A/N: It has been way too long since I updated this story. I wanted to return to this story sooner but I had a major priority that needed to be dealt with. And, now that it's been taken care of, I am back to finish what I started.
Except now I have a different vision for this story, which may require slight tweaking of the first two chapters. Originally this story was going to bounce back and forth between Rock's and Chang's POVs, with Chapter 3 being told from Chang's perspective. But when this chapter wasn't turning out the way I wanted, I decided to use a third POV.
Thanks to blacklagoonfan, COBRASTEVE, GIRL OF PARADISE, Revy2hand23, Agent of the Divine One, and LizzyA10 for their reviews.
Chapter 3
:Bullets:
For Revy, seeing Rock had been like getting shot and then shooting the sonofabitch who did it. After Rock had abandoned her in Hong Kong, she had been pissed off. She had joined fights and instigated many of her own. While that hadn't been too different prior to him leaving, she had been in worse shape without him than with him. And so, having Rock at her side again, she couldn't help feeling good.
As she told Rock about Chang's plans, she grinned. "The bastards that tried to burn down Roanapur – Chang wants to light a fire under their asses and he wants my help. It should be fun."
And just like that, by uttering that last statement, Rock's expression changed.
Revy recognized his expression as the one he had worn on his last day in Hong Kong and back then it had put her in a foul mood. She crossed her arms. "What's the matter, Rock?"
He hesitated. "I'm just worried that–"
Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Boris had returned, wearing his usual serious expression, and he was heading toward Balalaika's office. He made eye contact with Revy before he stopped at Balalaika's office door and knocked.
Rock lowered his voice. "I'm worried that being here will make you lose control again."
Revy moved out of her casual position against the wall. "Like what happened in Hong Kong."
Boris entered Balalaika's office and closed the door behind him.
"Revy, I'm not talking about Hong Kong."
Revy punched the wall. "What aren't you getting, Rock? I don't want to talk about that or Dutch or even the fuckin' Lagoon Company. Do you understand?"
Rock watched her fist tremble against the wall. "I understand just fine, Revy. But, even if that's what you want" – he looked into her eyes – "we can't keep avoiding this."
She sneered. "So what? Am I supposed to talk about my feelings now?" When Rock didn't comment, Revy looked away. "Don't get soft on me, Rock."
Balalaika's office door opened, causing Rock to turn away from Revy. Chang emerged first, appearing nonchalant and smoking a cigarette. Balalaika exited the room next, wearing her military coat, with Boris trailing not far behind her.
Revy watched the scene unfold with Rock.
"I was hoping they would say no," said Balalaika. "But I suppose this is what you wanted, Chang."
Chang smirked. "I just need you to play nice with Ronnie today. Cooperation from the Italians would be great for once."
Chang turned toward Revy and waved her over. "Hey. Two Hands."
Revy left her spot and approached Chang. "Am I coming with you, Boss Man?"
"Actually," he said, holding up a piece of paper. "I have something else for you to do."
Frowning, Revy took the piece of paper. She unfolded it; scrawled on the paper was an address with the words 'Wait there in twenty minutes ' underneath.
"Go there. You'll find out what you'll need to do."
She smirked and took a step toward the elevator. However, Chang put an arm in front of her.
"Take the alley exit instead."
Revy took a step back. "If you insist." As she passed Rock, she knocked him on the arm. "See ya around, Rock."
Rock rubbed his arm. "Same here."
Revy opened the door to the stairwell and bolted down the stairs.
She had been perplexed that Chang's first stop from Hong Kong had been Hotel Moscow, however, due to lack of sleep, she hadn't given Chang's decision much thought. Now that she had a moment to herself, she wondered - why would Chang stop to see Balalaika? Did he trust her that much to disclose information he received from his 'business trip' to Hong Kong? Or was this some part of one of Chang's schemes?
As she jumped over the last few stairs, Revy heard her name. She stopped. She heard her name again, this time accompanied by footsteps. The voice belonged to Rock. Deciding not to stand around, she opened the emergency exit and walked out as fast as she could. She had traveled twenty feet down the alley when the exit door hit the wall with a thud.
"Revy!"
She turned around. Rock ran toward her and upon reaching her, he put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"What is it, Rock?"
Rock stood up straight. "I'm coming with you."
Revy stared. He had spoken as if there was no room for arguments. "If you're worried about what I think you are, everyone I'll kill today will deserve it."
