Bullet XXIII

After taking care of Ronnie, and with no intention of getting involved in whatever Two Hands was up to, Rowan decided it was time to start cleaning up his poor, battered club.

The corpses of those Italian mobsters had to be removed before someone saw them and called the police. Or that someone would extort him not to call the police. Or have someone extort him and then call the police anyway, because that's how much of a motherfucker they were in this town.

Then the bastard Watsup would show up and demand a bribe to play dumb. A bigger and more expensive bribe than usual.

No. Rowan would have to spend enough money on the repairs, so he preferred to take care of the cleanup himself. He couldn't even ask his girls to help him with the bodies, because that's not what they were for. They moved their asses, not mobster corpses.

In any case, Rowan somehow had to get rid of five Italian corpses, maybe six if Ronnie kicked the bucket, and that pissed him off. He had specifically told Revy that he didn't want anything broken or even dead.

Rowan would have a few words with Dutch about his employee's destructive behavior.

"I need you to do me some favors."

Rowan let go of the body of one of Ronnie's deceased men and turned his head. There was the main cause of his problems. "After everything you did here, you have the balls to come and ask me for one favor?"

"I didn't do anything, I simply defended myself when the big guy tried to cut my head off.". -Responded Revy, folding her arms. Next to her were Rock and the little girl. "And it's not one favor, it's three. And yeah, I've got the balls to ask you for them."

"Depends on the favors.". -Said Rowan. It would do no good to try to argue with her, eventually he would end up giving in. So it was better to spare him the shouting and insults against his mother and accede to her request. "I don't want any more shootings or anything that could get me killed."

"It's no big deal, I simply need you to let Sis and some Yakuza have a meeting here."

"..."

"What?"

" Baby, what part of 'no-shootings' and 'nothing-that-could-get-me-killed' didn't you understand?"

"If it makes you feel better, there's a low probability of that happening.". -interjected Rock.

"Low probability..." -Rowan repeated in a tone of voice that indicated he didn't believe him in the least.

Rock shrugged. "Well, I can't say for sure there won't be a fucking shooting while Revy's around- Ow!"

Revy had sunk his elbow into the man's ribs. "Very funny." -She grunted, returning her attention to Rowan. "So, can we have the meeting here yes, or yes after I-beat-you-up?"

Rowan frowned. He wanted to refuse, because he didn't want to get involved in anything to do with the Russian bitch. But, while he didn't want Revy to beat the shit out of him either, Rowan wasn't entirely convinced. "And what the hell do you want me to do that for?"

"Because Rock wants it that way." -was Revy's dry reply.

"That's not a very good explanation.". -Replied Rowan, crossing his arms. Why the fuck should he care what Rock wanted? "Or what, they want another fucking slaughter here?"

"Not exactly, it's because I thought this would be a good place.". -answered Rock, shrugging again. "I mean, from what I heard, your club is a neutral zone in Roanapur or something. If mob bosses meet in a neutral zone, then a bloodbath is less likely to occur, don't you think?"

Well, he was right there.

Rowan had made the effort to stay out of the shady business, the vast majority of it at least, and not be competition for the other gangs. In doing so, he managed to be on good terms with the city's crime bosses and prove that he was neither on one side nor the other. He was simply neutral.

Only Balalaika seemed to have no interest in him. But it was all right for Rowan, that woman was terrifying.

"Think of it this way.". -Rock continued. "If you accept this request, you could be on good terms with Balalaika. I mean, this is more of a favor to Balalaika than it is to me or Revy."

Rowan blinked. It was almost as if that bastard had read his mind.

"Fine. Have your damn meeting here." -He said, after a few moments' consideration. There seemed to be nothing wrong with that suggestion. "But I don't want any more trouble than I'm already in, please."

Revy offered him a crooked smile. "No promises, you never know what might happen with Sis if she's in her commander mode. Now, the second favor."

"Oh, my..."

"Don't worry, this one's simple enough to do.". -Said Rock this time. "Tell me about Ronnie's boss, Verrocchio."

"He's a son of a bitch." -Said Rowan instantly. Rock looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What? That's the best description you'll ever find of Verrocchio."

Revy elbowed his partner again, only this time not as violently. "I told you."

"Though if you both know him, then you could be more specific."

