Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Blood From Metal ❯ Chapter 7

Blood From Metal

 

By: Alpha Zulu Mark II

 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, I don't claim to own any of them, and this fic is meant only to explore an idea; so, bite me!

 

Chapter 7

 

Sousuke and Yu Fan followed Dutch into the lobby of a hotel in the `business section' of Roanapur. The large man who headed up the Black Lagoon company was taking them to see the Russian mafia vor who had the connection they needed to check the lab in Russia. Dutch had warned them on the drive over that they should be careful when dealing with this person. Hotel Moscow was - arguably - the single most powerful faction in Roanapur. They had a more powerful presence than the Chinese Triads, and though they had less numbers than some smuggling rings, they were widely feared because their soldiers were just that - military-trained, war-proven veterans of Afghanistan.

 

“One more thing,” Dutch muttered as they rode an elevator up to a suite on the fifth floor, “try to control your reaction when you meet Balalaika,” he said. Sousuke and Yu Fan exchanged looks, but said nothing. When the bell sounded and the doors opened, the trio found themselves looking at four guards, all with AKS-74U, the front two with the stubby stocks folded, but the two behind with the stocks tucked to their shoulders. Sousuke noted that the front two were standing clear of the line of fire for the back two, and the distance between the two groups prevented a single grenade from taking them all out.

 

“Hey,” said Dutch, looking at the men holding the rifle. “What's with the warm reception?” he asked calmly. “Balalaika is expecting us, right?” he added.

 

“Dutch,” came a heavily-accented voice from the left, “slowly step out of the elevator,” the voice instructed. Dutch did so, looking over to see the most trusted Lieutenant of the head of Hotel Moscow standing there, a Skorpion machine-pistol in his hand.

 

“Boris,” said the big man, “what is going on here?”

 

“Just some precautions, comrade,” said the man. Sousuke and Yu Fan waited, motionless. Boris stepped past Dutch to look at the two. After a moment, he pulled a radio from his pocket and spoke quickly in Russian. Sousuke's eyes flickered to Yu Fan's, meeting her gaze. She was ready, if it came to that. Sousuke looked back forward. “You,” said the Russian, jutting his chin in Yu Fan's direction, “step out,” he said. Yu Fan did so, two of the guards shifting back so she wasn't within striking distance of both at once. “Stop,” he said. Yu Fan did so. Boris brought the Skorpion up one-handed as he pulled her light jacket open, revealing her combat harness.

 

“Problem?” asked Dutch casually. Boris didn't take his eyes off Yu Fan.

 

“Like I said,” he repeated in his accented English, “just some precautions,” he assured Dutch, whose own magnum wheel gun rested in the holster at his hip. “What are you called?” he asked Yu Fan.

 

“Yu Fan,” said the girl as if she were noting that the weather was nice. Sousuke bet that if he checked her heart rate, it would be under eighty. She is certainly cool under pressure, he thought. Boris seemed to almost nod to himself. He pulled out the radio and barked a couple more words into it, listening as he got his answer.

 

“Dutch,” said Boris, glancing at the large man, “you are responsible for them, da?” he confirmed. Dutch nodded. Boris jerked his head. “Yu, over there,” he said, motioning with his machine pistol. Yu moved over to stand by Dutch, two of the guards tracking her with their assault rifles. Boris turned to look at Sousuke. “Open your jacket,” he said.

 

Sousuke did, revealing his own combat harness. Boris did a swift inventory visually. “No trouble, understand?” he said, gesturing with the Skorpion. Sousuke nodded.

 

“Affirmative,” was all he said.

 

“Follow me,” instructed Boris, stepping back so Sousuke could move over to Yu Fan and Dutch, but not so much that he crossed the line of fire of his four men. The four men moved steadily behind the two, a pair of rifles centered on each other their backs. Sousuke and Yu Fan moved easily and without apparent concern. Glancing at the two, Dutch wondered how they could be so calm.

 

After turning a corner, Boris instructed them to stop, moving past Dutch to slip into a door ahead of them. Several seconds later, he opened the door, gesturing them in. Dutch led the other two into the office of the Russian vor who headed Hotel Moscow. Entering the room, the two found themselves looking at a tall, strong blonde woman. She sat, cigar in mouth, in a high-backed chair behind a wood desk. She wore a business suit, but over her shoulders was a great coat from the Russian army's VDV paratrooper corp, including ribbons and medals.

