Well, I'm glad for the response to my somewhat more polished Black Lagoon crossover. Here's the second chapter, which involves Roberta. I'm hoping to find a way to work her into the story proper, beyond her initial appearance.
Anyway, the poll from the previous chapter, despite it being only up for a short time, has pretty much spoken. We're not going to make Sawyer an older version of Delphini, she'll just be Bellatrix's child with Rodolphus Lestrange. A new poll is up on my profile, though, relating to this story again. While my initial idea for the story was to have a strict Harry/Sawyer pairing, I'm considering adding Shenhua to it, perhaps even going down the harem route. The only Potterverse character I am considering will be Tonks, and that needs to be thought of, and the only other Black Lagoon pairing I'm considering other than Shenhua is Roberta, though that needs some thought. So I'll post the new poll when I post this new chapter. It'll be on my profile, and this one will be kept up longer.
DISQUIET
CHAPTER 2:
MAGIC AND MAID
Hal had, with Rica, decided to have a drink at the Yellow Flag that evening, hoping that would put off any would-be wizarding interference. Outside of their work clothes, dressed in gear that would have been called Goth fashion by those not in the know, they were virtually unrecognisable, save to the few who actually knew them (Dutch, Chang, Bao and Balalaika being amongst those fortunate few, along with the Rip-Off Church). Hal and Rica did occasional repair work for Bao, to help mitigate the costs of repairs for his bar. Bao was grateful, and Hal and Rica effectively had unlimited credit, though they didn't abuse it. While they weren't afraid to have hard drink, the dangers of Roanapur meant that drunkenness was not a desirable state.
"Hey, over here!" called out Dutch as they entered the Yellow Flag. They spotted the burly black man and his crew…plus an addition, at a table near the door. There was Revy, dressed, as usual, in a tank top and jean shorts that did little to hide her superb figure. Her Oriental features were framed by black hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked good, but her personality was another matter entirely. Benny was handsome in a geeky way, messy blonde hair framing his face, spectacles in front of his eyes. Rock was dressed, rather awkwardly, in business get up, albeit a bit rumpled. A blonde-haired boy was seated there as well, looking more than a little sulky.
Hal fished out his electrolarynx after pulling a couple of chairs across from a nearby table. "Dutch," he buzzed, his voice given a Cyberman-like tone by the electrolarynx(1). "What is it?"
"I just wanted to give you a warning about something. Word on the street is that some strange types are looking for you."
"I know Hal, but who's that in the goth gear, his sister?" Revy asked.
Hal and Rica snorted. Rica then pressed the disc on her choker, activating it. "I am Frederica, his lover. We are related, but very distantly. You know us locally as the Sawyer Twins."
Revy and Benny stared at them in shock, while Rock merely looked confused. "Umm, who?"
"The Sawyer Twins are…well, local legends," Benny said in awe. "For the past five years, they've worked as cleaners, mostly for the Triads, but they're actually freelance, so anyone who has a job for them, they'll do that job. They're cleaners. They generally clean up some of the more messy places when things go really bad. Like a shootout or something. But they also dispose of bodies…even when they're still alive and kicking. Sometimes, they deal with the bodies in a way to send a message."
"Wouldn't be as tough as Roberta," the boy said sullenly.
"Oi, Hal," Revy snapped. "Does Chinglish know?"
She meant Shenhua, mocking Shenhua's poor grasp of speaking English. Shenhua had a tendency to call Revy by the slur 'Twinkie' in return, as an insult on Revy being Asian-American: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. She also called Revy a whore, given Revy's outfit, but Hal personally thought that Shenhua herself couldn't talk, given the amount of leg she showed with her qipao.
Hal shook his head, and Revy smirked. "Oh, I am so going to hold that over her if she finds out."
"And the kid?" Hal asked.
"Claims to be Garcia Lovelace, heir to the Lovelace family, one of the richest families in South America, or they used to be," Dutch said. "They reside in Venezuela, but have had problems with Columbian criminals for some time. We think the Columbians who hired us are up to something screwy. Speaking of screwy, just after we came back from picking him up, we found a couple of wizards waiting for us. Looked like a couple of cops, well, in terms of how they acted, though they looked pretty weird. One looked like Frankenstein's Monster with a weird eye after he lost a battle with a Great White Shark, and the other was a woman with purple hair. Kept asking about someone called Harry Potter, as well as Hydra Lestrange. Anyway, are you the one they're looking for?"
"They seem to think so," Hal said. "Did they give names?"
"The man called himself Moody," Benny supplied. "The woman said she was Tonks, but I'm guessing that's a last name, because she got pissed with Moody when he called her Nymphadora."
Revy snorted. "With a name like that, I ain't surprised. Seriously, what names do you guys give each other in not-so-Merry Old England?"
"Don't blame me. The Purebloods of Magical Britain have a gene pool about as shallow as a puddle," Hal snarked. "Thanks, Dutch."
Dutch nodded. "You're welcome, but they didn't seem like the sort of guys who'd take 'no' for an answer. Watch your back."
"Don't have to tell me twice. Look, Rica and I are just going to have a nice drink at the bar," Hal said. "See ya."