"I just don't get it." -Rvy complained, frowning in confusion, or annoyance. Maybe both. "Verrocchio what the hell do you want him for? Because if it's to go with him, I already told you that-"

"No, that's not what it's for." -interrupted Rock, shaking his head. "I'm just curious. Knowing a little about him will help give me an idea of the future problems he may generate, that's all."

"You say that like you think he's really going to become a problem."

"You're telling me that that Italian mob boss, who is a son of a bitch, is going to go quietly after he finds out his men were slaughtered?" -Revy said nothing, just clicked his tongue. Rock nodded and returned his attention to Rowan. "So...?

"Look, I don't interact much with the bosses around here, you know what I mean? I've only heard a few things about him. Supposedly, Verrocchio is a short fuse tyrant who explodes very easily and would not hesitate to kill you, or his own men, just for looking him in the eye. Or for fun. Or because he was already pissed off about something else.". -Rowan shook his head. "Jaws is a saint compared to his boss."

"A difficult man then." -Rock gave his companion an accusing look, but she refused to look him in the face. Instead, her shoes looked more interesting. "You told me he was like Miss Balalaika."

"...So what?"

"That doesn't sound like Miss Balalaika at all."

"Well, the part about him being a tyrant, and that he wouldn't hesitate to kill you for fun, if he looks like Sis."

Rock looked at her thoughtfully, but then nodded. "I guess you're right. In short, Verrocchio is a difficult man who is easily pissed off and wouldn't hesitate to kill someone just for fun...or because he's pissed off."

Rowan nodded. "That's right, I think that's pretty much a general description of that guy."

"Wonderful..."

"So that's all you need from me? Because there are dead bodies gathering flies in here, you know?"

"Well, there's one last favor I need..."

"So..." -said Bando, after hearing his underboss's incredible explanation of why he appeared wounded and bloodied. "We accept the Russians' offer and live, or we refuse and they kill us, is that right?"

"Yes." -Ginji replied. He now had a decent bandage wrapped around his injured arm and shoulder. "There is a third option though, and that is to flee while we still can. But then we'd be returning to Japan empty-handed."

"Well, that's bullshit."

It wasn't such a simple thing to say 'yes' and take the deal.

Bando did not know how things were run here, a grave mistake he did not properly consider before deciding to travel to Roanapur, but Japan was different. There was a way to play the game, with rules and restrictions. One of those rules and restrictions, was to keep foreigners from trespassing on their land.

They could get rid of the Kousa, yes, but they could be targeted by the other groups. And what guarantee did they have that Balalaika would support them given that situation? Or also, what guarantee was there that the Russians would not betray them as soon as they set foot in Japan?

After all, Hotel Moscow had a reputation for using brutal methods to achieve its goals. Betrayal would be no big deal to them.

He clicked his tongue.

Bando knew that Roanapur was the territory of multiple major criminal organizations, but he never thought that one of them, or more considering those Italians, would pay attention to a simple Yakuza. But then again, nothing was happening as he had imagined.

In fact, things had quickly escalated to levels he hadn't even imagined.

"What do you think about all this, Ginji?". -Bando asked after a pause.

"You're the leader, weren't the decisions supposed to be up to you?"

"Yes, well...I know you think I've made several mistakes, so I'd like to know your opinion first before I do anything."

Ginji remained silent for a few seconds.

"I'm not entirely convinced to accept...But I don't think it's in our best interest to turn down the offer.". -Ginji shook his head. "If we return empty-handed, the Kousa will remain a threat to the Washimine, to Yukio. That is something I cannot allow. And if by accepting the Russians' offer I manage to secure Yukio's life... then I think we should accept."

That answer was not a surprise to Bando. In fact, everyone in the Washimine group knew that Ginji was extremely loyal to Yukio and attached to her. "So you're in favor of this alliance?"

"Yes, I think it's in our best interest. But my wishes aside, you are still the leader, Bando, the decision is yours. Whether you accept the alliance, or whether you reject it and we leave here... even if you want to fight those Russians, you have my support."

Although Bando wasn't sure there was a correct answer to one of those three options.

However, the first option was the most logical, after all, they had come to Roanapur looking for help. Not from someone as big and flashy, nor as dangerous, but it was much better than running away empty-handed. And it seemed Ginji had no other better ideas or suggestions.