 

What struck Sousuke most was the scars on the woman's face. Her right eye was ringed by scar tissue that ran from her hair-line to her jaw, and several wide, thick ridges of fading scar tissue decorated her neck, hands and - as far as he could tell - her chest area, since he could see a scar running under her low-cut blouse. Looks like a combination of incendiary-type and anti-personal devices, he thought to himself. He was all to familiar with the damage such devices caused, since they and the wounds that they caused were common in his homeland.

 

The blonde spoke. “Well, what brings you here, Dutch?” asked the woman. “Your two should be back at your place by now,” she added. Dutch shrugged.

 

“Weren't there when we came over,” he said easily. “Probably out drinking,” he dismissed whoever they were discussing.

 

“Are these two part of your company?” asked the woman, fixing her gaze on the two. Dutch shook his head.

 

“No, they are here to see about doing some business with you,” he said.

 

“And what business is there to be done, hmm?” asked Balalaika of the two before her. “Maybe you are here to ask permission to sell her?” she suggested, giving Yu Fan a professional once-over. “You could make good money with her; for a while, anyway,” said the blonde.

 

“We are here in search of information,” said Sousuke coolly, “not to play games,” he added. Behind him, he heard the two guards on him shift. Balalaika didn't react.

 

“Information is expensive, boy,” she said. “I trust you can pay?” she hinted. Sousuke nodded.

 

“We can,” he assured her. Balalaika considered the two.

 

“How much?” she asked.

 

“Provided you have the information we seek, fifty thousand US dollars,” said Sousuke. Balalaika laughed.

 

“Sorry, boy,” said the woman, “but your heads are worth ten times that - each,” she said. Sousuke tensed slightly.

 

“And you would attempt to collect?” he asked her, his tone almost uninterested. Balalaika watched him.

 

“I would not attempt, but succeed, in collecting,” she said easily. “You forget your situation,” she added, the guards poking the two with the barrels of their guns.

 

“If that is your choice, you will die before we die,” stated Yu Fan. Balalaika glanced at the girl's eyes.

 

“What is going on here, Balalaika?” asked Dutch. “We got a request through channels to bring them here from the Philippines, and now you say they have a price on their heads? What gives?” he demanded. Balalaika turned to him, her expression mildly surprised.

 

“You do not know, Dutch?” asked the woman. “Tell me, who were you told they were?” she asked him. He frowned.

 

“Contract said a team of hitters for AMALGAM, whatever the fuck that is. I figured they were Triad, myself,” he said. The blonde shook her head.

 

“I have come into possession of some interesting intelligence of late,” she said. “It would seem that you are looking at Yu Fan, a rogue agent from the AMALGAM organization who was supposed to have died a year ago in Hong Kong, and if I am not mistaken, Sergeant Sagara from a mercenary outfit called MITHRIL. I presume that the third is a Sergeant Major from the same outfit as Sagara here, called Mao.” she smiled at Sousuke. “Am I correct, sergeant?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

 

“If you know the organizations, then you know what will happen to you if things get…ugly,” said Sousuke. It is not exactly a bluff, he thought to himself. Tessa and the De Danaan have a long reach, after all. The Russian woman chortled.

 

“Oh, I doubt that,” she said. “After all, it was your own organization that placed the bounty on you, sergeant,” she revealed. “As for the assassin,” she said, flickering her gaze to Yu Fan, “your outfit is most interested in your apparent resurrection,” she related. Yu Fan didn't react at all. Dutch was not looking any less confused.

 

“And that means?” he prompted his main business partner.

 

“It means that we are here for information, and we will get it, one way or the other,” snarled Sousuke, his patience wearing thin. “What will it be, Balalaika?” he asked her - in Russian, so she knew that he had been in on the game from the start. She studied him.

 

“If I choose to collect the bounty?” she asked. Sousuke shrugged off his jacket, revealing a Claymore strapped to his back, the arc covering the four guards, while Yu Fan plucked a grenade from her harness fast as a cat, the pin landing on Balalaika's desk. Yu Fan held the spoon to the casing with two finger.

 

“Make your choice,” said Sousuke flatly. Balalaika looked each of them in the eye. Reaching forward, she picked up the pin to the grenade and tossed it back to Yu Fan, who caught it without taking her eyes off the woman.

 

“Put that away,” said the blonde, smiling at them as she flicked her fingers at her guards, who only hesitated a moment before withdrawing; all save for Boris, who remained next to the door, Skorpion in hand. “If I wanted to collect, I would have done so before now,” she said, sitting back. After a glance at Sousuke, Yu Fan re-pinned the grenade and tucked it back into her harness. Sousuke reached back and pulled the Claymore free, slipping a pin into place in the firing device before stowing it securely near his hip.

 

“So, what's the deal?” asked Dutch, his hand moving off his revolver's grip.