Hal and Rica walked over to the bar, and Bao looked up, and nodded. "The usual?" Hal nodded. The pair of them sat down, while Bao made up a Cuba Libre for both of them. As he served them, someone sat down next to Hal. He frowned when he realised that the person was wearing a dress. And not just any dress, but a rather elegant maid outfit.
"Kind sir," the young woman said to Bao, her soft voice having a South American accent. "May I have a glass of milk?"
Bao snorted. He did have milk, but mostly for cocktails rather than to drink. "We don't serve milk here. And don't bother asking for water either. This is a bar. You know, for drinking booze? Do they have those back home?"
Hal found himself glancing at her. So, in a full maid outfit, she had been carrying a rather hefty suitcase marked with stickers from South America, and she had an umbrella. Which, he realised, had a rather thick point, and…was that some sort of trigger? For more than unfurling an umbrella, he wagered. She wore large glasses that all but concealed her eyes when the light hit them, and had a pair of plaits of her dark hair, one for each side of her head. She looked rather cute, but something about her sent his instincts screaming, especially as there had been too many mentions of South America lately. Something told him she had something to do with Dutch's latest job. Her expression was somewhat flat, and that too had him on edge.
Noticing his scrutiny, the maid looked at him as Bao placed a mug of beer in front of her. "Yes?"
Hal brought the electrolarynx to his throat. "You're looking a bit conspicuous in here, you know that?" Hal asked.
"It's my intention," the maid said, with chilling honesty. "Please, tell me. Do you know of whereabouts of the headquarters of the Manislera Cartel?"
Hal's eyes narrowed. "Maybe. Though it may be a moot point. Why do you ask?"
"I have come to find someone. I am a servant in the employ of the Lovelace family."
Hal felt a chill going down his back at that, and he was sure Rica felt the same way. The maid may look fragile, but Hal got the feeling that she was tough as hell. And the Lagoon Company, given that they had a boy who may be the heir to the Lovelace family, might be in her sights.
Just then, Revy stormed up, and snapped, "Bao, I need a Coke!"
"What, did you climb onto the wagon or something, Revy?" Bao snorted.
"It's for the brat, dipshit," Revy snapped, before she saw the maid staring at her. "What?"
"It's nothing," the maid said.
Revy seemed about to snap off a retort, before she noticed Hal. "Oi, Hal, is this another of those British fuckwits?"
"No. Anyway, she didn't sound British, didn't she?" Hal asked. He gestured with his eyes at the maid, and then at her umbrella. "She's a maid working for the Lovelaces, looking for some friends in the Manislera Cartel. Maybe you could point her in the right direction?" He hoped that Revy should be able to get the hint, without tipping off the maid.
Revy did seem to get the hint, because she said, "She'll have to wait. I ain't a bloody tourist map." She then retreated.
"Are you having trouble from the British?" the maid asked.
Hal shrugged. "A little. I am Hal, and this is Frederica."
"Roberta."
A name the Garcia boy mentioned. But before Hal could think about the matter, he heard a nasal voice say, "I am looking for Hal."
"Who's asking?" Hal asked, annoyed, swivelling in his seat. The man who stood there was tall, with lank greasy hair framing a saturnine, dour face with a large nose. Hal knew the man had to be a wizard. In fact, he was pretty sure he knew which one. Thankfully, he seemed to be dressed in normal clothes, in black trousers and a grey shirt.
The man looked him up and down, before saying, "Come with me now."
Hal, after a moment, snarked, "Whatever you're selling, I don't want any. Now bugger off and go suck an old goat's cock."
Laughter burst out around the Yellow Flag. Hal looked at the angered expressions on the man's face, and knew he had hit close to the mark. He wondered how long before he got angry enough to whip out his wand. "Enough lip from you, Potter," the man snarled, enunciating the last word as if it were the vilest of expletives.
Dutch snorted. "Wow, nobody's that dumb to try a kidnapping right in the Yellow Flag. When was the last dipshit who tried it, Bao?"
"Two years ago. One of Chen's men tried to take a tourist," Bao said, before looking at Hal. "Didn't you deal with him?"
"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" Hal reminisced. "Good times. Now, let's look at this logically. You're about to start shit, in a bar where half the clientele, plus the bartender, are armed to the teeth. Now, are your critical thinking centres that atrophied by rampant inbreeding that you're going to try and attack in such a situation?"
It was then that the door burst open, and a group of thugs that Hal recognised as being from the Manislera Cartel strode in. They pushed the irate wizard aside, causing him to stumble. Hal recognised the leader, Abrego, amongst them. "Roberta," Hal said. "You said you wanted to meet the Manislera Cartel?"
"Indeed," she said, swivelling in the seat. "May I help you?"
Abrego said, "Funny, chica, that's what we were gonna ask you. Word on the street is that some crazy broad in a maid costume had been going around asking about us. So we thought we'd come and see you in person. You stick out like a sore thumb, what with an outfit right out of a TV drama. So, what's your game?"
Rica, Hal sent over their link. Time to go, I think.