"An alliance with someone like Balalaika... I don't know if it's ideal.". -Said Bando after a moment's thought. "But we can probably make this work, I mean, the Moscow Hotel could become a powerful backup for us if we manage to cooperate with them, are we agreed on that?" -Ginji nodded. "Okay, where and when should we meet with the Russians?"

"It'll be today, they'll be waiting for us at the strip club Chaka was going to."

Bando raised an eyebrow, waiting for the underboss to laugh and say that was a joke. But then, he remembered that he never heard Ginji say a joke, or laugh at anything.

"Funny place to hold such an important meeting."

Ginji shrugged. "That's the place the negotiator proposed, he didn't tell me why, I didn't ask him either, does it matter?"

"No, I guess it doesn't matter... in any case, let's get the others together and go to those Russians."

Balalaika waited patiently for the arrival of those Yakuzas at Rowan's club. Although she had shown her doubts, and annoyance, that Rock chose that place to hold the meeting without consulting her first, she ended up agreeing to go anyway.

"Interesting decorations you have around here, Rowan.". -She said, looking at the corpses strewn around the club. There were also a lot of bullet holes. The smell of blood and gunpowder was still strong in the air. But none of that bothered her, on the contrary, she found the atmosphere pleasant.

It reminded her of the old days.

"Yeah, something like that."-The club owner answered her, visibly nervous. Balalaika was aware that the man was afraid of him, which he liked and that's why he deliberately messed with him a bit. "You see, a lot of intense things happened around here and it all ended this way."

Oh, she was aware of that.

Rock had given her a quick report of the important events, though he had omitted the detail that the bodies of Verrocchio's men were still here. She gave him a sidelong glance.

He was quietly smoking a cigarette next to Revy. Rock had only let her accompany him. The girl, Gretel, if she didn't misremember, would have to wait in an area a little further away from them while he completed another mission Rock had given him.

Gretel was not happy with the idea, but he had held firm.

Balalaika was fine with it, because she had nothing to do with it and having a girl of about ten years old in the middle of a meeting between mafia bosses was out of place. But the same applied to Two Hands, she was even worse, as her nervous and aggressive nature could cause problems.

Rowan cleared his throat. "Um, Miss Balalaika..."

"Whatever you have to say, say it.". -She said as she saw that he hesitated.

"Okay, who will be paying for my club's repair costs?"

Balalaika blinked. "..."

Getting no response, Rowan decided to persist some more. "You know, because there was a fight here, where they broke a bunch of stuff and filled my whole club with bullet holes. Who's gonna pay for all that shit?"

"I-"

"Of course Miss Balalaika will." -interjected Rock, leaning in closer as he overheard the conversation. "Miss Balalaika is aware of what happened and plans to compensate you for the damages, plus it will be as a thank you for letting her use your club for this meeting."

"Really?" -Rowan asked.

Balalaika opened her mouth to respond, but Rock nudged her lightly, followed by two more insistently. She quickly got the point and rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course I will."

The club owner sighed in relief. "I see, well, that was all I needed. I'll leave you to your business for now."

"See you later, Rowan."-Balalaika waited for the other man to get far enough away to then punch Rock in the abdomen, which knocked the breath out of him. "Ughh."

"That's the last time you do that". -Advised Balalaika, through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, but it was for the sake of the meeting.". -Explained Rock, in a choked voice and kneeling on the floor. "Rowan...he wasn't too convinced about letting us do this here.".

"There was no need for that, you could have chosen anywhere else. In fact, you just had to inform those Yakuza about the offer and wait for their response. It wasn't your job to make those decisions."

"Oi, cut it out already, Sis.". -interjected Revy, frowning. She was folding her arms and looked like she had no intention of making a move, but from the way she was clenching her jaw, she was clearly holding back. "You got him involved in this, now you can't blame this asshole for doing everything he can to make your bullshit alliance work."

Rock stood up, seeming to have recovered from the blow, though he was still clutching his stomach. "It's all right, Revy. She's right, I shouldn't have acted so freely."

"So what? That's no reason to hit you. And why are you defending her? Do you like being hit? Are you a fucking masochist?"