"I'm not worried about that. And besides, I have nothing better to do today."
She didn't believe him but she nodded her head all the same. She was tired of blowing up on him. She had done more than enough of that in Hong Kong. "Come on," she said, turning on her heels. "Let's get out here."
She heard Rock sigh but it didn't sound like he had done it out of exasperation; he sounded relieved. She was about to look over shoulder to see how far behind Rock was but she found him at her side.
The address on the note placed Revy and Rock at intersection five blocks down from the Yellow Flag. In the five minutes they had been waiting, no one from the Triad had arrived. Rock had wondered out loud if Chang had written the wrong address. Revy doubted Chang would but after ten more minutes, she wondered if a mistake had been made.
Revy scanned the shady people on the streets one last time. "Rock, wanna go to the Yellow Flag?"
Rock nodded. "I'm sure Bao will be happy to see you."
As they walked toward Yellow Flag, they heard the beeping of car horn. Revy spun around and saw a black jeep speeding down the street. Driving the jeep was Lotton the Wizard; sitting next to him, buckled in, was Sawyer; and hanging out the backseat window, waving her arm, was Shenhua.
Revy stared. "Tell me I'm seeing things, Rock."
"I can't."
The jeep rolled to a stop in front of them. Still hanging out the window, Shenhua pointed up the street to where Revy and Rock had been waiting. "You suppose to wait there, idiot."
"You suppose to be on time, idiot," said Revy. Her eyes left Shenhua and landed on Lotton and Sawyer. Six months later and they were still hanging around Shenhua. "Did Chang really send you guys?"
Shenhua narrowed her eyes. "You got problem with that, Twinkie?"
"No. I just wasn't expecting you, Chinglish." Shenhua scooted over and Revy opened the backseat door. She motioned Rock to go in first and once he did, Revy went in. Lotton pulled the vehicle away from the curb and continued to their destination.
"So how are you, Shenhua?" asked Rock, too politely for Revy's tastes.
"Fine," she said. "You missing for six months. What happened?"
Rock let out an awkward chuckle, reaching for the back of his head. "We went on vacation."
"You and Twinkie?"
"Mind your business, Chinglish," said Revy, gazing out the window. She saw a red jaguar go by, followed by a gray van. Rock struck up a conversation with Lotton and Sawyer. At first Revy listened to them but after a few minutes of hearing nothing but small talk, she zoned out.
Revy and Rock entered the Black Lagoon's control room.
"Is Dutch still up on deck?" asked Benny, keeping his eyes on his computer screen.
"He is," said Revy. She pulled two wheeling chairs over to where Benny sat. She sat in one; Rock took the other. "Why'd you call us down here?"
Benny spun away from his computer and faced Revy and Rock. "I wasn't going to say anything but it's been bugging me for some time. Remember the Major from the Lovelace incident?"
Rock frowned. "Yeah. What about him?"
"He talked to Dutch about Vietnam," said Benny. "According to him, Dutch couldn't have been in the war. Dutch just didn't know the things a vet should."
Rock's eyebrows furrowed together. "So Dutch lied about his past then."
Benny spun backed to his computer. "I just thought you guys should know."
Rock was silent for a moment. "Did you ask him about it?"
Revy folded her arms. "There's no point, Rock. Whatever happened since we joined the Lagoon Company – that's all we need to know."
Benny started typing. "I guess you're right. He hasn't let us astray yet."
"That's true," said Rock. "But you have to wonder why he needed to lie."
Although Rock had a point, Revy wasn't going to pry into Dutch's business. After all, Dutch wasn't required to spill his soul to them.
For the second time, they drove past a gray van. It was shortly after that when Rock finally asked something that was of interest to Revy.
"What are we supposed to do, Shenhua?"
Revy turned toward the two, giving them her undivided attention.
Lotton turned the vehicle onto a dirt road and the car bounced on the uneven ground.
"We raid mercenary hideout for bombs," said Shenhua.
Rock's eyes widened. "Bombs?"
Shenhua nodded.
Revy frowned. "That means something to you, Rock?"
Rock intertwined his fingers and focused on them. "Yesterday, Hotel Moscow found a man who had made bombs for the mercenaries. If these are the same bombs, how would Mister Chang know where they are?"
Revy shrugged. "I guess someone in Hong Kong told him."