 

“My information says that two members of MITHRIL are operating without sanction. Their organization has declared them traitors and put a bounty on their heads. Our assassin has had a contract put out on her by her organization,” explained Balalaika. “Details are sketchy, but both organizations seem to be unaware of the involvement of the other; or the fact that their targets are traveling in a single group,” she related to Dutch. “I assume that Yu Fan used an AMALGAM contact to arrange for a fake request for transport,” she guessed. Sousuke glanced at Yu Fan.

 

“I will kill that contact after the mission,” she said disinterestedly. “It is obvious that he is a leak,” she added.

 

“And just what mission might you three be on?” asked Balalaika.

 

“Why does it matter?” asked Sousuke. Balalaika frowned at his suspicious tone.

 

“Boy,” she said ominously, “I have no reason to side with either of your organizations; so do not give me reason, da?”

 

“Very well,” said Sousuke. “We are on a recovery mission for an asset that was stolen,” he said, forcing himself to be careful not to let anything leak through. “We need to run down the location of someone who can tell us where that asset was taken,” he said. “Intelligence gathered so far has given us some possible locations where this person might currently be. One of them is in Russia, near your organization's base. We came to meet with you to discuss buying information on rather or not that person is there,” he said.

 

“Oh?” asked Balalaika. “And who is this person you are so interested in?” she asked. Sousuke pulled out a small picture from his jacket pocket and handed it to the Russian.

 

“Her name is Kaname Chidori,” said the young soldier, his tone tight.

 

-

 

“Kaname dear,” came Leonard's voice, causing her expression to sour. “I'm glad to see you again. I must apologize for these sudden business trips,” he added regretfully.

 

“I'm only sorry your plane hasn't exploded in mid-air,” she replied with false cheer. Leonard chuckled.

 

“Ever the charmer,” he responded. She gave him an aching-false smile.

 

“Unlike you,” she shot back. Kaname was currently sitting at the dinner table, playing cards with Sari, Kari and Gretchen. Leonard had arrived back unexpectedly from another `business trip' to god-knew where a little past sun-down. Looking at her, he felt his dick snap to attention. I made the correct choice, after all, he congratulated himself. By putting some distance between him and her, he had let her adapt to the routine in the house. He had proof of that adaptation in front of him: she was sitting at the table calmly, topless like the other girls. For once, she isn't reacting to my presence, he noted.

 

“Well, I have some things to do now that I am back,” he said, moving off toward the office.

 

“Hopefully that includes dropping dead,” Kana called after him sweetly. Leonard shook his head, but didn't rise to her bait. Moving into his office, he opened his laptop and logged in, swiftly parsing the data that he had gathered into the correct files. From his pocket, he withdrew a small hard case. Opening it, he looked at the single vial inside it. Shaking his head, he closed the vial once more and slipped it into his top drawer before opening Kaname's file and inputting the new information.

 

With that done, he checked his intelligence net. As he scanned the reports, he found a brief from one of his moles about two rogue MITHRIL agents operating on their own. Swiftly reading the brief, he saw that they had been placed on the bounty list. Looking at the bounty profile, his face twisted into an expression of annoyed anger. “Sagara!” he hissed. How dare that commoner try to interfere with my glorious plan?! Kaname is mine by destiny, and I will not be interrupted by this pathetic mercenary! he thought angrily.

 

Leonard swiftly outlined some new directives and sent them off. Leaning back in his chair, he analyzed the situation. Even if that fool is trying to steal my Kaname from me, there is no way that he can find me here; I haven't left any links to here from any of the places where I have been since rescuing my dear Kaname. The only one who knew of the existence of my home was Gates; and he only knew the general archipelago it was in. Besides, Leonard reasoned, he's dead, so the only ones who know where it is are Gretchen and myself, he realized. Even Kari and Sari had no clue where they were.

 

“Even if he finds some of our bases, he can't get here from there,” muttered the young man out loud. He began to smile. So, I will just keep her safe here, with me, he decided. I can put off bringing her to the lab for as long as I need to, so what is the rush? he asked himself. Smiling wider at the thought of his Kaname, he once more dove into her file, reviewing how perfect a candidate she was for his plan. In his haste, he didn't finish reading the last few intelligence reports from his moles and from his field branches.

 

-

 

Dutch shifted the car into park, sighing. Sousuke and Yu Fan sat in the back seat, silent the whole way back from the meeting with Hotel Moscow. Looking at the two, he saw that they had already reached for the door latches. “Hey, you two,” he said, causing them to pause. “I know I said I don't want to know what is going on with you, but should I be worried about having this place torched or blown up?” he asked them.