"No, not at all, unlike you, whip expert, I'm a normal person with normal tastes." -Rock replied. "And I don't know what you're complaining about, if you've beaten me up before for lesser reasons."

"That's the point, Rock. I can do it, she can't. There's a lot of difference in that."

"...I don't get it."

"Whatever." -Revy finely returned his attention to Balalaika, pointing his finger at her. "And you, that's the last time you do that."

Balalaika found that amusing, somehow Rock had managed to get himself a third watchdog. "Or what?"

"Or I'll give you some new scars on your Fry face, bitch."

"I'd love for you to try, bitch. I'll break that slack mouth of yours."-Balalaika replied, she found the idea of measuring forces with Revy appealing.

Unfortunately, Rock quickly intervened, stepping in between the two.

"Enough! Seriously, are they out of their minds? You can't get into a fight over something stupid when we're here for very important reasons" -He said, frowning in Revy's direction. She clicked her tongue, but backed away. Rock turned to Balalaika. "I'm really sorry Kapitana, it won't happen again."

Seeing that her chance to fight was lost, Balalaika turned her attention back toward the entrance of the club. "I'll let it go, just this once."

"I appreciate it."

"In any case, are your new friends coming over to play?"

Rock let out a sigh, relaxing his stern expression, seemingly relieved that a sudden fight didn't break out. "Well, that's up to them, but if I had to bet, I'd say they'd take the deal... What would you do in a situation like this?"

"If the profits are high, I would accept the alliance."

"Exactly. They gain nothing by running away, and would lose everything if they decide to fight you. That's why, if the Washimine leader has any sense, he'll accept the alliance as well." -Rock grimaced. "Though if he really had any sense, he'd run away."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Your terms weren't reasonable at all, you know. It was more of an ultimatum than an offer."

Oh, that.

Balalaika shrugged, playing it down.

There were ways and ways of doing business. Sitting and talking over tea was perhaps Rock's preferred method, but demanding and pushing until she made her opponents give in was the way she handled herself.

After all, Hotel Moscow had the resources and strength to be able to back up her aggressive actions. Of course, there were times when that method didn't work and she ended up adding another enemy to her long list...

But that just made it all the more fun.

"Take it or leave it.". -Said Balalaika. "What else is there to discuss?"

Rock rolled his eyes. "Oh, I don't know. the part where you kill them if they 'leave' it?"

"Balalaika's thinking isn't all bad, Rock. When you make a living in this business, anything or anyone can kill you.". -Revy interjected. Apparently, she was still a bit pissed off about the earlier incident. That she called her by her first name and not 'Sis' clearly indicated that. "And if things like death worry a criminal boss, or his subordinates, then they've got the wrong profession and should better be doing something else."

"...I guess you're right."

"I'm always right." -She turned her gaze toward the bodies of the mobsters still lying around. "More importantly, do you think it's right to have called Verrocchio here?"

"Right? I don't know, but yes it is something necessary."

"That's not enough to convince me, give me one good reason why we have to deal with that brute of an Italian.". -Revy gave him a hard look. "I told you not to get involved with that guy, though."

Rock lit a second cigarette, as the previous one had fallen out when Balalaika took the hit, and ignored the reprimand.

"It's pretty simple. The Kapitana agreed to give the Washimine their support so they could settle here, correct?" -Balalaika nodded silently. "That support also means giving them a certain amount of protection against the other rival gangs and groups in Roanapur. In this case, the Visconti."

"Although so far we don't know if they have accepted or not.". -Said Balalaika.

"That's true, but let's assume that they do accept and the alliance between the Moscow Hotel and the Washimine is formed. Then, we go back to the previous point; you must guarantee some kind of security to them. And the best way to do that, is to speak clearly with Verrocchio so you don't have future problems."

Well, he was right this time, but Balalaika had no intention of acknowledging that out loud.

Verrocchio was a pain in the ass who had provoked her and challenged her for control of the city, even to the point of interfering in her business several times. Though she had repaid him in kind.

But so far, Verrocchio had shown no intention of declaring open war, and Balalaika was not looking for one either. She did not fear Verrocchio, but she was aware that a confrontation between two such great powers would only result in losses for both sides, and benefits for those who stood by and watched...

Like Chang. And she would rather be dead than give benefits to that bastard.

