echo of fear. She stood facing the guard and his cronies, her back purposely to Zoro. The two off the the side were already looking confused and on the edge of becoming mindless, simpering, nothings...just like so many men before them. The guard in front was a little more cautious, remembering their encounter fron earlier and the smack she'd placed on his cheek. Still, he wanted it then, why should it be difficult to bring him around again? She blinked her bug purple eye's up at him, taking a solid stance with one hand on her hip.

Let's not make a mess. she continued, her voice warm and low. She took a step in the guard's direction, invading his space. His attention left the swordsman and dropped to her. His face dropped and he swallowed. Meg smiled and raised a hand to place it on his chest, her own bosom dangerously close to his.  

Meg generally didn't like to use her womanly wiles to get her way because it was something Hades had made her exploit for years, but she would do anything to smack the grin off that snot haired jerk. She was that messed up. Meg didn't see Zoro, she saw the man that had stabbed her in the heart and let her in hell four years ago. She turned her head around slowly to make eye contact with the swordsman, fire burning in her eyes though a smile remained on her face. She was glad to take away his happiness because thats what she does, that's all she knows how to do. Seduce, lie, cheat, and corrupt for Hades. She couldn't change, she was broken.

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Zoro was ready to fight. His sight had narrowed down to the guards in front of him, his heartbeat was calm and even, and he could see exactly how this fight would go down. A quick draw, a flick of his wrist, and Tall Guy would be down and out. Backup #1 - the guy who had been leaning his weight forward on the balls of his feet - would charge, and Backup #2 - the guy who's hand seemed glued to the taser at his side - would go for his weapon. Another sword drawn and a quick charge would take care of both men at the same time. And then, there was only the initial security guard left. Piece of cake. The whole confrontation would take seconds at best.

Of course, he hadn't been counting on the woman cutting in. At first, he'd thought she was insane, or maybe just really stupid. Why the hell would she step in when he could handle this himself? And then he saw what she was doing, saw the expression she shot back at him, and a bolt of rage shot through his mind. She was doing it on purpose. She had interrupted his fight just to be cruel. He was half-tempted to just draw Sandai and run her and the man she was messing with through, but that would have been pointless. Needless killing wouldn't make him stronger.

And besides... there was something about her expression. He wasn't sure, but his instinct told him that it wasn't him she was pissed off at. He could see the rage - and insecurity - in her eyes, and he very nearly backed down. He had seen that expression before, the look someone got when they had been betrayed. He couldn't quite remember where, but he was positive he knew someone who had suffered betrayal before. 

He wasn't going to bend to this woman's will. She might have her reasons for acting, but he also had his. Staring straight at the brunette, he said simply, "I'm not the person you're mad at." And he walked right past her. 

Zoro didn't care that there were other guards this way. He didn't care that he was going to start a fight over nothing. He was just done. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Backup #1 moving towards him and Backup #2 pulling the taser out and gripping it with both hands as he pointed it at Zoro. He didn't thing; he reacted. In less than a second, he was in a crouch, metal singing as he drew Wado from her sheathe. A glint of metal caught Zoro's eye, and he noticed the man was wearing a ring. It suddenly struck him that these men weren't like the Marines. They were just guards, and they didn't think they'd ever be giving their lives in their job. They had families too, families that would miss them if they happened to die. 

He couldn't kill these people. In one fluid motion, Zoro spun Wado in his hand before he struck Backup #1, slamming the dull side of his blade against the man's collarbone. The guard dropped, and he noticed Backup #2 reaching for the trigger. Sandai was out of his sheathe in an instant, and Zoro swung that blade up as well, splitting the taser cleanly down the middle and knocking the weapon from the guard's hand. Shifting his momentum, he brought the dull side of his blade down on the man's shoulder, watching as he crumpled as well. Standing back up straight, he shot a glare at the remaining two security guards, silently daring them to act.