One Piece Kageri no Fuuin

**Hey everybody! This is my first One Piece story ever written. I really hope you guys like it. I spent a lot of hours just to write the following paragraphs. It was rough, but I made it through lol! **

**Anyway, I'm still viewing the anime so I couldn't create a story based on the actual plot of the show. Instead, I decided to make it an AU (I think that's what it is) and the setting is in the modern day era. I tried to make it as realistic as possible and keep the characters IC. So far Zoro hasn't played a huge part yet, but he will in future chapters. After all, he is one of the main characters lol. And yes, I do have some OCs in here, which are also my firsts.**

**If possible, please leave reviews so I know whether to proceed with the story or not lol. I can't say it enough, but you're reviews are precious to me. So without further ado, I hope you enjoy this story I present to you with a warm heart!**

Detective Falcon set a weary hand to his forehead while pouring two cups of fresh hot chocolate, a gauzy trail of smoke calmly drifting upward from the ashen head of the cigarette that dangled between his lips. The entire room in the police department was infested with his coworkers responding to significant calls and relaying vital information to each other, filthy desks overflowing with abandoned paperwork and reports, the heavy stench of cigarettes, caffeine, and days of poor hygiene suffocating the atmosphere.

Falcon was accustomed to the chaotic ambience that commonly came from people dedicated to their demanding profession; this is what he respected and drowned in every day. It was a part of his life and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Except…

The detective carried both cups of steaming chocolate, using caution so the brown liquids filled to the brims wouldn't spill over, and handed a cup to the young boy sitting silently on a leather chair behind his desk. He sat on his own comfortable chair and stared at the tortured soul before him with a sympathetic expression, being careful not to burn his tongue with the hot chocolate that warmed his abdomen. A thought crossed his mind for a split second as to whether the beverage had any positive effect on the cold frost that definitely smothered the child's innards. Falcon had attempted to feed the boy with food provided by his partner, but to no avail; he continued to vomit the sustenance back up whatever opportunity was available.

"Roronoa Zoro. It's been a while, hasn't it? The last time I saw you is when your mother broke up with me due to your absent father's sudden appearance. I believe you were three years old at the time, right? Not that you would remember; it was so long ago. Hard to accept how quickly five years have already past. Hm, it seems you've grown into a fine young man since then. Just as your mother had hoped."

Zoro flinched at the sound of his name on Detective Falcon's husky but smooth voice. He honestly didn't remember much about the muscular and average height man, but there was something about the potency in his voice that seemed enigmatically familiar as if they had crossed paths in a prior time.

When the detective had received the incoming call about a brutal murder of a couple located on Grand Line street, apartment number 1013, he knew without a doubt who the unfortunate victims were. Once he arrived at the crime scene and witnessed the horrific picture before him, it felt as if the ground beneath his feet had become quicksand, his heart on the verge of a complete malfunction. His ex-girlfriend had succumbed to the freezing embrace of death; there was no trace of a pulse or any sign of her existence. The same could be applied to her ex-husband, the pistol in the man's hand and the position of his spiritless body indicating that it was a murder-suicide. But what about their son?

_Oh, Jesus… Zoro! Where the hell is Zoro? I swear to God, if he's dead… he can't be!_

"Zoro!"

Falcon rushed straight for Zoro's room, the pounding of his heart rapid and erratic with each footstep, afraid that his fear of discovering the child buried in his own blood would be confirmed. But he was nowhere to be found. Falcon's fears eased somewhat, and only somewhat. There was still hope, but he would not relax until he found Zoro and returned him to safety. As he searched every room, he called out the child's name, voice amplifying in desperation. But to his dismay there came no response.

"Zoro, please, if you can hear me then show yourself! It's Detective Silber Falcon."

"Don't bust a vein Fal. I'm sure the kid is around here somewhere. Maybe he was scared and ran off. Either way we'll find him."