If with this she could make her points clear to the Visconti leader so that he would not later look for trouble, then she had no objection to calling him to have a little chat with him.

"And do you think Verrocchio will accept all that so easily?". -Asked Balalaika, who didn't have high expectations about that.

Rock shook his head. "That I can't know, because I've never seen or spoken to the man."

"But at least we would have removed the corpses from the club.". -Commented Revy. "Verrocchio would almost certainly be pissed to see them."

"Oh, yeah, about that...I forgot."

"Something really careless of you.". -Balalaika pointed out.

"I've been pretty busy since you suddenly pulled me out of my job, okay? It's normal for me to have missed a few things."

Yeah, Balalaika wasn't buying that shit.

She had no idea what the hell he was up to. Everything so far, the choice of location, allowing Revy to stay with him and forgetting to remove the bodies, seemed very suspicious to her. But she decided to play along simply out of curiosity, so she wouldn't order her men to remove the bodies of the dead Italians.

She would let him do what he wanted, as long as his move did not harm her.

"I really don't care, although what Two Hands said is true.". -Continued Balalaika. "And Verrocchio is not the most civilized person when he gets pissed off, and it's very easy to piss him off."

" Yeah, I've heard about that."

'And yet you don't seem worried.' -Balalaika thought. 'Is it because you have Revy by your side, and you think that with her it's enough to guarantee your safety?'

At that moment, the doors of the club opened and a group of men entered.

The one at the front, leading the others, was the same one Rock had pointed out in the photograph she had shown him a few hours ago. Tsugio Bando, the leader of the Washimine. Rock had been right, they either accepted the offer... or were stupid enough to come personally to refuse.

"Well, time to get you to work, sir..." -Revy cocked his head to the side as he tried to remember. "How was it that Chang said it? Ah, yes, universal translator."

"...Chang's a piece of shit." -Said Rock.

"Yes, he is." -Balalaika agreed.

The meeting between Bando and Balalaika went smoothly and it seemed that the alliance was about to be formed.

Or so Revy thought, because she wasn't understanding a goddamn thing they were talking about.

Rock, fulfilling his role as universal translator, was bridging the conversation between the Yakuza boss and Balalaika. The problem was that he, naturally, spoke in Japanese and returned the answers to Balalalaika in Russian. So she was completely left out of the conversation, and that pissed her off.

Revy could understand it given the situation, but it still pissed her off.

Unfortunately for her bitter mood, that blond parasite again appeared at her side. "It's great that we meet again, baby.". -said Chaka, smiling. "Could it be that this is fate?"

"Rather, it sounds like a punishment to me.". -She replied, more to herself than to him.

"I can punish you if you want."

"You're annoying. Shut up. Don't talk to me."

Chaka let out a wild laugh, clearly amused, which attracted the attention of the rest of the group. But this only lasted a few moments and they quickly went back to their business. "You're quite the beast, did anyone ever tell you that's fucking horny?"

"Shouldn't you be over there, being a pain in the ass to your boss?"

"Not really, I mean, I can be a pain in the ass to him and the others any other day. But there are so few opportunities to chat with a sexy little thing like you, there's no way I'm passing up this chance." -Responded Chaka.

There was a time when they would say the same or even more stupid things to her, but nowadays, after she had built her reputation and made a name for herself in Roanapur, rarely did any guy try to hit on her in such a blatant way.

And the few times they dared to do that, she would send them to hell and chase them away with shots.

Revy was very tempted to follow that procedure, but she was aware that this was not the time or place to do that, as she did not want to cause problems for Rock or Balalaika when things seemed to be on the right track.

However, the sweet temptation was there. If she could get rid of that blond parasite, and incidentally, be able to confront the big guy and kill him once and for all, it might well be worth it to earn Rock's and Balalaika's rant.

'Nah, it's not worth it.'. -thought Revy, after considering for a moment, opting for the difficult task of controlling herself. For now. "You've got a lot of confidence in yourself."

"Oh? Is it working for you?"

"No, unfortunately for you, you're not my type."

Chaka laughed again, only this time, thankfully, not in such an outrageous way. He moved a little closer, closer than Revy liked people to be in general. "Really? How can you be so sure of that? We've barely spoken twice, maybe I'm your ideal man."

