Chapter 2: Draped in Gray

"What'll it be?" Bao asked as he nervously looked around his bar. He always did this when the Lagoon came in for a drink. His bar always seemed to get shot up whenever someone even mentioned the Lagoon. He did not want a repeat of the maid fiasco.

"Heineken." Dutch replied

"Same here." Benny agreed

"Well, me and Rock aren't having any of that piss. Give us a bottle of rum; I have a score to settle." Revy grinned as everyone in the vicinity rolled their eyes. Bao nodded and got them their drinks, placing the rum in between Revy and Rock. "You know the game Rock."

"Yeah." He said. The entire bar watched in amusement as the two began to pound down shots like there was no tomorrow. The bottle was depleted within ten minutes and Bao instinctively placed another in between them. "G-Give it up Revy." Rock stammered drunkenly.

"Not going to happen fucker!" She yelled just as drunk as him. Everyone was so enamored with their little pissing contest that they didn't notice the man in gray enter. He strode in casually and took a seat at the bar next to Dutch. Bao looked at him questioningly silently asking what he wanted to drink.

"Well, I've never really had alcohol before. What would you recommend for a teetotaler?" He asked politely. Bao stared at the young man as if he was a unicorn. He pondered for a second, not knowing what to say.

"You could try an apple martini." Dutch suggested with a comical grin. The young man gave him a glare.

"Funny. I may have never had a drink before, but I get the joke. An apple martini is a girly drink full of sugar invented to get women interested in drinking. From what I hear, the sugar makes a hangover worse." He turned his attention back to Bao. "I guess I'll have a Heineken seeing a how everyone loves it so much." Bao nodded and handed him a bottle.

"Good choice kid." Dutch nodded his head and smirked at the boy. He watched as the boy took his first sip of beer. The young man nodded and regarded Dutch with a creepy smile of his own.

"This is good." He commented

"So, you're new in town?" Dutch asked curiously.

"I really have the look don't I? Yes, I am new. My name is Bayard Cowan; I just arrived tonight. Had a nasty welcome too." He extended his hand to the smuggler. Dutch shook his hand graciously.

"I'm Dutch, captain of the Lagoon Company. We're the best damn smugglers in Ronapur. What brings you to this little paradise?"

"I've come to set up shop. People don't appreciate me back where I used to live. I know when I'm not wanted, so I came here to find a less strict atmosphere. Speaking of which, do you know where I can find the mayor of this fine city?"

"I know exactly what you are talking about. But, there are many candidates for mayor in this city. They can all use help running their campaigns, so it depends on your political party." Dutch said.

"What are my options, good sir?" The boy said without looking up. He cast a glance to the two who were trying to drink each other under the table and chuckled lightly at their nonsensical argument.

"My crew is really something isn't it?" The captain cast a peripheral glance to the side to make sure that the two weren't dead from alcohol poisoning. "To answer your question, there are two main players. The first is a nice Chinese fellow by the name of Chang. He is very charismatic and a fine speaker. He believes in strongly in the bonds of team work. The second is a strong woman, Miss Balalaika from Russia. She believes in keeping a firm hold on things. He strong point is that she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty."

"Miss Balalaika it is."

"Did someone call my name?" Everyone stopped dead at the sound of a Russian accent. The entire bar went completely silent.

"I'm guessing that is her."