"But why didn't he tell Balalaika?"
"He could have when they were in their office."
"But he didn't, Revy."
Revy studied Rock's face. "How would you know that?"
Lotton pulled the jeep off the road, causing Revy, Rock, and Shenhua to fall out of their seats. "Sorry," said Lotton. "But their hideout is up ahead."
Shenhua grabbed the back of the driver's seat and pulled herself up. "Give warning next time, yes?"
After Lotton parked the jeep by some trees and bushes, Sawyer unbuckled her seatbelt and got out, heading to the trunk. Revy un-wedged herself from between the front and backseats and peered over the backseat. There were Sawyer's infamous chainsaw and small packaging boxes but it was a large metal case that caught her eye. "Is that ammo, Shenhua?" she asked as Sawyer grabbed her chainsaw.
Rock got up and twisted his body around to see what was in the trunk.
Shenhua nodded. "Chang told us bring it."
Revy leaned over the back seat and opened the case. Inside were several sets of ammo and a few of guns. Her eyes pinpointed what she was looking for; ammo for her Cutlasses. She grabbed several magazines and stowed them on her person before she slid back into her seat. "Stay here, Rock."
Rock sighed. "I know."
As Revy got out the jeep, she asked Shenhua, "Do we know how many men?"
Shenhua got out as well, leaving Rock alone in the backseat. "No clue."
When Lotton got of the vehicle, it occurred to Revy that Rock would be alone. The jeep was off road and out of sight but what if one of the mercs strayed in this direction? As Lotton picked out ammo for his gun, Revy grabbed a small pistol from the trunk. She opened the backseat door and held it to Rock.
"Take it."
Rock's eyes went to the pistol. "I'll be okay, Revy."
Shaking her head, Revy laid the gun on the seat. "Don't do anything stupid."
Rock smirked. "You, too."
Revy closed the door and walked off with Lotton, Shenhua, and Sawyer. Revy couldn't imagine a weirder group put together by Chang. Shenhua was a reasonable choice but Eda would have been a better replacement for Sawyer and Lotton. Lotton wasted too much time doing poses and pre-battle speeches; Sawyer, well, that chainsaw wasn't the best weapon. But it was too late to make changes to the roster; they were already here.
The mercenaries' hideout was a two-story concrete shell of a building, as if someone had started construction but abandoned the project for whatever reason. As result, there were no doors for the doorways and no window panes for the windows. In front of the hideout, a few men were climbing into a van. Revy, Shenhua, Sawyer, and Lotton hid behind the bushes. Revy pulled her guns out of her holsters.
As the group waited to spring into action, Revy's grip on her Cutlasses tightened. Shenhua gave a signal to stay put but Revy didn't need it. She had seen the windows on the second floor. If they were to engage in combat now, whoever was inside would hear gunfire and have the higher ground. Best bet was to get inside and start taking them out.
The van's engine roared and the van pulled out of the area.
Shenhua pulled out her weapons. "When we inside, we split up. Revy and me-!"
"No, Shenhua," said Revy. "I'm going by myself." She expected Shenhua to argue about this but Shenhua shrugged and said:
"Fine. Don't matter."
Keeping low and moving fast, the group made their way up to the hideout. Revy and Shenhua positioned themselves on the right side of the entrance; Sawyer and Lotton were on the left. They waited three counts and then went inside. No one was there.
"I'm going this way," said Revy, taking a step to her right.
Shenhua stepped toward Lotton and Sawyer. "We meet on second floor, yes?"
The group split up.
With guns in hands and danger waiting around every turn of the hallway, Revy felt at peace. In her present state, she was so far removed from that helpless, powerless little girl she had been. She was in control of what happened to her, what she did, and what became of the person at the end of her gun. This was how things should be and the feeling that came along with it was nothing short of euphoria. Why would she need to talk when she had this?
On the other side of the building, shots rang out; Shenhua and her misfits had gotten first blood. Revy had wanted to be the first one but her disappointment disappeared when a man ran out of a side room. Her presence startled him and Revy did not hesitate to pull the trigger with her left hand. The body crumpled to the floor and she walked around it.
Two more men came out of the next room with guns ready. Revy fired first and the two men ducked back into the room. Revy pressed herself against the wall and edged herself closer to the doorway. Her heart raced as she anticipated the moment those morons would stick their heads out. However, she was out of patience.