"Okay, that's easy to check." -She looked him straight in the eyes. "If you had the opportunity to make huge amounts of money, fame or whatever kind of shit you prefer, would you take it, even if it meant killing a lot of people?"

"Of course I would."

He answered her without hesitation, just as she expected. "I see, so you're rotten to the core, just like me."

Chaka's smile widened. "See? We're the same, baby. That means I'm your type, right?"

"Hell, no. I'm disgusted by people as rotten and corrupt as me, asshole. So shut up and stay the fuck away from me." -Responded Revy, turning around and walking away to another side.

Revy leaned against a wall and folded his arms, waiting.

If he continued to insist, then she would kill him, no matter what trouble that might create. Fortunately, Chaka did not follow her. He just clicked his tongue and returned to his group.

Good.

Now all that was left was to wait for the meeting between Balalaika and that Yakuza to end.

Just as she was thinking how deadly boring it would be to wait, the doors to the club opened and three men in suits entered. She didn't recognize two of them, but she recognized the one leading them.

It was Verrocchio, the fucking boss of the Visconti.

"Oh, shit."

Ronnie felt like a caged animal.

Since Ronnie had woken up, after Rowan treated his wound, which was closed by him... and in the shape of a lightning bolt, Ronnie and Luciano had been forced to remain locked in Rowan's ugly private rooms. He did not know the whereabouts of his subordinate, because the Russians had taken him to a different room.

Instead, he got that creepy brat that accompanied Two Hands.

She was guarding the only entrance and exit to the room, so there was no chance of escape unless he pushed her out of the way. It would have been easy, since she was just a little girl. The problem was that he didn't have a gun, and the little girl did.

And Ronnie wasn't curious enough to try to find out if she really knew how to use it or not.

So why had the Russians locked them up? Ronnie had no idea. It had all become very confusing to him after the fight with the big guy with the sword.

But that they were keeping him and his subordinate locked up was bad news. And his attempts to get information from that girl were futile, she had no intention of explaining anything to him.

However, he was aware that, if those Russians wanted to kill them, they would have done it already.

So what the hell were they planning, was Balalaika planning to hand him over to that big guy with the sword so he could complete his job? Ronnie shuddered at the thought.

The uncertainty, nerves and being cooped up for so long were driving him crazy.

The door to the room opened slowly, and Ronnie stood up instantly, ignoring the painful twinges in his body, he probably must have had a broken rib or two. The one who opened the door was Balalaika's second in command.

"Hey, hey, Sarge.". -said the girl upon seeing the man, approaching him quickly. "How's the meeting going between the Ruskie and the Japonskis, did Anego cause trouble, is Boss okay-?"

"Shut up, you're loud.". -Boris interrupted, clutching his head with one of his hands. The girl looked at him with tight lips." You ask too many questions, how come Rock is able to put up with your buzzing every day?"

"You're being too rude, Sarge."

"I don't care."

"Well, you should." -replied the girl, pointing her finger at him. "Remember, Hansel and I know where you live."

"..."

Ronnie noticed that the expressionless sergeant turned a little paler. Satisfied with Boris' reaction and silence, the girl continued. "Now, since you're here, does that mean I can go back to Boss?"

"No. There's still another meeting ahead, you'll have to wait a little longer."

" Huh? How boring." -The girl was discouraged and returned to her previous position. "I expect compensation for all this."

"That's not up to me, talk to Rock. "-Boris said, focusing his attention on Ronnie. "Ronald, if I remember correctly."

"Vasili..."

"Boris." -corrected the sergeant, apparently not bothered by the mistake. Ronnie shrugged, to him, all Russians were called the same. Boris examined him for a few seconds and then nodded. "I see you are now able to stand on your own two feet. Good."

"If you're my new nurse, I have to say I'm disappointed." -said Ronnie with acid sarcasm. "I was expecting a pretty girl, not a block of ice and Vodka in human form."

"I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations." -Boris' tone did not indicate whether he was joking or serious.

"Are you going to explain to me what the fuck is going on?" -Ronnie asked, crossing his arms.

"No need, you simply must come with me. There's someone waiting for you."

"If that Ruskie wants me dead..." -Said Ronnie, defiantly. "Then kill me here, because I'm not about to give that bitch the pleasure of walking to her."