 

“Negative,” said Sousuke. “If the Russian keeps her word, we will be departing before anyone knows we are even here,” he said.

 

“Nervous?” wondered Yu Fan, as if that were somehow unusual.

 

“It's not every day that two of the most dangerous mercenary outfits are after someone I foolishly rented shelter to,” he muttered.

 

“We can re-locate if that is your concern,” said Yu Fan. Dutch sighed again.

 

“No,” he said tiredly. “Like you said, you should be gone before anyone tracks you here; provided that Hotel Moscow keeps up their end of the deal,” he amended. And say what you like, Balalaika has a certain sense of honor in this kind of situation, he left unsaid.

 

“We should get inside,” said Sousuke. “The kind of money that they are offering is likely to attract the wrong kind of attention here,” he said. Silently, he and Yu Fan moved out of the car. Dutch followed them.

 

“Yeah, we're safer inside,” he agreed, moving past the two to unlock the door. Taking in the view of the office, he had to re-assess that statement. “Or maybe not,” he said. Behind him, Sousuke and Yu Fan took in the sight before them.

 

Benny was sitting on the couch, beer in hand, a resigned look on his face, chin resting on the palm of the hand that wasn't holding a beer. Next to him was a stranger, cigarette in his mouth, both hands massaging his temples. Standing at the end of the couch was a woman that - for an instant - he mistook for Mao. She was nearly an identical copy of his Urzu team sergeant, though her hair was longer, and she had an intricate tattoo covering her upper arm and shoulder on the side facing him.

 

She was wearing what he had heard called `Daisy Dukes' - jeans that had been cut off into short shorts. Coupled with an olive drab tank top and sock-less military-issue combat boots, it gave her an oddly dangerous air; an air that was not dissipated by the double-gun shoulder harness sporting custom versions of the Beretta 92F family that he currently carried. Sousuke scanned them briefly. Bull barrels, threaded, custom engraving on the slides, sight work, ivory grips, probably a trigger and/or hammer job, he noted. Two guns in the holster, looks like a couple of spare mags in her short's pockets; there will be a pause as she reloads from such an awkward position.

 

Across from this woman was Mao. She was in her usual clothing of fatigue pants, books, and a black tank top, cigarette in her mouth, one hand holding a beer. Her other hand held the Hi-Power from her current combat gear. It was pointed directly at the other woman, who was in turn pointing one of her guns back at Mao. Like his Sergeant Major, the other woman had a cigarette in her lips and a can of beer in her hand.

 

“I see you have met our guests, Revy,” said Dutch. He caught sight of Sousuke and Yu Fan flanking to give fire support to Mao if it came to that. “Hold it!” he said loudly. “All of you just hold it a fucking minute!” he yelled. “That means you, too, Revy!” he added, seeing the first signs of a maniacal smile he knew all too well.

 

“What's this about, Mao?” asked Sousuke, keeping the woman and Dutch in view, since he knew both of them were armed. Yu Fan slipped past the far side of his line of fire, getting a new angle on Dutch and the two men on the couch. Her hand was close to her harness.

 

Sousuke was concentrating on the tactical situation, so Mao's reply caught him off guard. “Stay out of this, Sousuke,” she said. “This is family business,” she added, her eyes not leaving Revy's eyes. “Isn't that right…Rebecca?” she said.

 

“Fuck you, Melissa,” spat back the other woman. “You pick a fine time to try and call me family, bitch!” she said. Dutch looked back and forth between the two.

 

“Both of you put your guns away,” he said. The two glanced at him, but didn't obey.

 

“Mao, put it away,” said Sousuke, “right now,” he added, his tone hard and commanding. Looking at her leader, Mao engaged the safety on her pistol and tucked it into the holster on her combat harness. The other woman snickered.

 

“Fucking goody-two shoes bitch,” sneered Revy.

 

“Put that gun away, Revy,” Dutch said, “before you get hurt any worse,” he warned her. Looking around the room, Revy de-cocked her gun and shoved it into her shoulder holster.

 

“Fine,” she snarled, dropping back beside the man. Sousuke noticed a large, skin-colored bandage on her right leg, just below her knee. A darkened line indicated that it was seeping blood.

 

“Sousuke, Yu Fan, this is Revy and Rock, the last of my crew,” said Dutch. “How was your trip, by the way?” he asked. Revy snorted, her eyes still on Mao.

 

“Well, we got the job done,” said Rock. “Aside from that…?” he shook his head.

