The Lagoon Company's PT boat parks inside a storage building at the northern bay area of an island close to Ko Chang Island. The three-member crew gets off the boat and relieve themselves for being back on land again after spending time out in the dangerous waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Revy, Dutch, and Benny are back in Roanapur with a successful triumph of retrieving the stolen item for their job.
"Jeez…all that time-wasting for this shit?" Revy looks inside of a small fabric bag containing the item.
"Not just any kind of "shit," Revy. That's a very worthy item to keep. It's actually rarer than a Painite mineral. It's every collector's dream to have. Imagine what it is like to have that, right in your bedroom. " Benny begins to explain, "It must feel nice to be the only person in the whole world to have the very last thing in the world…"
Revy heckles and shakes her head with a titter, "Boys and their egos…No wonder this useless junk got stolen. I would just sell the damn thing and get somethin' more useful, straight-up cold hard cash."
"Well, that's the thing, Revy. You are a woman. Money is all you hog for." Benny wipes the foggy vapor off his glasses' lenses.
Revy snatches the glasses right off his hands with a pissed-off stare, "Yeah. Anything wrong with that?"
"Hey, knock it off, you two. We got what we needed." Dutch finishes tying the boat's safety rope to a wooden column and stands up, "Let's just deliver the thing back to the owner before we end up in another tight situation. We're not the only ones who are looking for it and getting paid any less."
Benny snatches his glasses back from Revy's hand, "Sorry, I can't come along. I gotta check back with Jane. She's probably blowing her head off right now after being alone too closely to a dangerous city. Hell, she'll might even sweat blood when I get back."
"I don't get ya, Benny…why do ya even like getting blown by that filthy blabbering mouth of hers?" Revy crosses her arms.
"I wonder how Rock would feel with you…"
"What'ja say?" Revy couldn't hear Benny since he was putting his glasses back on.
"I said; It has nothing to do with you. Anyway…"
Benny throws his keys for his 1965 Pontiac GTO to Dutch.
"…I'm walking back to her place. I'll be there if ya need me. See ya." Benny walks off to the exit with a hand waving.
"Hey, hold up!" Revy tries to stop him.
"Let him go, Revy. Benny-boy's got some love issues to deal with. Ain't worth it if we interfere…" Dutch smirks as he watches his blonde friend walk away.
"Oh, fuck, not this shit again…" Revy rubs the top of her nose. "How can a fuckin' sex-craving, motor-mouth, burnt-skin, tight-panties-of-the-bunch, get along with a wimpy dork like him?!"
"Wonder how you and Rock get along then."
"Huh, what?" Revy stops her ranting to hear Dutch more clearly.
"I said; You and her need to get along then." Dutch repeats with different words.
"Fuck that! Getting along with that sow of a smut ain't gonna happen. Did you ever hear her laugh? She has like this spit-clogged-throaty laugh, you know that kind a chicken makes after eating shit. That window of chance that she and I be getting along, would have me holding a fucking brick, Dutch!" Revy hastily lights a cigarette in her mouth.
"Whoa, jeez, all right, god-damn!" Dutch lights his own cigarette, "I'm just saying, Revy, she is Benny's girl, and Benny-boy's with us, so you gonna be talking to her in some time."
"...psh…whatever…" Revy exhales a smoke cloud.
A moment of silence arrives between them.
"Hey, tell you what, what don't you head out to the Yellow Flag first?" Dutch suggests, "I'll take care of getting the job finished. The guy seeing me is enough for him to wet his pants."
"Really? Fuckin' A!" Revy's fuming steam instantly vanishes, "Keeping your part of the bargain, aren't ya?"
"Just put it on my tab." Dutch remembers that he promised her to drink all she wants when they get back.
"Aw, yeah!" Revy tosses him the small fabric bag, "You sure you're gonna be fine without me?"
"Heh, what do you think I am, Two-Hands?" Dutch brings out and cocks his Remington 870 shotgun, "Some drowning nigger?"
Revy laughs at his joke with a couple of coughs from her cigarette, "It's funny cuz you're-"
She almost forgot the shotgun in Dutch's hand.
"…never mind." Revy begins to walk away, "See ya later tonight then, Dutch."
He watches as she exits the storage house, and far enough to not be able to hear him.
"Yeah, sure, Jealousy…" Dutch smirks as he heads for the car.
...
After a few minutes walking into the city Roanapur,
Revy finds that the streets are vacant. There is no one on the streets at all. Everybody is gone. They are probably in their homes or in the other buildings. Generally, when it is close to sunset, which is right now, everybody gets crazy and act out on the road as if it is a playground. However, there is nobody to be seen for some reason. Even the hobos and beat-up dogs are gone. The shops and all the other buildings have their doors shut and lights off. Roanapur is seemingly now an abandoned city. It has not been this quiet for an exceptionally long time. This is an eerie sign…
"That's weird…" Revy examines the different Roanapur streets around her. "There are usually hooligans around here."
She spots a window open at one of the apartment buildings.
The light is on and some man comes out to check for something.
"Hey, yo!" Revy catches his attention, "What the hell's goin' on? The sun is down, and no one's been shot out here yet!"
"Leave us alone, you Chinese bitch. The Russians are not here!" The man yells.
It takes Revy a while to respond back after a pause of surprise, "What the fuck did ya just-?"
The man then slams the window panels close tightly and turns off the lights.
Revy looks around to see if anyone else is present, but still, not one person is even listening to what just happened. She looks back at the closed window.
"Ya lucky I haven't drank yet, dip shit!" Revy yells.
The fumed tattooed woman continues her walk towards the Yellow Flag bar, hoping that place is not closed as well.
She frustratingly exhales with confusion, and poises a very paradoxical question aloud.
"What is fuckin' wrong with this city?"