"The Kapitana has no interest in you, dago, it's all about your boss."

Verrocchio? Here? Just now? Ronnie's brain took several seconds to process the information, while Boris waited patiently. Once he got the message, all he could say was, "Oh, shit."

The first thing Verrocchio did when he entered the club, was to ask for the whereabouts of his right-hand man, Ronnie, not seeing him among the corpses.

Then, Balalaika had asked Boris to bring Verrocchio's man. In the meantime, she had asked Bando, via Rock, that he and his men wait a bit while she took care of this little problem.

She had called him, yes, but she hadn't expected Verrocchio to show up so soon.

Once Ronnie appeared escorted by the sergeant, Verrocchio just stared at him in silence. Ronnie had not been able to stand the silence and the fixed gaze of his boss any longer, so he stepped forward and it was he who initiated the conversation.

"Signore."

"Mi deludi, Ronald. Sei il mio braccio destro e per questo ti ho affidato questa missione, ma non solo non l'hai portata a termine, ma hai permesso a quei bastardi giapponesi di uccidere tutti i miei uomini.". -Verrocchio answered.

"Non ho scuse, signore."

"Certo che no, ti taglierei le palle e te le ficcherei in gola se mi dessi una scusa."

Balalaika, Rock and Boris watched the scene literally without understanding anything.

Balalaika brought her face inches closer to Rock's. "What the hell are they saying?" -She said, whispering in his ear.

He couldn't help but hit a small jump at her sudden closeness, but quickly pulled himself together. "I have no idea, I don't know how to speak Italian."

"... What do you mean you don't know?"

"I can speak five languages, you know, and that's quite an accomplishment". -Rock replied, offended, but still keeping his voice low. "However, I've never had the good fortune to travel to Italy for business, so it's only natural that I don't know how to speak that language."

"Still, it's disappointing."

"What are you two whispering to each other?" -interjected Revy, also whispering. Balalaika blinked, she hadn't noticed the moment Revy had come so close. And judging by how again Rock took another small jump, he hadn't noticed her either. "Heh."

Apparently, that reaction amused her.

"Nothing, I was just explaining to the Kapitana that I don't know how to speak Italian.". -answered Rock.

"Really?" -Revy looked at him disapprovingly. "But what kind of universal translator are you?"

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling me that. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? Verrocchio showed up, which means trouble. So I came here to make sure you don't start a shootout by spouting your bullshit."

"...Shouldn't I say that?"

"Fuck you, Rock."

Verrocchio, catching their conversation, turned to look at them. Ronnie, relieved that he didn't have to face his boss, stepped back a little. "What I was saying to Jaws, was that I'm disappointed that he didn't accomplish the mission I ordered him to do, that's all."

"Ah, I see." -Said Balalaika, breaking away from Rock. "I'm glad you were able to-"

"Cut the formalities, Fry face.". -Verrochio interrupted, lighting a cigarette. "I don't really feel like seeing you or talking to you, and it's probably the same for you. So tell me, what kind of fucking joke are you trying to play on me by calling me here?"

Balalaika gave the man a blank stare. Well, that shitty attitude of Verrocchio's was already expected, but, even so, it was still truly annoying.

"It's no joke." -interjected Rock. Balalaika immediately shot him a look, but he continued. "Miss Balalaika wanted to talk to you about some things that happened today."

"Some things, huh? You mean those slant-eyed bastards who killed my clients?"

"Well, yes."

"And the fucking miss couldn't think of any other better place?". -Verrocchio spat. "It stinks of blood and gunpowder in here. The whole place is littered with bullet holes and corpses, corpses of my men. Am I to assume this is a declaration of war on your part, Balalaika?"

"Not exactly. My way of declaring war is more direct. ". -Said Balalaika, returning his attention to the Italian boss. "What I wanted to tell you, was to go away forgetting about the idea of killing those Japonskis." -She pointed to Bando and his group, who were watching everything with curiosity. "They are now under my protection."

"Why?"

"Because I saw them standing in the rain and I felt sorry for them."

Verrocchio looked at the Washimine for a few seconds then back to Balalaika. "So now you're in the business of adopting outsiders?"