 

“I had half expected Revy to come back alone,” said Dutch, pouring himself a shot-glass of bourbon. “Hell of a day,” he muttered, downing the shot.

 

“How did the meeting go with the Russian mafia?” asked Mao, her eyes never leaving Revy.

 

“Good,” said Sousuke, “though there is a considerable price on our heads,” he said. Mao's eyes flickered over to look at him.

 

“What?” she asked, surprised.

 

“I can only surmise that either Tessa failed to hold them off, or someone went over her head and declared us traitors,” said Sousuke, his eyes cold. “Either way, the mission is still a `go',” he added.

 

“How much money?” asked Revy, her smile shark-like.

 

“Don't even think about it, Revy,” cautioned Dutch. “This is deep enough without you going crazy like you do,” he warned her.

 

“So, we're traitors, then? Big fucking deal,” said Mao, her eyes back on Revy. “No one knows about Yu, do they?” she asked.

 

“The contact in the Philippines burned me,” said Yu Fan without preamble. “AMALGAM is aware now that I survived Hong Kong, and there is a price on my head as well,” she said, bored. To her, it had always been kill or be killed; this was no different. “I will kill that contact when we complete the mission,” she added.

 

Revy was snickering as she stared at Mao maliciously. “What's this?” she asked, taking delight in the situation. “Little Miss Perfect Melissa is a traitor? Oh! That must hurt like a fucking red hot iron up the ass!” she spat. Melissa Mao stared at Revy.

 

“Rebecca,” said Melissa, “I don't know where this attitude is coming from, but we are cousins, so fucking drop the gruff!” she snarled.

 

“Not going to happen,” replied Rebecca. “This is my turn, Mel,” she said darkly.

 

“What's the deal with you two?” asked Dutch, moving over to stand at an angle to Yu Fan. The assassin shifted, realizing that Dutch's move had created a more difficult tactical problem for her in her field of fire.

 

“Nothing,” said Revy, crushing her beer can in her fist. “Get me another beer, Rock,” she said. Rock looked at her for a moment before rising and moving toward Sousuke, who was next to the refrigerator. As he got closer to the young man, he noticed that Sousuke's eyes were tracking him.

 

“Hey, I'm not a combatant,” he assured Sousuke, speaking Japanese. Sousuke didn't say anything, his eyes staying with the young man.

 

“Get me one, too, Rock,” seconded Benny.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered the young man. “Like being a salaryman all over again,” he muttered, taking three cans and moving back to the couch. Revy grabbed one before he could sit down.

 

“So, you on the run from the Marines?” Revy asked Mao. Mao glanced at Sousuke, who minutely nodded his head.

 

“Actually, from the organization I am currently with,” said Mao. “A merc group called MITHRIL,” she said. Revy sipped her beer.

 

“Mercenary group, Mel?” she asked. “What happened to your Marine aspirations?” she wondered.

 

“Dishonorably discharged from the AS battalion,” said Mao. “I flattened an officer,” she dismissed the incident, “so they shit-canned me. MITHRIL head-hunted me,” she nut-shelled her life of the last half decade and change. “You?” she asked.

 

“What do you care?” spat Revy.

 

“Believe it or not, Rebecca, I did try and find you after that incident,” replied Mao hotly. “I was the only one who did, but I did try!” she snarled. “You seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth after New York, and eventually, everyone thought you were dead,” she added.

 

“Sorry, no such luck!” growled back Revy. “And stop calling me Rebecca,” she said darkly. “It's Revy, in case you are deaf,” she added.

 

“Engrish from you is funny,” noted Mao. “What happened, cousin?” she asked again. Rock was following this with exceptional interest; it didn't escape Revy's notice, either. For a moment, she looked at Rock, the two of them obviously thinking about something other than Mao's question.

 

“Well, you came back here, so I guess I lose that bet,” muttered Revy. “Fine,” she said to Mao. “After New York, I was a wanted cop killer. I ran, and found myself in Thailand before I knew it. I met Dutch in a bar up at Bangkok, and we teamed up. Shortly after that, I ran into Benny when doing a job, and since we needed some tech know-how, and he needed some protection, he joined us,” said Revy. “We got Rock here almost a year ago now,” she added, glancing at the young man.

 

“Seems like longer than that,” muttered Rock, causing Revy to snicker and nudge him.

 

“He was some salaryman from Japan then, would believe that?” she laughed. “He was supposed to be our hostage, but was too pathetic to use, so when his company sold him out, he became my pet,” she snickered at his annoyed look.

 

“And now, I am a salaryman who negotiates with guns instead of lawyers,” he added ruefully.

 

“You must like it,” said Revy, “you came back here with me, didn't you?” she asked him. Rock just shrugged.