Reaper unties his blue tie out of his white-collar shirt.
He binds Eda's wrists together with the tie and stands her up forcefully with his Springfield pistol aiming at her kidney.
"You're gonna regret doing this, Rock." Eda growls while Reaper tugs down her arms and has her shoulders pulling backward.
"It's Reaper now. Rock is dead." Reaper tightens the tie to secure her wrists.
"Reaper…?" Eda recalls that name, "So the rumor was about you this whole time?"
"…" Reaper finishes the binding and listens to what she has to say next.
"There has been word around, that some man in black named "Reaper," has been attacking Triads and started all that scuffle at the Central Hospital, the one with the Russians fighting with the Chinese. He's been called a "bringer of death" from what I heard; said he was goin' to bring down both of them by having the two gangs of Roanapur's killing each other." Eda scoffs, "Didn't think it would have been you…"
"Are you saying that as an eavesdropper…or as an agent?"
"…" Eda notices her Glock is on the ground far from her, "It's not what it seems. There's more to it than just the damn label."
"Not what it seems? I think I know enough to know where you really stand in this city."
"…"
"I didn't believe that you were actually Chang's informant, but I had my suspicions ever since that incident with Garcia and Roberta. You remember, don't you? It was you all along, you wanted to track down the Americans soldiers that came here."
"...!"
"That's how Chang knew about them. You told him about those soldiers. It was all from you. You were that informant."
"…heh…" Eda smirks through her teeth, "When did you figure it was me?"
"I started the battle with the Triads and Hotel Moscow by aiding the Triads first. Of course, I knew that they wouldn't have enough ways to protect themselves, so I pressed Chang to get some. That led me to you. The "box" earlier this morning, was his way of contacting you. He burned it down afterwards, so it must have been that secretive, especially in a field out of the city. I listened to his words; he said something about an American woman connected to a church. It was obvious." Reaper elucidates how he found out Eda's identity.
"Damn…" Eda is surprisingly calm, "That was pretty smart, Rock…or Reaper."
"…How long have you been keeping this facade act, Eda…or whatever your real name is?"
"…" Eda's eyebrows scrunch and her lips close.
"THERE THEY ARE!"
The Triads followers catch up to Reaper and Eda. The five men spread themselves out around the two to make sure they cannot run to escape. Reaper, while maintaining his grip on Eda's wrists and pointing his Springfield, left and right, at the men, takes a few steps back, with Eda in front acting as his shield. His right foot slides off the ground, and the dirt slips and descends.
Looking back, Reaper discovers he is at the edge of a hill cliff above a large lake.
This is familiar scenery to him.
Even though, the circumstances are apparently different.
Reaper puts his attention back to the Triads.
"You got nowhere to go now." One of them said.
"…" Reaper brings his eyes down to see his duffle bag lying closely to four members in front of him.
"Rock, these boys are not gonna wait for you to start shooting." Eda stiffly whispers.
Reaper chooses to gamble with fate.
"I've been to nowhere before…" Reaper puts his left arm around Eda's upper trunk and brings her to his side, "…and I can go back again!"
Reaper shoots at his duffle bag with one shot, and providentially, the bullet is able to hit one of the packed grenades in the bag. The bag explodes, and shrapnel and bullets burst out and injure the men heavily. He shoots at the one man to his left through his bicep. During the explosion of the bag and the wounding of the men, Reaper pulls Eda with him and jumps off the hill cliff.
They fall down from a height that seems endless.
The Japanese man wraps both of his arms around Eda and positions himself to be the first one to feel the splashing collision with the lake's water. Both of them slam into the lake and going under more than at least 30 feet.
The Triads member who was shot in the bicep is able to get back on his feet. He notices his fellow acquaintances are fatally injured, but still breathing. He walks to the edge of the hill cliff and looks down. He can only see the ripples that were caused from the splash. He waits for a minute to see if anyone of the two surfaces. He turns after hearing one of men screaming from his injury, and turns back to the lake below. He cannot tell if they survived, but he cannot stay to find out. The other men need medical attention.
"Damn it…can't call Shenhua about this…she'll kill us…" he mutters, "Hospital's down and no one else is out in the city who wants to help fucking Triads."
He cannot look for the Triads for help, neither the cops nor anyone in the city since they are scared of what is going on between the Triads and Hotel Moscow. He is practically stuck…
"Shit…" he curses as he leaves the edge of the hill cliff and begins pulling out his fellow Triads.
...
Back down in the lake, near tall muddy grass above the water level,
Reaper jumps out and holds the grass in front of him with his right hand. He brings Eda up and out as well, and pushes her up onto the grass and out of the water. She coughs out some amount of the dirty water, and gasps to regain her breath.
"You…You're one real bastard, ya know that, you…son of a bitch…!" Eda grunts as she notices that her orange sunglasses are gone.
Reaper brings himself up and his feet on top the muddy grass. He looks up to the faraway hill cliff's edge where he jumped. They swam really far to get to where they are. The Triads should not be able to see him since there are tree branches with loads of leaves attached covering above him. It would not be that much long if they should come to look and find him. Reaper must be moving again. But first, he feels his skin shivering. It does not bother him that much. He looks at the blonde woman who is lying on her side and sees her body shaking with the fully wet priest clothing. The sun has set and the night covers the sky. The darkness has come to the Reaper's aid. He and Eda need to dry themselves before they fall ill.
Reaper unzips and takes off his slim fit leather jacket.
Revy passes by an empty noodle restaurant.
It is a familiar restaurant, too. She stands close to it and begins reminiscing about this place. It brings many memories. The first time she came here, was with Dutch treating her. She never would have guessed that the noodles were actually delicious. The soup was like an herb of relaxation, and it even can bring a violent woman like her to ease. Revy comes here many times, even alone.
