Delivery

Chapter 16

Ageha looked at the succubus before her. She wasn't someone that worked for her sister. That much she was certain. It was obvious that she was from North America, and she seemed to be from the United States. Her mannerisms indicated a sort of entitlement that was difficult to miss. The fact that she wasn't in pieces was surprising in and of itself.

Ageha had heard of the dimensional sword before, a way of cutting through matter with a flick of a hand. It was a perfect attack, and she had heard that some of the vampires knew of it. For Ling Ling to know it meant she was close to either the one that created it, or a master of it. She also watched as Tsurara doctored the one they called Rock. The wound was bad enough that there was concern over if there would be complications.

His lover, his girlfriend, his chosen one, was watching over him like a hawk. She noticed that he wasn't screaming, but instead he seemed to be thinking.

"Revy, get Benny," he said, "We need to contact them."

She growled, "Rocky-Baby, they sent over two brats that were supposed to be dead, and they nearly killed you," she spat, "Yeah, there's words. Words like how they need to go fuck themselves."

He shook his head, and Ageha watched as he looked at her, "Revy," he said not getting angry or anxious, "We need to talk to them because now we're a threat."

She looked at him, "They're going to take us serious. They've sent three groups over to infiltrate and stop us. We've managed to deal with them. At this point they're going to simply target our torpedos and hope for the best," he said while Tsurara doctored him, "They've got to think that we've got our clients in the safest part of the Lagoon. That means they won't be harmed if the torpedo explodes, but it is going to disable us, and the Lagoon will sink. If any of us survive, that's great, if not then they've lost nothing."

She closed her eye, "FUCK!" she screamed as she hit the wall, "I hate it. You're right, but I fuckin' hate it!"

He nodded, "Our only choice is to make a multually beneficial deal that allows us both to complete our contracts," he said before he looked at Ageha, "So, where were we heading, exactly?"

Ageha sighed, "It's a small place that is just outside of Japan proper," she said while looking at them both, "The island is owned by a powerful being that gave my sister permission for us to go there."

He nodded, "Was there a secondary place?"

She nodded, "Yes, there's a meeting of various vampire nobles happening. We were given permission to go there. Technically, the one that asked Ling Ling to resurrect Tsurara is there."

He took in what she was saying as Tsurara finished sewing up his stomach. He felt the tender skin, and every inch of him wanted to scream. It had been hard not to, but somehow the pain made things clearer. It gave him focus, and he needed focus right now. It was odd that his mind was so clear. It wasn't that he really ever really had things in a haze. Most of the time his mind worked fairly analytically. He assessed the risks with what venture was going to happen. It also did something else for him. It had allowed him, at least up to this point, to make and save quite a bit.

There was every chance in the world that what he had planned now could come back to bite them. No doubt, no joke, no kidding, and massive risks were the current name of the game he was getting ready to play. He was going to sit down to a game of poker with the grim reaper, and he had to hope that his bluff and poker face were good enough to not get called. He looked toward Ageha who was studying him. She neared him and took a seat next to him. If someone like her would have shown him interest before he met Revy he was certain that he'd at least followed her.

Before Revy he'd let her talk him into nearly anything to see her like she was now. He wasn't going to lie. She was beautiful. The blunette's hair was long, slight curls at the end gave her a classic beauty look. Her voluptuous figure was practically the wet dream of most men, and the way she was attempting to spill out of the trenchcoat he'd found her was enticing. Still, despite all of this she didn't hold a light to Revy.

She wasn't the woman he loved, and nothing was going to change that. She smiled after a moment, "You're sitting down at the adult table," she said in her silky smooth voice, "It's fetching, really it is, but I have to got wonder if you realize what you are getting into."

She leaned her head against the wall behind them. She could see Tsurara taking a seat on the overside of him, "You're never going to get out of this," she said, "Right Tsurara?"

The snow woman nodded, "She's telling the truth," Tsurara replied, "The moment you decided to play, to step up, you've made a choice. It doesn't matter if it is the Miao, Huang, or another player, you will stop being human."

He closed his eyes, "If it protects her, and my other friends," he said, "Then it's worth it."

Tsurara smiled, "I know someone like that. Who is so focused on saving everyone else, that he let himself be torn apart," she said softly, "He came back, but he was forever changed. Are you ready to do the same?"

He looked at her, "To save Revy, Dutch, and Benny, yeah, I'm ready to do the same."

Ageha touched his cheek, making him turn toward her, "Even if it possibly means leaving them behind?"

He looked at her and shook his head, "I'm not abandoning them," he said with determination, "I've just got to play well enough to get the outcome I want."

She smiled at him and then she looked at Tsurara, "Well," she said simply, "It appears that we need to go all in with you. For what it's worth Tsurara and I will back you. I'm sure that the entire Huang Family will as well. Rock, welcome to the adult table, and it's time to ante up."

Rock listened as Revy came back, and she looked at him. Behind her was Benny, and he looked at Rock. It was obvious that he wasn't certain about this play, but Rock knew that it needed to be done. He stood, feeling the stitches stretch, and slowly he made his way toward Benny's room. He took a seat as Benny pointed to the Microphone.

"Mr. Miao, I believe we need to have a discussion."

There was silence for a moment before static filled the room, "Yes, we do."

His voice wasn't the jovial sounding voice of the monster that met with them earlier. This was the hard voice of a killer. Someone who was tired of dancing around, and he could see the way that Revy was tightening her shoulders that she thought the same thing.