Falcon's close friend and reliable partner since childhood, Adalwolf Rothstein, placed a consoling hand on his broad shoulder and smiled reassuringly. That's the kind of person Adalwolf was, always finding something to smile about, cracking jokes during an otherwise somber situation, and searching for the positive sides in even the most calamitous of circumstances. An optimist, it was simple to comprehend why she possessed so many friends and few enemies. At certain moments that same buoyancy could be a cause of frustration among her peers, but Falcon was forever indebted to have her as an honorable companion.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Just as Falcon nearly ceased the search for Zoro in his despair, one of the CSIs stated, "Detective, I think you better come and have a look at this." Falcon ambled over to where the CSI squatted and followed the direction his finger had been pointing at. In an inconspicuous corner of the living room there was a table enshrouded in various books. But the manner in which the books where situated beneath the table created an image of a barricade in Falcon's mind.

Zoro had obscured himself behind this makeshift barrier of stacks of books, disregarded and quivering feverishly. The pungent aroma of urine wafted into Falcon's nostrils and he mentally maimed himself for inadvertently discounting what should have been apparent. Ever since Zoro was an infant he loved to hide behind anything that wouldn't instantly disclose his location, which had resulted in his mother freaking out every now and then when she failed to find him, much to her son's amusement. The vast assortment of heavy books should have been an evident hiding place based on the child's past behavior.

_That also means he must've witnessed the whole murder before his eyes. Christ… the shit that must be going through his fragile mind right now…_

"Zoro, it's alright buddy. Don't be afraid. It's me, Detective Falcon, and this is my partner Adalwolf Rothstein. See our badges? I'm sure you're cold and hungry, right? Come on out of there and we'll see about getting you into some clean clothes and getting something delicious to eat. It's alright."

Falcon did his upmost in retaining a collected and reassuring demeanor while the desire to snatch Zoro from his current position and crush him in his doting embrace was virtually unbearable. But he had no desire to frighten the boy any more than he was already. Zoro, realizing that this man named Falcon actually was there to liberate him from this hell, grabbed the extended hand presented to him. A wide beam of moonlight penetrated the spider web glass of the slightly opened window, exposing the boy's wretched state more manifestly.

"Ssh, ssh, it's alright kiddo. Everything is going to be alright."

Falcon whispered words of comfort as he carried Zoro into his bedroom, being careful to shield Zoro's eyes from his deceased parents enveloped in their own blood. He saw it once, no need to see it again. The elder man delicately set Zoro on the bed and suppressed a gasp as he noticed large crimson stains on the boy's shirt. He removed the soiled white garment and meticulously examined the small and shivering body for any visible wounds, but found none. That meant the source of the blood must've come from his parents—probably more from his mother—as he attempted to wake them. Relieved to discover him physically unharmed, Falcon also removed Zoro's damp pants and underwear, exchanging the garments for dry, clean ones after a prompt shower. Zoro had been aberrantly inaudible the entire time, his expression impassive from the numbness, but such behavior was to be anticipated considering the tragedy he just endured some minutes ago.

Adalwolf leaned against the threshold, observing the sorrowful but adorable scene before her with sympathetic eyes. She knew Falcon had always wanted children of his own before his young wife had died in a car accident. Witnessing the profound consideration and unadulterated love he displayed for this boy that didn't even share his DNA caused admiration and a tranquil warmth to embrace her core.

_They say not to get attached, but how can you not when looking at a scene as warm and lovable as this? Being detached from others is what makes us less human and unable to execute our jobs properly._

"What are you going to do with him?" she asked, genuinely curious and concerned for the boy's welfare.

A beat passed before Falcon answered, and when he finally did it was with a gentle but resolute voice.

"I'm driving him to the station to get his side of the story of what transpired here."

"Hold on a sec, you mean to tell me you're actually going to force the poor kid to relive what happened by interrogating him? What's the point in that? It's pretty damn obvious what the hell happened, or don't you agree?"

Indeed, Adalwolf was an optimist but she could also be known for her short temper, especially in whatever she deemed to be an abuse of power or unmerited. Sometimes this temper could cloud her judgment, but it was a rare occurrence. Falcon fathomed her incredulity and anger, even shared it to an extent, but there was a delicate boundary between what required more precedence in particular situations. And even if the nightmare had been unspoken and tucked away securely in the alcoves of his subconscious where it could never hurt again, that still didn't delete it from his memory irrevocably or from Zoro's for that matter.

"Listen, I don't like it any more than you do and I wish to God that none of this had ever happened. But it did and Zoro is the only one who can tell me how it all went down. I need something more than my own observations to write in my report."