"…" Revy's face begins to have a slight depressing expression as she finds herself in the past with someone else.
This was the same restaurant where she and Rock had their first fight…and had their last moments.
Revy can see him, in a ghostly form, sitting at the table outside the restaurant. He is standing up with a face of anger, showing his time when he yelled at her, and sitting down with a friendly smile that she finds impossible to forget. The ghost dissipates as her past memories stop playing and has her back in the present.
Alone…and in the dark…
She rustles with her magenta hair while the depression clears itself out of her system. Then, Revy spots a bowl of noodles, uneaten and still steaming fresh, on one of the tables. She looks around to try to spot any movement of a human being, but no luck. Everyone is locked up and in the buildings, hiding from something. Revy does not know what. She stares at the bowl of noodles. Feeling hungry, she shrugs her shoulders,
"Maybe a bite wouldn't hurt before drinking down…" Revy grins to herself and sit herself at the table.
She takes and snaps chopsticks into two separate sticks, and begins to chow down.
Feeling guilty is the least of her worries, no one's eating it and left it out in the open. Stubborn to believe that it might be poisoned or spoiled, Revy just keeps on eating the noodles. As she is filling her stomach with food, she begins to wonder why no one is out on the streets. This can only happen if something serious is occurring right now. A big fight is breaking out somewhere…? Crazy and psychotic killers on the loose…? An atom bomb is going to land in Roanapur…? She will never know until she finds out on her own. The only clue she has is what the man from before, at the window, said to her.
"…the Russians are not here."
Does that mean the reason why people are locked in their homes is due to the Russians? In a more directive term, possibly Hotel Moscow is involved?
Revy can tell that something fishy is going on, and it is not from the fish sauce in the noodle soup.
She is halfway finished with her dinner…
"Hmm…if it isn't the infamous Two-Hands…" a raspy voice appears in front of Revy.
Revy looks up and sees at least someone familiar, standing closely to the table…A blonde Caucasian woman in her thirties with bright blue eyes, and scars on her face and neck.
"Balalaika…!" Revy remarks with a mouth full of noodles. She quickly swallows as an act of respect.
"I'm surprised to see you out here on your own…" Balalaika eyes around, "Were you not with Dutch?"
"He's heading out to get the rest of the job done…I got myself a short break." Revy spots Balalaika's right hand man, Boris. He is standing in the distance behind the Russian woman.
Revy observes Balalaika from down to up. Balalaika's red velvet clothes have multiple rips, her heels are gone, and her facial skin is smothered with dirt, bruises, and small bleeding cuts. Did she just come from a battle?
"Jesus…you look like shit, Sis…" Revy puts down her chopsticks, "What the hell happened?"
"Just a mild scuffle…" Balalaika sits down across from Revy, "Nothing from anything…captivating."
Boris continues to stand in the distance, scanning the surroundings, as if on a lookout.
Revy draws suspicion that someone is out looking for Balalaika.
"So…this hell of a ghost town here has nothing to do with what you're doing?" Revy folds her arms onto the table.
"Not quite to this extent." Balalaika smirks as she observes the streets, "But I suppose the cause for this mundane environment, might be pointing towards me."
"Hm…" Revy pulls out a cigarette out of its white box.
"Ah…" Balalaika halts her before it is in her mouth, "May I…?"
"…" Revy looks in the white box, and sees it is her last one.
She decided to give to her anyway.
Revy hands her the cigarette and prepares to take out her lighter. However, after the cigarette is in Balalaika's mouth, Balalaika takes out her own personal lighter. It is quite disturbing to remember that Balalaika would carry a lighter for reasons other than cigarettes.
"Is anything goin' on with Hotel Moscow…?" Revy asks as she watches Balalaika ignite the flame to burn the end of the cigarette.
"…" Balalaika inhales and blows out the smoke slowly, enjoying every seconds of it, "Yes, something has come up that has troubled us."
"…"
"…" Balalaika has a brief silence for herself, "Hotel Moscow is at war with the Triads."
"…!" Revy's eyes widen.
"…" Balalaika takes another inhale of the cigarette.
"It's about damn time, huh?" Revy grips her fists.
"…Yes…" Balalaika holds the cigarette between her fingers and puts her hand on the table.
Crossing her legs, she continues, "The Triads and my men are at brief ease for now. They have fought each other earlier this day. It was quite a stir of events. Deaths of them and my brave comrades have been the highlights of this day. I assumed you have missed it?"
"Heh…" Revy leers, "I sure as hell did…missed out on all the fun."
"Well, thankfully, you did not get in the way." Balalaika grins back, "Otherwise, you would have definitely been killed."
"Tch…I would'a take my chances." Revy leans back on her chair with one arm on top of it.
"…" Balalaika stares at Revy with another moment of silence, "Let me ask you a question, Two-Hands…"
"…?"
"Are you on his side?" Balalaika's grin turns to a frown. Her eyes turn stern and her gaze is plastered with atrocity. She is referring to Chang. This question is meant for the discovery of whose side Revy is on.
Revy finds herself in a tense state with the Russian woman.
Her mind reminds her that her Berettas are still loaded and in her holsters, ready for anything to happen. She has no idea why she would think about them. The cigarette in Balalaika's fingers releases smoke that ascends into the dead air between the two warriors. Revy's smirk disappears, as well. The fingers in her fists press into her palms much firmer. The cold atmosphere Balalaika is giving off is pressuring Revy to think abnormally. If she slips with one wrong word, it could potentially end up in bad terms.
"Look, Sis. I can guess you wouldn't be someone who thinks that just because I have the looks of a Chinese makes me fit under the description of being your enemy." Revy leans back forth and crosses her arms on the table again, "Am I wrong or what?"