 

Their story time was interrupted by the phone ringing. Dutch answered it, talking quietly before turning to look at the group. “That was Balalaika,” he said. “She will have the information on that person within forty eight hours,” he said.

 

“What person?” wondered Rock. Sousuke glanced at Yu Fan, then Mao, before stepping forward and showing Rock the picture of Kaname.

 

“This person,” he said. “Her name is Kaname Chidori,” he said. Rock studied the picture.

 

“Jindai High uniform,” he noted, looking closely at her face. Sousuke leaned closer to Rock.

 

“How do you know that?” he asked suspiciously. Rock glanced at Sousuke, Revy snatching the picture from him as he did so.

 

“I know the uniforms of most of the schools in Tokyo,” he said, shrugging. “Blame it on a misspent youth,” he added. “Jindai High has some of the most flattering uniforms; for the girls, anyway,” he chuckled.

 

“What are you looking for her for?” asked Revy, eyeing the smiling, happy picture of Kaname.

 

“She knows the location of a stolen asset we want back,” said Sousuke. I doubt that they know anything about Whispered, but I won't compromise Kana's safety by assuming that they don't, he thought.

 

“No point in chasing her if your organization has put a price on your head,” muttered Revy. Sousuke plucked the picture from her hand.

 

“The mission will be completed,” he said, his tone hard and determined.

 

“If you are looking for a piece of ass, there's easier to be had,” said Revy, annoyed that he had taken the picture back. Sousuke glanced at her.

 

“Not interested,” he said, putting some space between him and the three on the couch. Revy blinked as she processed the answer. Her face went red as she reached the conclusion.

 

“I'm not talking about me, shit head!” she snarled, her hand grabbing her gun handle.

 

“Revy!” yelled Dutch. “You shouldn't say things like that if you're going to get upset about it being taken the wrong way,” he said. Revy bared her teeth, but released the grip of her gun.

 

“He's probably gay anyway,” she said, glaring at Sousuke.

 

“Oh, I doubt that,” said Mao innocently. There would be two very angry girls if he were, she thought to herself, snickering into her can of beer.

 

“Maybe you should talk with Eda at the Church of Violence,” suggested Rock. “They have a different network than Hotel Moscow, and might know something that Balalaika doesn't,” he suggested. Sousuke nodded.

 

“I will. Where is this Church of Violence?” he asked. Revy chuckled nastily.

 

“It's on the hill behind town,” she said. “It's the only church in this hellhole,” she added. Taking another swig of her beer, she smiled at Mao.

 

“How about I take my dear cousin here there tomorrow morning to meet Eda,” she said.

 

“Not alone, you won't,” said Dutch. “Take Rock with you,” he said. Revy frowned.

 

“Why?” she asked.

 

“First, because I don't want you spending all day there, drinking with Eda,” began Dutch, “Secondly, I don't want you getting into a fight with the Church. And finally, with Rock along, it's possible that you will refrain getting into a gunfight with Mao,” he said.

 

“You're no fun,” complained Revy. Yu Fan glanced at Sousuke.

 

“We should attempt contact with Shenhua tomorrow,” she said quietly. “The Triads might have additional information as well,” she said. Revy scowled.

 

“Looking for Shenhua?” she said. “Hope you're a fucking medium, then,” she added. “I fucking nailed that knife-crazy bitch a while back,” she said. Yu Fan didn't bat an eyelash.

 

“Shooting her does not mean killing her,” was all the assassin said.

 

“I think you are taking an unnecessary risk,” said Dutch. “Hotel Moscow might not have any liking of either of your groups, but I can't say the same for the Church or for the Triads,” he warned them. “You could find yourselves being collected,” he warned them. Yu Fan glanced at Sousuke.

 

“I believe the risk in contacting Shenhua is minimal, given my history with her,” she said softly. “Shenhua is not driven by money alone,” she added.

 

“The Church isn't likely to try anything if I'm along,” said Revy.

 

“More like Rock will negotiate for you, so you will be safe,” said Benny, only to duck away from a thrown beer can.

 

“Shut up, Benny boy,” warned Revy. Sousuke glanced at his watch. Seeing this Mao glanced at her own as well.

 

“Watches?” asked the Sergeant Major, standing.

 

“As before,” said Sousuke. “I'll take the middle watch,” he said. “Yu Fan will take the anchor watch,” he added. Mao glanced at the assassin, who nodded.

 

“Let's get some sleep,” said Mao. “Tomorrow should be interesting,” she added, glancing at the four members of Black Lagoon Company.