Rica nodded imperceptibly. What about the moron?
Portkey into the harbour, Hal sent back. Rica nodded, and stood after finishing her drink, and Bao, taking notice, looked ready to get into hiding. They walked (well, Hal limped) over to where the Lagoon Company were seated.
The wizard stormed over, only for Hal to take the Coke can that Garcia had been drinking from, turning it into a Portkey, and throwing it at the man, who vanished. "Time to go," Hal said quietly. "Last orders. I think your maid has come for you, Garcia, and she's about to go all Schwarznegger on them."
"What?" Garcia demanded, as Hal pulled out a scarf (which he only had for situations like this), and turned that into a Portkey.
"What's this?" Rock asked quietly.
"A Portkey, like the one I used on that idiot. I've given him a dip in the harbour to clean out his hair. This one will only take us just outside. Once everything's died down, hopefully, we'll be able to deal with Roberta."
"You think she'll win?" Revy asked sceptically. "The brat was telling tall tales about her, and…"
"She's a killer, Revy, I know the look. Hold on." The group touched the scarf, and soon…
…they were outside.
Garcia was staring at Hal. "What was that?"
"Magic." Suddenly, the loud concussive boom of a shotgun echoed from within the Yellow Flag. "Whereas that's a shotgun concealed in an umbrella, I think," Hal said.
"But…that's not like Roberta at all!" Garcia protested.
"Dutch…do you have Balalaika's number?" Hal asked. The burly black man nodded, and handed over his mobile. "Thanks."
The phone was answered in only a couple of rings. "Hello, Dutch?" came the distinctive Slavic purr of Balalaika.
"No, it's me. Sorry to bother you, Balalaika, but we've got a bit of a situation here." Hal winced as more gunfire erupted from within the Yellow Flag, punctuating his point. Patrons fled.
"Ah, Hal. Yes, I am aware. Of what situation do you speak? The British mages poking their noses in, or something else?"
"The Lovelace kid."
"Ah. What's the situation?"
"The kid is safe, along with the Lagoon Company, Rica and me. The Columbian Cartel and a maid working for the Lovelaces are fighting it out in the Yellow Flag. I'm putting my money on the maid. Call it a gut feeling."
"Yes, I know the one. While she works under the assumed name of Roberta, her true name is Rosarita Tisneros, the Bloodhound of Florencia. She is a former FARC guerrilla, the revolutionary force of Columbia, now working for the Lovelaces in Venezuela. She has either been sent by Diego Lovelace or has come of her own accord to rescue Garcia. Unless the Cartel prevails, remain there. I will come with some of my men. Please, give me to Dutch."
"Sure."
As Dutch spoke to Balalaika on the phone, Revy scowled. "So, that bitch was Roberta?"
"Apparently. Ex-guerrilla."
"But…that can't be Roberta! It's…it's not like her to kill…" Garcia murmured in horror.
Rica activated her electrolarynx as Rock tried to comfort the boy. "She seems to be holding her own pretty well. Hiding a shotgun in an umbrella is neat. It reminds me of how Georgi Markov was murdered by a ricin-containing pellet from an airgun concealed in an umbrella(2)."
There was a brief pause, before suddenly, there was a massive explosion. Then, out of the burning doorway strode the figure of Roberta.
"I'm kinda creeped out here," Rock said. "You said she was going to go all Schwarznegger on us, Hal? Well, she's acting like the Terminator."
Ha ha, Hal thought sardonically. She was intimidating, he had to give her that. Though she had nothing on Rica when something really pissed her off.
Roberta walked forward, unhurriedly, before Dutch held up a hand. "Roberta, was it? Someone wants to talk to you about this."
"There is nothing to talk about. If you value your lives, the young master will come with me."
"Look, the local Russian mafia boss just wanted to talk to you," Dutch said with a shrug. "As far as she is concerned, the kid's yours to bring home. She was going to act against the Manislera Cartel anyway. And if they're all dealt with, we'll let you have the kid." He shot Revy a look when she seemed about to interject.
Roberta, after some consideration, took the proffered phone. Hal knew, though, that the night was still fairly young. And he still had the wizards to deal with…
CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:
So, yeah. We've resolved the Roberta arc a bit more quickly than in canon. Okay, we haven't seen as much of Roberta being fucking awesome, but that's what happens. I hope to have more of Roberta in the story if I can justify it.
1. For the Doctor Who stories The Moonbase and The Tomb of the Cybermen, Peter Hawkins used a primitive form of electrolarynx to provide the voices of the Cybermen. It was actually more like a false palate that could buzz on cue. Unfortunately, Hawkins recalled in interviews that it had a bad habit of clogging up with saliva. This method was also used by Hawkins for the Cyberplanner in The Wheel in Space, with Roy Skelton using a different method for the Cybermen proper.
2. No, this really happened. It was a somewhat infamous incident, where Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian defector who was a playwright and novelist, was murdered in 1978. The assassin is considered to have used a special airgun concealed in an umbrella to fire a small pellet containing ricin into Markov's leg. He died shortly thereafter. Roberta's weapon, while much less subtle, is considerably more badass.