"…"
"Don't take this personally, but I'm not on anybody's side. Not even yours." Revy's irises turn a bit black, "Being one-sided to anyone just gets your back turned to them. And you'll never realize that you're fucked. Loyalty…trust…they're all just bullshit nonsense to get people to be used like dogs."
"…" Balalaika twiddles the cigarette, "…I see…Can a dog help it when someone is willing to give support?"
"I think the dog has its own fucking choice to make. You can't stop a dog from being wild…it just chooses not to be."
"…Then, from that rationale…what if it has no choice?" Balalaika breathes in another puff of the cigarette.
"…" Revy's stare of black, rivals with Balalaika's, "What? Like putting a gun to its face…?"
"An interesting suggestion, coming from you, Two-Hands…Let's put it that way…" Balalaika nods, but continually without any smile, "Can it still make a choice then?"
"…" Revy's fists crunch tightly, and uncurls coolly, "Well, it's gotta bite back then."
"…"
They gaze in reticence for a time that seems the tension that resides among them enhances to suffocation. The next move is unpredictable, so both parties have to plan an act for any moment that is to happen. In Revy's case, improbable but should it happen, she will draw fire on the Russian mob boss. That is until she begins to hear Balalaika creating sounds of, what distinguishes to be, laughter.
"Heh, ha, ha, ha, ha…." Balalaika's chest ends up hovering over the tabletop.
Long seconds of amusement after, she returns to an upright position and appears to have a smile on her face.
"Now…THAT's really interesting…REALLY interesting, Two-Hands…" Balalaika inhales the cigarette and exhales to calm herself down.
"…" Revy is jumbled with Balalaika's sanity. Clearly, the problem for the quietness in Roanapur is the proclaimed war Balalaika is having with the Triads. This "dog" conversation is like a test or some sort. What does Balalaika want with Revy, now?
"Ahh…" Balalaika halts her laughter with a quick inhale of air, "…Bottom line, then. You are not with the Triads?"
"Fuck no, Sis." Revy sharply replies, "The only chance I'm gonna be in fuckin' shitstorm is when somebody pays me. That's the rule I run with."
"Hmm…and Chang, I assume, has not paid you to be on his side?"
Suddenly, Revy furiously whacks the bowl of noodles to her right.
The bowl slopes out of the table and crushes into the ground. The broken bowl pieces, the soup, and the remaining noodles spread across and stain the dirt. Revy's dinner is ruined. The noise has Boris's head turn to them.
Revy then bangs her fist down on the table with a controlled rabid attitude.
"What the fuck do you want, Sis?" she growls, "I got no time for anybody who gonna keep asking me the same goddamn question every time. Just spit it out or take your bullshit somewhere else."
"…" Balalaika sits without any cringe.
The blonde Russian takes another inhale from the cigarette and casually exhales.
Her murderous carriage grows faint. She returns to a friendly mood.
"Very well, Two-Hands. I shall believe you."
"…" Revy's body starts to relax and she puts her back to the chair board.
Talking to Balalaika like that is one HUGE risk. Fortunately, Balalaika did not react the same way to Revy when Rock talked to Balalaika that way back in Japan. Altough, she did laugh like a total psycho...
"Since you're on nobody's side, and you only take money as a motivation…" Balalaika puts her arms on the table the same she does at her office desk, "…I would like for you to do a job for me."
"…" Revy's eyes regain their golden color, "…And what job would that be?"
Balalaika's smile grows back on her face, "I can tell that you and Chang have a…well-mutual relationship?"
"…Yeah…taught me some tricks with slinging these guys." Revy points her thumb to her Berettas.
"Is that so? Then that explains your talents." Balalaika's eyebrow arises.
"You could say that."
"…" Balalaika's fingers come up to wrap around the side of her face, "…Are you better than him?"
"…What…?"
"Are you experienced enough…to go against Chang?"
"…"
Now Balalaika is definitely crazy. She is asking Revy to take on the dual-wielding pistols master, Mr. Chang? Revy is not in the same league as him. Chang can slaughter her for sure. There is absolutely no way Revy can battle him and survive. The great Two-Hands knows her own weaknesses, especially when it comes to gun fighting. The leader of the Sun-Yee Triads, Chang, is just too much for Revy to handle. She will be killed without a doubt.
"I'm sure you can find a way to defeat him…?"
"To kill him, you mean?" Revy discerns the true meaning in Balalaika's question.
"…Yes…Can you kill Chang yourself, Two-Hands?"
"…" Her fingers constrict again, "There is no fuckin' hell's way I can do that."
"…"
"Even I was on your side and wanted to kill him, there's no fuckin' way I can do it. Look, no bullshit, I'm the greatest sharpshooter ever lived, but Chang's on whole different level. He's my teacher…and I gotta be fucked up in the head to take him on."
"Well, as a student…you must surpass him sooner or later."
"…! No…No fuckin' way…I can't win…" Revy contort her face.
She promptly stands up, "This is a suicide job. I'm not gonna take it, even if I COULD kill him. I'm just gonna end up on the Triads' hit list, and I ain't running from this place."
"…"
"Find someone else who's jack shit in the head to do it for ya." Revy turns and starts walking away.
"One million dollars." Balalaika presents.
Revy ceases her steps.
She turns back to Balalaika with a baffled expression.
"In U.S. currency, of course. If you guarantee his death, it's all yours." Balalaika puffs the cigarette, "In fact, I'm willing to grant another million AFTER it's done."
"…" Revy is bowled over by that amount of money, "…But…"
"…?"
"…IT'S STILL FUCKIN' CRAZY!" Revy infuriates with the difficulty of the offered job, "THAT'S LIKE TAKING ON A FUCKIN' JET ON FOOT WITH A SHITFUL OF STONES!"