 

-

 

Tessa was back in her quarters, though this time, it wasn't under guard. The platinum-haired girl was sitting on her small couch, cross-legged, a laptop on her lap and a second one to the right of her. She had finished a shift more than five hours ago, but still had much to do. She had, in fact, barely done more than strip off her uniform with one hand while her other hand found a couple of snack bars, a Snickers and a plastic bottle of Pepsi.

 

Her uniform and bra were carelessly dropped on the low-pile carpeting in her room, Tessa's sole item of apparel her panties. Her left hand held the Snickers bar, the empty wrappers of the two granola-based energy bars discarded on the couch next to her, while the uncapped Pepsi stood on the coffee table. Between the on-going work on her sub, the situation with AMALGAM and her worry about Sousuke and his group, she had thirty hours of work for each twenty four hour period. Oddly though, she had found that it wasn't as tiring as it used to be.

 

Scrolling down the open windows on the first laptop, she used her right hand to enter data into her second laptop as she took a bite of the Snickers. Chewing the sticky, sweet candy bar, she flipped through the windows of data, picking out what to put into her little data base next. There has to be a pattern here, she told herself. If I can find the thread - or threads - that bind it all together, I can expose more AMALGAM probes into my command, she reminded herself. And the sooner I can find the net - or nets - that are hiding in my command, the sooner I can retrieve Sousuke, Kana, Mao and Yu Fan.

 

“And then, we can do something about AMALGAM and MITHRIL upper command,” she muttered. Tessa was not a vindictive girl, nor was she known for holding a grudge, but the events of the last few weeks were beginning to leave an impression on her. Mulling over her situation, she went to take another bite of the candy bar, only to find that the wrapper was empty. Shaking the last few crumbs of chocolate into her mouth, she flicked the empty wrapper aside grabbed her soda.

 

After a long pull from the semi-warm drink, she set it back and finished another few entries into her data base. Looking at the hundreds of data points in the matrix, she moved the first laptop aside and settled the second on her lap, saving the data before beginning to make search strings for the data base to report on. With meticulous care, she crafted the strings and refined them, trying to get a step ahead of AMALGAM. When they were done, she logged into the base's intranet, plugged in the retrieval parameters and tapped the `enter' key. Watching the hour-glass turn, she set the laptop aside and stretched; it would take some time for it to finish putting together the reports.

 

Standing, she walked in place for a few minutes to return full circulation to her legs before beginning to work the kinks out of her back and hips. As she was turning her chest from side to side to loosen the muscles in her lower back, someone knocked at her door. “Who is it?” she called out.

 

“You are still awake, Captain?” came the voice of Kalinin. Tessa moved over to the door, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned. Opening the door, she stepped back so he could enter.

 

“What do you mean, `still awake'?” she asked curiously, glancing at the large digital clock on her wall. Seeing the display, she blinked. “Oh,” she said, moving back to the table and downing the last of the soda before gathering the empty wrappers up and tossing them into the small trashcan by her half-kitchen. “What do you have, Commander?” she asked the man, reaching into her small refrigerator for a bottle of cold water.

 

“I came here to give you my report on that matter you spoke with me about day before yesterday,” said the Russian. Tessa hummed in surprise as she downed half the plastic bottle in one pull.

 

“You have the information already?” she asked, surprised. Looking over at him, she saw him standing by the coffee table, resolutely facing the door. “What's wrong?” asked Tessa, frowning. She glanced at the door, seeing that it showed that it was locked and secured.

 

“Perhaps you would like to take a moment to straighten your outfit,” hinted Kalinin. “And yes, I have the information; it pays to keep certain contacts in your old line of work, if you understand my meaning,” he said. Tessa glanced down, recalled that she was standing there nearly naked, squealed, clapped her arms across her breasts, and blushed - all in about a half second.

 

“S…sorry,” she whimpered, swiftly grabbing her uniform blouse and hurriedly pulling it on, holding the front tightly closed. “Your report?” she asked unsteadily. God! How could I have forgotten I wasn't dressed?! she wondered.

 

“Of course, Captain,” replied the old Russian, turning to look at her. “It would seem that your research is bearing out our worst fears,” he said. “My source gave up the fact that massive infusions of capital have been funneled into several key MITHRIL accounts through double-blind fronts and electronic laundering of funds. However, when pressed, he also said that most of the middle-men were allied with the same groups of people. I checked another source, and it makes a good case for that group being a core AMALGAM unit; though,” he added, “it is only circumstantial evidence and conjecture right now,” he cautioned his superior officer.