She was about to damn caution to hell and rush into the room when three men came down the stairs at the end of the hallway, each one carrying assault rifles. Revy spotted them no sooner than they spotted her. "Dammit."
Revy fired a few shots, hitting one man in the leg, before running for the room across from her. Five men, she thought to herself with a grin, five men she had to take down. The idea thrilled her so much that she wasn't aware a bullet had grazed her side.
She crouched next to the doorway, listening to the shifting of boots. A few words of what sounded like Chinese was spoken; Revy knew they were coordinating an attack. She examined the room she was in. There was an old wooden desk against the wall that could not serve as cover or a barricade. Lying on its side next to the desk was a small, useless black bucket surrounded by numerous candy wrappers. Then, on the wall opposite of her, were two windows.
The men's voices were closer.
Revy sneaked to the window and climbed out. After she landed on the grass, she pushed herself against the concrete wall, keeping below the window. Then she moved along the wall, under five windows, before coming to a stop. If she was right, she was outside of the room at the end of the hallway.
Revy lifted her head and peered inside. Then she hoisted herself into the room, crept toward the doorway, and looked out. Her enemies were gathered around the doorway of the room she had been in, including the man she had shot in the leg. However, he was leaning against the wall for support and kept his weight on his good leg.
Revy stepped into the hallway, lifted her Cutlasses, and shot at the two other men carrying rifles. Bullets tore through their chests before their buddies realized what had happened. Revy pulled the trigger again to take down one more man but all she got was a click.
The men fired at her and Revy ducked back into the room. Reaching for a magazine, she planned her next move. The man leaning against the wall was the weakest link; the other two were now her priority. While she was thinking, a round metal object bounced into her room and skipped across the floor.
Revy bolted for the window.
The grenade exploded.
Revy flew out the room and fell on her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her, her ears were ringing, her eyes were seeing double, her body was aching. She struggled to get on her hands and knees, searching the grass for her guns. Then she found them. She crawled over to them, thinking all the while about how she was going to snuff those bastards. She knew they would check to make sure the grenade had taken her out. She could get them then.
Once she grabbed her guns, Revy made her way back to the smoke-spewing window and leaned beside it. She could picture it in her head – the window, the line of sight to the doorway, everything she needed to make the next time she fired her Cutlasses to count. By the time her vision had refocused, she heard them enter the room. Revy came out of hiding and fired multiple rounds, hitting them in the chest, jaw, and forehead, killing them in a matter of seconds. Then Revy skulked down five windows.
When she got back inside and entered the hallway, the last man was limping his way to his buddies.
Revy lifted up her guns. "Hey."
The man stopped in his tracks.
Revy sauntered up behind him, keeping her guns raised. "Where're the bombs?"
Whatever he said wasn't in English. Revy, deeming this man as a waste of time, shot a bullet through his skull.
Revy went to the end of the hallway and made her to the second floor.
There, Revy found Shenhua and her misfits standing in front of a man who was scared shitless. Shenhua pressed her blood-stained Kukri knife against his throat and spoke in Chinese. The man responded in the same tongue. Their interrogation meant the building was clear and that her euphoria was over.
Revy approached the group. Lotton and Sawyer noticed her.
Lotton barely spared her a glance. "We heard the explosion. Seems like you're alright."
Revy stopped next to Sawyer. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Shenhua, keeping her blade pressed against the man's throat, said, "Bombs not here."
Revy narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, 'Bombs not here'?"
"Not here. Gone. Elsewhere. Understand, yes?"
Revy recalled the gray van leaving when they had arrived. Then she remembered the two gray vans they had passed on their way out of Roanapur. She would like to rule it as a coincidence but she knew better. "You gotta be kidding me. They must be in Roanapur right now setting up."
Shenhua tilted the man's head up with the Kukri knife. After some contemplation, Shenhua lifted her blade high. Before she could bring it down in one fell swoop, the electronic buzzing voice of Sawyer stopped her.
"Let me... do it."
"Okay." Shenhua stepped aside and let Sawyer take her place. As Sawyer revved up her bloody chainsaw, Shenhua turned toward Revy. "What now? Go back empty-handed?"
The man's screams greeted Revy's ears. "We don't have a choice, do we?" If the mercenaries were in Roanapur, Revy doubted they were sitting around with their thumbs up their asses.