"Hmm…I'm sure you can find a way."
"…shit…" Revy kicks the dirt under her feet.
"The only reason why I'm asking you is because of the fact that you and Chang are good associates. He wouldn't suspect you, even if you ARE at his level of skills. There will be a moment where he will turn his back to you…and your moment will be open." Balalaika smirks with bravado.
"…" Revy understands why Balalaika asked about which side she is on, "So, you want me to take Chang's side, get him to trust me enough to turn his back to me, and-"
"…"
"-kill him."
"An excellent suggestion, once more, Two-Hands." Balalaika opens her hands out.
"While at the same time…I am on your side…"
"You…are on NOBODY's side, remember? Not on mine, nor his. I am simply paying you for a job. In whatever ways you do so, is all up to you."
"…" Revy's fingers coil yet again.
"Nevertheless, YOU are certainly a wild dog."
"…!"
"I am not making you to choose at all, just providing a choice. You can choose NOT to be wild, and go behind Chang, or keep your untamed instinct and walk away. I'm not pointing a gun at you, but I am agreeable to reward you eminently."
"…"
"…So, Two-Hands. What is your choice?" Balalaika puts her back to the chair board and inhales the cigarette.
"…" Revy bites her lips, very hesitant and doubtful.
Can Revy pull it off?
Can she kill the one who exceeds her in a gunfight?
Can she kill Chang, the leader of the Triads?
Can she trust Balalaika?
"…make it 5…" Revy mumbles
"Beg pardon?" Balalaika takes the cigarette out of her mouth.
"5 million, both ways…and you got yourself a dead target."
"…"
"…"
"5 million, AFTER you kill him." Balalaika rewords the deal.
"…Fine." Revy agrees, "I'll do it."
Balalaika's friendly smile gleams with joy, "Excellent! This will benefit the both of us!"
True, but Revy is the one who will be in the most perilous position.
Balalaika stands up and comes in front of the Chinese woman, "Do whatever is necessary, but get it done as soon as possible. As soon as it's finished, I will transfer the payments to you.""
Revy merely nods, feeling overwhelmed with the job description.
"Well then, Two-Hands…" Balalaika takes one last inhale of the cigarette and tosses it onto the ground, "It is always a pleasure working with you."
"…"
Balalaika turns around and walks towards Boris, who is patiently waiting for her.
"Oh, one other thing…" Balalaika wishes to include, keeping her back turned to Revy, "I also recommend you not to tell the other Lagoon Company's members about your involvement with this. It would very unwise for them to have knowledge that you want to kill a leader of a powerful organization and willingly let them be hunted. Don't tell Dutch or Benny, and especially not to Rock. Rock would definitely take it too personally."
"Rock…?" Revy is puzzled at Balalaika's naming, "Rock is dead, Balalaika."
Balalaika stops walking.
"Oh yes, that's right. He IS dead, isn't he?" she immorally smiles with brightening eyes.
"…Yea'…" Revy's depressive expression begins to return, but she shakes it off with her head.
Balalaika turns around to have her face, back to friendly, towards Revy, "I'm sorry about that. Hard to remember that he is not at your side anymore…"
"…"
"Are you still taking it hard to heart?"
"What…?" Revy could not hear that question.
"I said, 'Forgetting is hard, is it not?'"
"…I already got over it. Rock is dead. I don't fuckin' mope like a crybaby."
"Hmm…very well, then. Once more, it is a fine opportunity to work with you again. We will meet again soon. Farewell."
"…"
"Oh, and Two-Hands…?"
"…?"
"Be wary of the 'man in black'…"
With that, Balalaika's smile of malignity comes back when she turns around and walks away with Boris, into the darkness of the streets, leaving Revy pondering.
Next to the noodle restaurant, Revy stands there.
Alone…in the dark…
In a forest, far away from the lake,
Reaper, who is half-naked, adds wood to a fire he started.
Eda, who is still cold and wet, has Reaper's slim leather jacket on over her naked body. The priest clothes she had on, along with Reaper's white business shirt, are being dried close to the fire. Her wrists are still tied with Reaper's blue tie securely. The two sit close to the fire to be warm. Eda sits on one side and Reaper sits on the opposite side. They continually let their wet bodies and clothes be dried, and wait until it is finish. The fire is a bad thing to do if the Triads are to look for them, but the darkness of the night and the forest of trees hide them from far sight.
After adding some wood to the fire, Reaper brings out two guns, his black Springfield Armory 1911 TRP and Kel-Tec Sub 2000 prototype, and starts to clean and tune them.
Eda watches him and smirks,
"Guns from nowhere, huh?"
Reaper's eyes go to her.
"You start showing up from nowhere and…all of a sudden, you have guns in your hands. Not only that, but you manage to piss off the Russians and Chinese gangsters enough for them to kill each other. I'm quite impressed."
Reaper goes back to cleaning his Kel-Tec while keeping his silence.
"Why are you doing it, Rock?" Eda inquires.
"It's Reaper…"
"Hey, don't fucking act like a child and change your name to anything you want. I don't give any-given shit to what your real name is now…"
"Rock's not my real name, either…" Reaper tells her as he stops his cleaning.
"…!"
"Of course, you must've known that already, don't you…agent?"
"…" Eda is getting annoyed how that since he simply figured out her occupational status, he thinks he can call her "agent." "No, I don't know what your real name is."
"Then that seems fair. I don't know what your real name is, so you don't need to know mine." Reaper continues his cleaning.
"…"
"So, to avoid inconvenient arguments, you're, as of right now, Eda, and I am Reaper. I suggest you need to get used to it now. Some agent you are…don't know my real name…" Reaper scoffs.
"…"
"All right, Reaper…" Eda mockingly calls to gets his attention, "…tell me why you are starting the hell of a storm out there?"