"Yeah… right…," Adalwolf responded dejectedly. She knew better than to accuse Falcon of not caring more about the boy's mental health, and immediately felt ashamed for her unprofessional outburst. Besides, he would never force somebody to recount a tragic event if he didn't believe it would benefit them in some form or another. She would just have to trust his sound judgment—as she had been doing ever since their childhood—and hope for the best.

Falcon gazed intently into Zoro's emotionless eyes and inquired gently, "Are you ready, Zoro?"

The youth nodded his head almost imperceptibly and clutched the elder man's steady hand, compared to his mildly trembling one, tighter. There was nothing more that needed to be spoken; the candid interaction between both man and boy and the trusting, subtle actions had said enough as they abandoned that place, the old memories along with the corpses resting peacefully in their impregnable slumber, and that hell where it all began and finally came to a screeching halt.

"Hey Fal, is everything copasetic?"

Adalwolf's tomboy voice disturbed Falcon's reverie and thrust him into the present once again. Zoro, who had been sitting across from him this entire time, continued to gaze at the other officers tending to their group matters while slowly sipping on the hot chocolate. He appeared to be at peace with everything and everybody, no tears having been shed or seeking answers to questions Falcon would rather not answer. Just… emotionless. It was close enough to creepy.

_He's just in shock, trying to sort all this shit out in his head. Shit he would've never had to deal with in the first place if it weren't for that abusive fucker he called a father. Damn him… I'd bring that fucker back from the pits of Hell just so I could grant him a taste of his own shitty medicine. He murdered my Anya and hurt Zoro. Damn him. DAMN HIM!_

"Oi, Fal, are you okay? You suddenly seem upset about something. Not to mention you're turning redder than usual… if that's even possible," said Adalwolf chuckling, displaying an expression of concern nonetheless. Perfect. He really didn't need nor want her to worry about him because every time she did it became a game of cat and mouse, she being the cat, and he being the mouse attempting to avoid her and her incessant concerned looks and questions altogether, usually to no avail; whether she knew it or not, Adalwolf was a damn good hunter of those coveting the solitude.

Falcon calmed himself a bit, natural color returning to his skin, sent her his greatest shit-eating smirk, and stated, "Yeah, I'm fine Wolf. Everything is copasetic. Don't you have something to do other than checking up on me 24/7?"

"Psh, please! What could more important and entertaining than checking up on my favorite boy toy?" she said, winking and laughing when Falcon's cheeks ignited. "Anyway, it's time for me to actually go home. I already clocked out and you should do the same… _Master_."

This last remark resulted in the exhausted detective to facepalm himself, standing up so abruptly that it nearly caused the chair to topple over.

"WOULD YOU GO HOME ALREADY?!"

Adalwolf guffawed and scurried away before her "master" decided to do more than scream. Falcon was starting to seriously wonder whether that woman was a masochist, a throbbing vein inside his forehead indicating the oncoming headache. Not exactly how he imagined this night ending. When he glanced upward he noticed Zoro staring at him raptly and felt the weirdest urge to duck beneath the desk to avoid the boy's cryptic gaze.

"Listen, Zoro," he said, sighing, "I know you've been through a lot and I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling. And I wanted to apologize for making you recount that hell once again. One time is enough, huh?"

"It alright," replied Zoro, his voice barely a whisper within the room. Fortunately, the station had begun to dwindle in officers and staff as they clocked out, one by one, to return to the comfort of their abodes after an arduous day's work. Now it was just them.

"No, it's not alright… But it will be. I promise you that."

Zoro nodded once, not bothering to offer more in response.

"Hey, buddy, I decided to let you stay with me for the time being. What do you have to say about that?"

"Are you serious?" he asked, eyes brightening a little at thought. "For how long?"

"For as long as I want you, I suppose."

"And how long do you think that will be?"

"Hmm… how about _forever_?" Falcon laughed. "We may not be much of a typical family, but we'll have each other and that's all that really matters, right?"

For the first time Falcon noticed deep pools of tears threatening to overflow in Zoro's miserable eyes. But the little guy was obstinate, refusing to permit them to fall and reveal solid evidence to his vulnerability. It was all the detective needed to acknowledge the boy's gratitude. He held Zoro's tender hand firmly, emitting a powerful warmth that Zoro had never felt before since the death of his mother.

"Come on, Zoro. Let's go home."


End file.