"Then let us please get to business," he said simply, "We have three of your employees as our guests. Something I am certain that you are not very keen on, so, I propose that we lay out what our contracts are, and see if we can come to an agreement to fulfill them both."

There was silence, for a moment, "Very well, I am listening."

He smiled, "We are to deliver our clients to a patch of land that rests just outside of Japan, if not there then to a meeting place of various nobles."

There was a small bark of laughter, "We are supposed to deliver them to the noble's meeting as well, to a specific individual, but it appears that we could allow our contracts to be fulfilled."

Rock smiled, "In addition I have spoken to your daughters. Chyou has been more amiable than her sister, but she has filled me in on the daughter of the noble that is in your care," he said delicately, "Now, from what I understand these nobles are not ones to be trifled with. It could be that if you were to deliver this child yourself you could be walking into a deadly trap. Were as if a courier company were to finish the delivery you could still maintain your relationship, and could wait for any potential retribution at a later date."

There was some laughter, "You're not wrong. I had actually planned on having the twins deliver them. I believed that they would be released from their torment by doing this, but I'm going to assume that has already happened. So, what would be your charge for delivering her for me?"

Rock sighed, finally glad to have some headway, "We would want to contract you, at a discount, to assist our clients in getting to where they want to go," he replied, "Consider it to be us wanting to remain on good terms with them. We do have to work with the Huang Family in Roanapur."

There was silence, and then raucous laughter erupted from the line. At first Rock assumed that his request was going to be epically denied, or at least did until the laughter slowed, then stopped all together.

"We will gladly accept," Xia-Long said humor still residing in his voice, "After all, I didn't want to leave my cousins in the clutches of that woman."

Rock sat there a little uncertain before he decided to ride this obviously good mood, "Very well, then I humbly ask a parlay while we bring the noble's daughter over. Once she is here, we will continue the transportation of her."

There was a bit of silence, "Very well, but I suggest that you bring some of the Huang family with you. I fear that the twins were not delicate with her, and it caused some issues with her mental state."

He closed his eyes and cursed. This was most certainly not something that he wanted, or needed, but regardless he understood what needed to be done. The girl needed to be brought over, and she needed to be seen to. He could see Revy, her eyes narrowed, and there was no doubt that it was affecting her emotionally. What she had opened up about to him pointed to the assumption that she understood some of what the girl had gone through.

That was a step toward empathy, and it was certainly a good step at that. He couldn't lie, not to himself, not any longer, and he had to admit that saving people had become something he did regularly. It was his way of rebelling against Roanapur. The city claimed everyone that settled into it as one of the walking dead. Everyone that lived there had a death date, and they all knew it. His attempts at thwarting that was his small attempt to change the direction of the city.

His actions that ended up saving Garcia Lovelace, Fabiola Iglesias, and Roberta also disrupted the opium trade into the city. What he had hoped would be a masterful stroke, and would force the city to change, actually had very little effect at all. The city still continued to thrive, sucking in those who wished to live outside of the law of the land, and churning up bodies with a regularity that rivaled anything from any other place.

He wasn't as naive as when he first came to Roanapur. He knew that every city had a dark underbelly. Even his beloved Tokyo wasn't above corruption. It also meant that everyone had a darkside, a more corrupted version of themselves, but at the same time it meant that there was some light there as well. He knew that Revy's personal demons would never let her come into the light. Even with him there she would reside in the dark, but she was closer to the twilight, and that was a win.

"I'm going with you," she said, determination evident on her voice, "You're going to need backup, and honestly so far I've been fast enough to counter."

Static erupted again, "Of course you're welcome to come," Xia-Long said, his voice jovial, "Although, I would suggest that you obey the rules of Parley. You are under my personal protection while aboard my ship, but only as long as you don't attack any of my crew or employees. The moment that happens I cannot promise your safety."

Revy's eyes hardened at the words, her hands gripped her new rifle, and she felt the cold steel against her skin. The rifle, like her cutlass, was effective in what it did. It also seemed to be powerful enough to put many of the monsters they'd sent down for the count. That said she wasn't foolish enough to believe that it was a cure all. The kraken and those brats both were able to shrug off the bullets until she managed to hit their weak spots.

She wasn't sure if that was an indication of the type of monster they were, or if it was because they were simply stronger. Regardless, he was going over, and she wasn't going to abandon him. That mini maid had been right about a couple of things, but she'd been wrong on others. What drew her to Rock originally was his nature, his mannerisms, and how he was a beacon of light in the darkness. But the longer they worked together the more she began to see the cunning bravery he had.

There was little doubt that he earned the moniker of The Gambler for a reason. His plans were risky, and often put those going along with them at great risk, but the reward was far sweeter for it. She knew that this was another of his plans, but the life he was gambling with was his own. She had decided to take a seat at the table and put her chips in on his bet.

She was willing to do it not to just protect what had originally drawn her to him, but more so because of what she felt. She loved him. He had awakened something deep inside of her. Something she thought had died long ago, but it'd came back, and now she didn't want to lose it again. The world was a shithole as far as she was concerned. Despite the prim and proper act that they saw in the more civilized places there was no doubt at all that the world was just as rotten as the shithole they called home.

The one good thing, the one fuckin' pure thing she had was Rock. He was the brightest point of her life. The fact that they were together made life a little more bearable. She wanted to protect that. He was part of her life, and she protected what was hers.