"Why does it matter to you?"
"Because I monitor Chang and his group of Chinese fan boys. I intend to know what they are doing, and why. From what it seems, you are connected to them, and that makes YOU become MY problem. And I don't feel quite bad with that." Eda flirtatiously notes at how she is naked with only a man's leather jacket on and tied up with a tie.
"Drop the act, Eda." Reaper deflects, "If you really wish to know, then I'll explain."
"Hmph…"
"…"
Reaper looks down to clean his guns while telling Eda his intentions.
Revy arrives at the Yellow Flag bar.
The neon lighted sign is on, and the inside seems to have the lights on, too. The front door is open, so Revy enters.
She finds that there is nobody at all in the bar either.
No drunken men with guns playing cards…no prostitutes shooting heroin…heck, even the upstairs is quiet, and it's never quiet up there.
Revy does not see Bao anywhere.
She is alone in a bar full of alcohol…
"Sweet…" Revy grins as she heads for the counter.
"GAAH!" a yelling Vietnamese man with a moustache jumps from behind the counter, cocks a Remington 1100 shotgun, and aims it at Revy's face.
"WHOA! HEY! WATCH IT!" Revy puts her hands up, "It's me, Bao!"
"Oh, shit…!" Bao sighs with relief and lowers the shotgun, "You…You're not with trouble, are ya Revy? Cuz if ya are, I'm gonna ask you politely to GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY BAR!"
"HEY! CALM DOWN!" Revy stops him when he puts up the shotgun again, "I'm not here to ruin your fuckin' bar and shit. I'm just here for a damn drink."
"Tch…good…!" Bao places the shotgun on top of the counter and calms down, "The damn usual, right…?"
"Fuckin' straight…" Revy sits down on a stool, "Oh, and put it on Dutch's tab…he's payin' up tonight."
"Aw…shit…that means you're gonna drink up my whole stock, aren't ya?" Bao grabs a Barcardi bottle and a glass, and puts them in front of Revy.
"Heh…maybe…" Revy deviously smirk, and gulps down a glass of Barcardi immediately.
"Eh, what the fuck, go on anyway…This place's never been this empty before…" Bao converses with Revy.
"You know what's going on, then?" Revy wants to see if Bao knows the situation. "The whole fuckin' city gone quiet, that's gotta be a bad sign."
"You bet your ass it is…" Bao reveals his thoughts, "We got a new stranger in town…"
"New stranger…?" Revy stops her drinking and essentially listens.
"One real fuckin' dangerous manic…might be more dangerous than the killer maid that came to this city…"
"Go on…"
"Word's on the street…well, when there ACTUALLY people in it, a 'man in black' came into town and started attacking Triads members. Can you BELIEVE that?"
"Really…?" Revy raises an eyebrow. She evokes that 'man in black' name from Balalaika, who told her to be wary of him.
"No bullshit, I'm telling you, Revy! Remember those little twin kids attacked Hotel Moscow's people?"
"Yea' sure, I remember that…"
"Yea' well, this time, this man did not only shot Triads, but he got them to believe that it was Hotel Moscow's fault, and got a war start up between them!"
"That's why they're fighting? Because some fuckin' man in black shot some of them?"
"There's more to it…I heard that this guy…took on Balalaika AND Chang, and LIVED. He goes by the name of 'Reaper.'"
"…Reaper…?"
"Can you believe that shit? He had a gunfight with both of them…and survived! That's some fucked up shit, ain't it! This new guy is a fuckin' warmonger!"
Revy recalls her time with Balalaika back at the noodle restaurant.
Balalaika was bruised and bleeding at the time.
Was that from a battle with this man in black? Or was it just simply from Chang?
Is this the man Balalaika told Revy to be on the lookout for?
This new stranger sounds really dangerous…
"The war is still out there…people, even me, are scared shitless to go out. They might get shot by either Hotel Moscow, or the Triads." Bao said.
"…"
"But the 'man in black' is just a rumor…It might not be even true…Pretty fuckin' exaggerated to hear that some guy with guns from nowhere show up and start breaking out a war in Roanapur…sheesh…Everyone's wearing goddamn black these days…"
"Do you think they're true?" Revy asks
"I don't even care if it's true or not, I'm just worried that it gonna go down here and fuck up my bar again!"
Revy rolls her eyes at that statement.
"Anyway, heard you been out looking for something on a job, right?" Bao questions
"Yea' we got what we're looking for…Dutch's bringin' it back to the guy."
"Hm…" Bao nods, "And you're holdin' up…?"
"…? What…?"
"You know…I was just remembering the times you and Rock had drinks here."
"…"
"There's ALWAYS some shit you two bring every time you come here."
Revy goes back into her memories.
She sees herself and Rock just talking at the bar counter while drinking their alcohol.
"Especially the last time you two came here, damn!" Bao chuckles, "You and the other blonde lady almost emptied my whole fuckin' store."
Revy remembers that night. She slightly beams from it.
She takes another gulp of the Barcardi from the glass.
"You were madly drunk that night too. The whole damn bar had a fight for their bets. Rock, the poor guy, had to carry you back home. You two didn't get it on, did you?"
Revy stops midway from her drink, she did not catch Bao's last sentence, but it sounded like what she thinks it sounded like, "Excuse me…?"
Bao shrugs and starts wiping his counter, "Nuthin'…"
Unexpectedly, the front door of the bar opens.
Bao rapidly holds up his shotgun, "Who goes there?"
"WHOA, easy now!" a recognizable voice fills up the bar.
Revy turns her head to the source and notices a well-known figure entering.
A tall Chinese man in a black trench coat with a white scarf, and black sunglasses has his hands raised to calm the bartender down.