"No, I'm in the business of making people suffer and kill people, but let's get back to the main topic. The Washimine, those Japonskis you want to kill so badly, formed an alliance with me a little while ago." - Balalaika looked at the time on the watch on her wrist. Or rather, she pretended to, because she wasn't wearing a watch at all. "In fact, they did it a few minutes before your arrival."

The Italian mobster threw his half-finished cigarette on the floor. "That's not right, Balalaika, they ruined several businesses for me, and I guess they killed my men too... or was it yours?" -She shrugged. Verrocchio clicked his tongue. "I'll tell you again, is this a fucking joke?"

Before she could respond, Rock cut in again without her permission. "Um, I'm sorry for the interruption, and I know it doesn't seem like it, but this was nothing more than a terrible misunderstanding."

Verrocchio raised one of his eyebrows. "Misunderstanding? They killed a good number of my clients, slaughtered five of my men, and it's all a misunderstanding?"

Rock offered him an apologetic smile. "That's right."

"You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"No, not really." -Rock shrugged. "But if it helps you feel any better..."

Balalaika blinked. What the hell was that stupid doing? Verrocchio was pissed off enough, she could tell by the way the veins stood out on his forehead, but by talking to her in such a nonchalant way, Rock was taking a chance that...

Verrocchio pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Rock's head. His two bodyguards did the same. Meanwhile, Boris and Revy had also drawn their guns. Since Ronnie was apparently unarmed, he just stood by and watched.

"Of course you'd do that..." -Murmured Rock with his eyes rolling.

"Oh, I see you're one of the funny ones. So what do you think, comedian? You better shut your mouth before I blow your brains out."

"All right, let's do this...".

"It looks like you're deaf, too."

Rock ignored him, as he raised his hands in a gesture of calm. "Put your weapons down, everyone, okay? No one came here to cause trouble, we just want to talk civilly." -He said, with a more serious expression. Then, he turned to look at Revy. "You too."

"Let them do it first." -She replied, not taking her eyes off the Italians.

"This has nothing to do with the Lagoon Company, Two Hands.". -Said Verrocchio through gritted teeth and without lowering his gun. "So you better go back to licking Dutch's ass, that's the only good thing you know how to do."

"Suck my dick, bitch."

"You don't have a dick." -Said Verrocchio, a little confused not expecting that answer.

"I do, and it's bigger than yours.". -Assured Revy, but without smiling. She began to grind her teeth. "Now, put your fucking gun down, asshole."

"And what will you do if I don't want to, you stupid bitch?"

"I'll kill you, you fucking noodle and pizza sauce loving bastard."

Balalaika intervened when she saw that Rock did not. "How do you want to solve this problem, Verrocchio?"

She jabbed at her sergeant. He gave her a sidelong glance. Balalaika made a slight downward motion with her head, indicating him to lower his weapon. Boris understood instantly and, though hesitantly, obeyed.

"Dead customers I can't get them back.". -Verrocchio said. "So I want them to pay me a year's worth of merchandise that they, four whole groups, were buying from me. And also, I want five of those Japanese to die."

"Impossible." -Balalaika replied. "Even if it's only four groups, a payment at the equivalent of a year's worth of merchandise is an excessive price. And as for killing the same number of men, that you must discuss with the Washimine leader, it is not my decision. But he is surely going to refuse."

"Then there's nothing more to talk about, burnt face. Let your slitted eyes prepare for war."

"That would include me, too."

However, Verrocchio snorted." Oh, come on, Fry face, we both know you won't start an open war against me, nor I against you, because we'll end up destroying each other. Besides, this is none of your business, it's between me and those bastard Japs."

Whether he had missed the shot on purpose to intimidate Rock, Balalaika did not know. What she did know was that it was a grave mistake.

Verrocchio's shot made his bodyguards raise their weapons and become alert once again, but it took them a few seconds to do so. Seconds that Revy took advantage of to step forward and shoot Verrocchio right in the middle of the head. She immediately let loose two more shots, and Verrocchio's bodyguards also fell dead.

However, Balalaika focused on Rock's reaction. He was a little shaken and his blood was dripping from the cut the bullet had made as it passed through him, but he didn't look shocked or surprised at all.

All Rock did, was let out a sigh. "Oh, boy..."