Ever After
Black Lagoon Two
"Fuck," Eda said as they left the brothel.
Revy was frowning as she looked at the three newcomers, "Looks like you've got to go see Hotel Moscow."
The Japanese chick looked confused as she asked, "Who's Hotel Moscow, and why are you both scared of them?"
Revy snorted while Eda just shook her head.
"I forgot you kids were new in town," Eda noted. "Hotel Moscow are the local branch of the Russian Mob. They're huge in this town, supported by an ex-military unit and lead by a woman called Balalaika. She's a stone cold killer."
"If your lost friend went to Hotel Moscow and pissed Balalaika off, somehow," Revy noted, "she might already be dead."
All three strangers exchanged oddly amused looks. The witchy looking girl then calmly noted, "Doubt it."
Eda gave the three a quizical look.
Shen-hua looked amused, "So, you going to Hotel Moscow next? I not want anything to do with that." With that the cheery knife fighter strode off.
"Thank you for your help," Quill called.
The sword using girl coolly watched her go, then turned to Eda and Revy. "We need to go there, but you don't have to come along. Just give us directions," she said seriously.
Revy looked at her blankly a moment. Her first temptation was just to give them the directions and walk away... but she KNEW her boyfriend Rock would scold her for just abandoning them. And the rumour mill in town meant he WOULD find out.
"Fuck," Revy muttered, "I'll take you there."
"What," Eda looked at her blankly.
"But I am NOT backing you up against Balalaika," Revy added hurriedly, "if she decides to off you, you're on your own."
"We'll be fine!" Lilith reassured her breezily.
Eda again looked at the girls like they were insane. "Fuck, I'm coming too," she decided, "if only to see how this all turns out."
And with that the five women set out.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"More Japanese?" Balalaika asked.
"Well, one Japanese for certain. A women with a katana who, apparently, can slap bullets out of the air. She's accompanied by an attractive blonde, and an apparent mid-eastern woman," Boris, her second in command reported.
"Another strike by the Washimine Clan?" Balalaika wondered.
"They don't appear to be connected. According to reports by our informants, they are searching for a missing person," Boris said.
"Hmm," Balalaika murmured. "Do we know where they are going?" she asked.
"They visited Rowan's," Boris said, "and are heading in this direction. They have Eda and Revy along with them."
'Well, well. Why would they be helping them?' Balalaika thought silently to herself. "Very well," she murmured, "Watch for them. If they do come here, let them in... I'm curious." With that, she dismissed him.
The white-blonde haired woman took out a cigar from the humidor, snipped the end off then put it between her teeth. She lit a match and brought it to the end of the cigar, putting it alight. She took a long drag, sitting back and thinking.
Part of her still felt they were connected to the Washimine Clan. What were the odds that more Japanese would just randomly come to town? Plus, a member of the Washimine also had that same talent to block bullets with a sword.
(That, in itself, rather boggled her mind. The sheer speed and reaction time required to slap a bullet out of the air with a sword! Yes, it was only effective against small weapons, and a machine gun would likely kill them. But still! It was an impressive feat.)
Balalaika puffed on her cigar thoughtfully. There was the possibility this might be an assassination attempt, too. Being very obvious and public coming there could just be a cover. Still, Balalaika was confident in her own skills, plus she had her people guarding her. Even if they succeeded, they wouldn't escape alive.
On impulse, Balalaika picked up the phone and dialed. "Ah, Yukio," she smiled wolfishly, then informed the woman about the three ladies.
"Thank you for the information," Yukio Washimine sounded both formal and respectful, as was befitting a Japanese school girl. Amusingly, she was also the head of her crime family, and had in less than a week after arriving, wiped out the Italian mob in town. "I'm sorry, but they don't sound familiar to me," she added.
It was harder to say with them not being face to face, but Balalaika thought she was telling the truth. Pity. "Well, I'll let you know what happens with your countryman... they are apparently coming here," she added.
"Please remember there are people with pure motives in this town," Yukio said, "Rock, for example. Please don't kill them out of hand."
"I'll consider that," Balalaika hung up.
With a certain amount of irritation Balalaika took a few more puffs on her cigar, then crushed it out in the heavy ashtray on her desk. So, judging how long the girls would take getting from Rowan's over to here...
"Ma'am! Eda and Revy are here, along with three strangers," a soldier reported. "They want to see you."
"Send them up," Balalaika ordered.
A few moments the group of women came in, and Revy waved. "Hey, big sis," she said, "I'm just the guide, this time."
"Me too," Eda agreed.
Balalaika nodded to the to, then studied the three. She somewhat dismissed the mid-eastern girl... she looked around curiously, but there was no fire in her eyes. The pretty blonde was a threat, Balalaika assessed, and not just physically. There was something weird and unearthly about her. She was reminded of old Russian folk tales of unkillable witches...
"My name is Hazuki," the Japanese woman said as she met Balalaika's eyes fearlessly, "these are my friends Lilith and Quill." She took a steadying breath as she said, "I'm told you took in a mute, red eyed blonde...?"
"I did," Balalaika said. The girl... yes, this one was the dangerous one. Her eyes had a passionate intensity in them. She would see the world burn to reach her goals.
The girl seemed to sense what Balalaika wasn't saying. "Hatsumi disappeared?" she asked her flatly.
"Indeed. On her birthday, she just... disappeared from her room," Balalaika said, watching the intense young woman flinch in pain.
"EVE...," the witchy looking one cursed, looking like she wanted to kick something.
The mid-eastern girl asked, "How long ago did this happen?"
"Two months, October 2nd 1996," Balalaika said.
The three women moved aside to talk, as Balalaika sat back. 'Books' she overheard, 'different rates of time' and other phrases. Clearly the three were involved in something unusual.
"Hey, big sis," Revy asked curiously, "Why did you take in that mute chick, anyway?"
"I wanted a secretary who wouldn't blab my secrets to anyone," Balalaika said dryly.
"Ha!" Eda smiled.
And the girl had reminded Balalaika of herself, when she had been younger and much more innocent. But she wouldn't admit that...
The three young women finished their discussion, and the sword girl bowed to Balalaika. "Thank you for taking care of Hatsumi," she said, "I don't want to imagine what might have happened to her otherwise."
Balalaika considered waving that off, but the girl's sincerity was powerful. "It was nothing," she answered, "besides, it seems the lady inspired people to care for her. Even Rowan did, it seems."
"Yes, well," the girl looked uncomfortable, "I'm sorry we troubled you."
"This wasn't trouble," Balalaika said, amused, "killer maids, vampire twins... that's trouble."
"Don't remind me," Revy muttered.
The three young women gathered together, then the witch-clad girl began to glow an eerie green. The light grew brighter, then in a flash all three simply disappeared.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Eda yelped.
"Shit," Revy agreed.
Much more calmly Balalaika murmured, "Well, that's a thing."
To be continued...
Notes: It's REALLY HARD writing this just in POV of the outside characters. Eeep. Anyway... Black Lagoon is set in the '90s somewhere, so I had Balalaika mention the exact date too. She also apparently thinks Lilith is Baba Yaga from Russian folklore.