It is the leader of the Sun-Yee Triads…
The enemy of Hotel Moscow…
The one Revy has to kill…
Mr. Chang.
"I'm sure you have heard about what is going on with us, but I assure you, I am here without any means of destruction to your bar." Chang leniently greets.
"…ghh…" Bao's hands shake as more Triads members enter the bar with Chang.
"Two-Hands! I knew I would find you here." Chang sees Revy staring at him.
"Good to know…" Revy already feels the anxiety swirling inside her.
"Come! Sit with me!" Chang waves as he sits at one of the tables.
Revy watches the other Triads men go sit at different tables, leaving her and Chang to talk alone.
She gets off the stool, makes her way over to Chang's table, and sits on the opposite side of him.
"You…forgot your drink." Chang reminds Revy.
"That's fine, it's not gonna grow legs and go anywhere." Revy responds.
Truthfully, she did forget to bring it with her.
Revy's anxiety is really building up for sure.
"All right…Bao! I will have a beer only, and so do my friends over there. Put it on my tab." Chang orders the drinks.
Bao puts his shotgun back on the table reluctantly, since he is outnumbered if he tries to shoot, and prepares the drinks.
"So, Two-Hands…how are you doing?" Chang charmingly asks.
"Fuckin' great…" Revy tries to smirk back, "Night by myself, and a drink…couldn't get any better."
"Is that right? Was it much more different when Rock's with you?"
Rock, again…Revy is not sure how much she can handle it…
"Sure, I guess…" Revy shrugs her shoulders.
"Guess…? You never feel…lonely?"
"…I can deal with swallowing my own damn drink without having to talk to somebody else…"
"Whoa, okay…no need for that attitude…I understand…" Chang apologizes, "Just saying that losing a friend four years ago must've mean a great deal…"
"Not that fuckin' great to be droopin' my spit out…"
"…! Oh, so you and Rock were NOT in that kind of a relationship?" Chang asks.
"…Wh-…?"
Before Revy could respond, Bao comes in and places a beer jug filled with beer in front of Chang.
"Your beer…sir…" Bao grumbles, "...on the house..."
"Why, thanks!" Chang gratefully accepts.
Bao leaves the table and gives the other beer jugs to the other men.
Revy respectfully lets Chang take a drink of his beer.
Chang tastes the beer with fast smacking lips, and he raises the jug high, "Bao! Your beer has certainly never failed to meet my standards!"
"…" Bao, who is scowling, completes his duty with giving the other men the beer jugs.
Chang takes another sip and puts the jug back down on the table.
He continues their conversation with,
"Are you aware of what's going on right now, Two-Hands?" Chang firmly questions her.
"…You mean, do I know that you and Hotel Moscow are fightin'?"
"Quite right…Heard that from the "Word on the Streets" deal?"
"…sort of…"
Revy wants to smoke, but remembers that she ran out since she gave her last cigarette to Balalaika.
Chang reads her mind, and takes out a cigarette box packed full of wrapped nicotine.
He flips out one and offers it to Revy.
"Cigarette…?"
Revy accepts it and puts it in her mouth. Before she could take out her lighter, Chang swiftly draws out his Zippo lighter and puts the flickered flame onto the end of the cigarette. This reminds Revy of how fast Chang's hands are.
"Since you know already, that we are having troublesome issues with the Russians, I was wondering if you know why?" Chang puts his lighter away inside his trench coat's pocket.
"Why…you guys are on each other's tails…?" Revy reconfirms the questions.
"Yes…do you know how it all started?" Chang drinks his beer.
"Dunno' exactly…" Revy exhales a smoke cloud.
"Well, what DO you know?"
"…" Revy has to be careful with her words, letting Chang know that Balalaika came to Revy first is not wise, "I heard from Bao…that some stranger has been fuckin' with you?"
"A stranger…? Go on…"
"…Er…some man in black, named…Reaper…has been shooting some of your men, and made you believe that it was Hotel Moscow's fault…"
"Is that what the rumors say?" Chang smirks.
"Yo, I just came back from a job, ya know, I had no shit to deal with once I'm back here." Revy tells him.
"I'm aware of that, Revy, don't worry about it. Okay, so, from what you heard, a man in black named Reaper has just MYSTERIOUSLY appeared out of nowhere, shoots my men, and has us fighting with Hotel Moscow because of that?"
"Those are just rumors…unless they really meant shit." Revy inhales her cigarette again.
"…" Chang pauses in silence for a little bit and gulps his beer.
Revy rethinks her words again, to make sure she did not slip up.
Chang returns to her.
"Those rumors are relatively true." Chang smack his lips and puts the jug down, "Reaper has indeed shown up and shot my men this morning. That part is very true, indeed…"
"…!"
"Revy, do you know how many of my men have been killed during the last four years?"
"Killed…? I didn't even fuckin' pay any attention to them."
"I see...well, I have lost 35 of my men." Chang deeply states.
"Sorry to hear that, Chang…" Revy nods her head sideways.
"Reaper has killed them for the last four years. This morning, he shot the last six and called me. He told me that he was hired by Balalaika to hunt down and kill my men. That led me to conclude that Hotel Moscow is involved."
"THAT'S what made you think Hotel Moscow's responsible?" Revy's question becomes condescending, "What if that man in black was just fuckin' bullshittin' and claimed he was with Balalaika?"
"Now you see, this is why I asked you about Rock."
"…!"
"Has Rock told you about his last job…you know, before he died?"
"Yea', he got himself working with Balalaika." Revy replies.
"Doing what…?"
"…Uh…getting signatures or somethin'…"
"From WHO?" Chang pressures her.
"…" Revy goes deeply back into her memories, attempting to remember.
"Do you remember Rock having a briefcase?"
"…S-Sure…I…"
"It contained the information of MY men, men who are Triads members. Rock was actually getting information for Balalaika to use."
"…!"
"The information contained the addresses of those men so that Reaper knows where to hit them."
"…"
"I'm sure you can put all the pieces together now. The day Rock was killed…the men that took the briefcase from him…they were Balalaika's men."
Revy is starting to hear heavy news.
The next part has her depression hit her in full force.
"That's right, Revy…the one who killed Rock, was Balalaika."
"…!" Revy's eyes fully widen. The cigarette in her finger drops onto the wooden floor. Cold sweat drips out of her magenta hair. Her warm skin develops goose bumps and shrivels her.
Balalaika…killed Rock?
Four years ago, on the cliff, THAT was her doing?
"I can see you're pretty shocked, aren't you Two-Hands?" Chang observes her reaction.
Revy's golden eyes stare down at the table.
"Revy, look at me." Chang leans forward to get her eye contact.
She manages to bring it to his sunglasses. She can see his intense eyes through the black lenses.
"Balalaika came to talk to you, hasn't she?" Chang's calm voice is as piercing as a spear.
Revy plainly shakes her head in small movements.
"…" Chang continues to gaze at her, looking for something.
Until, a Triads member comes to their table and tells Chang,
"我们不能呆在这里了. 我们的敌人会找到我们."
Chang sits upright again and nods to him.
The man goes back to inform the others that they are leaving.
Chang looks back at the distraught Revy.
"I believe you, Two-Hands." Chang stands up and suggests to her, "And I believe that you always wished to find Rock's killer, right? Well, if you help me…I can get you what you want. If you want to take that vengeance of your's up to Balalaika, you gonna have to show that you can be my right-hand partner. I lost my partner today, and you can take his place. You have to prove to me that you are capable of getting my trust. In the time after we finally get this blood-spilling to end, you can do whatever you want with her once when we win. If you want to be my partner…no…if you want to kill Balalaika-"
"…"
"-you are going to have to kill the 'man in black,' Reaper, for me."
"…!"
"Think about it, Two-Hands. This is war. You will have to decide which side you want to be on sooner or later. Just don't forget who you're trying to piss off."
"…" Revy clenches her fists.
Chang looks to his men and gestures to them.
They exit the bar first, and Chang walks to the front door and looks to Bao, who is cleaning his counter.
"Thanks for the beer."
With that, the Triads and their leader are gone from sight.
Revy sits at her spot for a long period of time.
She gets herself up and sits back on the stool at the bar counter.
As she holds the glass with Barcardi, Bao watches her hand.
Her hand is shaking violently.
"Revy…you okay?" he asks.
He then sees a look on her face…a look that he will never forget.
The look has her face plastered with horrid fear and sorrow…
…giving brief moments of resisting cries…
…and the great and powerful, but emotionally conflicted Two-Hands is sitting without her friend.
Alone…in the dark…
"And you really believe that's going to happen?" Eda queries after Reaper finishes his explanation.
"Yes. It must." Reaper puts down both of his cleaned and tuned guns down on the ground.
"Feh…now that's something I gotta watch till the end…" Eda chuckles
"A word of warning, Eda. You cannot get in my way." Reaper notifies.
"Huh…?"
"I can tell everyone in Roanapur about who you are. And after hearing that a CIA agent has been the one providing illegal firearms, they would be…wound up."
"Oh yea'? How ya gonna give em proof?"
Reaper removes out of his back pouch a tape recorder.
Eda knows straight away, what that means.
"I got some of your voice in here. Since this is a tape recorder, I don't have to worry about it being ruined…"
"You are one wicked devil, ya know that?"
"Is Yolanda an agent like you as well?"
"…no…she's just my informant here in Roanapur. She's not connected to the U.S. at all…" Eda has no reason to hide it anymore.
"…" Reaper stares at her blankly.
"What? That's the truth! I'm not lying!"
"If you say so…" Reaper puts the tape recorder back into his pouch.
He looks up into the sky. It is really dark.
"You should rest now." Reaper advises.
"…?"
"Since you're not going anywhere until I'm going, you might as well rest up."
"And what…? Ya gonna sabotage me when I'm sleeping?" Eda flirtatiously questions again.
"Don't be so disgusting…" Reaper gets on his feet and holds his Springfield pistol, "I'm going to get some more wood."
As he disappears into the forest,
"Fuckin' handsome prick…" Eda growls.
...
Reaper walks through the trees and listens to the crickets chirping.
He looks back up to the sky again.
The stars shine and the moon gleams.
Alone in the dark,
Reaper's mind begins to drift into the past.
"Revy…" He utters.
A/N: Wow! Sorry about the long monthly update. Pretty tight in working schedule! I hope you enjoyed this update!
This is Revy's chapter for the most part. Very emotional since she just came back from her job and got slammed in the face with breaking news. Do not worry; she is still going to be badass and awesome later and soon.
If you can tell, Balalaika used the same strategy she used on Rock to trick Revy.
The truth in the rumor has been tricked up and some parts were left out. This is all because both parties, Balalaika and Chang, want Revy to do something for them. Moreover, Reaper (Rock) is in the mix of it all!
This chapter is heavily inspired by Quentin Tarantino films. "Pulp Fiction" and "Inglourious Basterds" elements were assimilated into the dialogues of the chapter. I used symbolisms in some moments as well. For example, the cigarette Revy gave to Balalaika, represents Revy's life. Revy's known for smoking for a quite a long time, so it is like a metaphor that means it is Revy's way of life. She has only one left, because she only has one life. The life is given to Balalaika, and she "smokes" or "use" it all up and simply tosses it aside. Pretty cool, right? If you think so, or if you found more symbolisms, please tell me in your review.
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Thank you for reading!