 

“Did your sources give up any specifics that we can back-track or follow forward?” asked Tessa. Kalinin shook his head. “And you are sure that they gave you everything they had?” she pressed. Kalinin nodded once, slowly.

 

“I pressed them…firmly,” he said carefully. Tessa recalled the interrogation of Blueno, and his off-hand remark that he would have cut off the man's fingers instead of breaking them. At the time, she had thought that it was barbaric, but now…she pushed the issue aside.

 

“Very well,” she said, thinking. “Do you have the specifics ready?” she asked him. He nodded. Tessa sighed, moving to the couch and picking up the second laptop. Opening a blank document, she settled in. “Might as well enter it now,” she said. Kalinin nodded.

 

“When you are ready, Captain,” he said. Naturally, he had not written down a single thing, having committed it all to memory. Tessa swiftly typed as he recited the fruits of his intelligence-gathering run.

 

When he was done, Tessa saved the data and set the second laptop next to the still-percolating first. Hiding a yawn, she closed her eyes for a moment. “Sir, you should get some rest,” said Kalinin. Tessa opened her eyes and looked at him.

 

“Soon,” she said. “I need to check my email first,” said the girl, snagging the second laptop and opening a secure browser. Kalinin knew exactly what she meant.

 

“Any news?” he asked softly.

 

“Just junk mail, so far,” she murmured in reply, checking the account. Sighing, she closed the program out and stood. “I hope their vacation is going well,” she said to Kalinin.

 

“Have faith,” said the tall man. “That sight-seeing trip was highly-recommended,” he reminded her. Tessa nodded slowly.

 

“I know,” she said, looking at him once more. “But that doesn't make me feel better about it,” she said. He saluted her.

 

“Maybe sleeping on it will make you feel better?” he reminded her. She nodded, returning his salute, forgetting once more that her blouse wasn't buttoned. “Good evening, Kalinin,” she said. He moved to her door, seeing her sprawl out on her bed.

 

“I hope you have pleasant dreams, Captain,” he said before exiting her cabin and making sure the door locked securely behind him.

 

-

 

“I'm looking for Shenhua,” said Yu Fan, her eyes on the man behind the counter of the Mahjong parlor's counter. Just behind the assassin, Sousuke kept his eyes on the discreet heavies by the door and in the corners of the smoke-filled air. The place was a hole-in-the-wall gambling hall that catered to the human refuse that populated Roanapur. Sousuke suspected that the smoke in the air was likely not entirely from the cigarettes and cigars he saw, since he could also see some water pipes and even a couple of crack pipes in use at the crowded, rickety, small tables that overflowed the narrow, cramped business. Though Mahjong seemed to be the favorite, he saw checkers, blackjack, chess, dice, dominos and many other variations on games. The one thing that they all had in common was that you could gamble on them.

 

“Never heard of them,” said the man behind the counter; or, more accurately, what could be called a counter if one felt generous. It was a piece of rough-cut two by six on four cinderblocks, with the counterman sitting in a folding metal chair that was probably older than Sousuke and Yu Fan put together. His attention was firmly fixed on the hard-core porn magazine in his lap, one of his hands under the magazine. From the motions, Sousuke surmised that if they didn't get moving soon, they would likely find themselves in a stickier situation. I believe Kana would groan, then hit me with her fan, if she were here and I had said that aloud, he reflected.

 

“That is now what Lo Pai said,” returned Yu Fan. The man glanced at her. After a moment - during which he never missed a stroke - he tossed his head toward the back. “Second door on right,” he said, beginning to breathe hard.

 

Yu Fan moved off without a single sound in response, Sousuke close to her as they threaded their way through the crowds to a nearly-invisible door in the back wall. The wall was painted a deep, deep red, and the door was painted the same, making it hard to see in the shadows cast by the single-bulb cone drop-lights that hung directly over the tables. There were no other interior lights in the business, the front glass and door being smoked to the point of not letting any light through.

 

Delicately running her fingers along the barely-seen door, Yu Fan found the latch and opened it, she and Sousuke stepping through it silently. Behind the door, a crooked hallway extended toward the far side of the block where the parlor sat. It was illuminated by a single casing of four-foot florescent bulbs half-way down the hall; and two of the four bulbs in the casing were burnt out. Sousuke saw regularly-spaced doors on the left side, each with a simple flip-tag nailed to the front. One side was a circle, the other a `X'. “Occupied, and available,” murmured Yu Fan, guessing what he was looking at.

 

“You know this place?” he asked her. She shook her head.

 

“This one, no,” she replied quietly, “but others like it? Yes,” she elaborated. Sousuke eyed the right hand wall. He saw one door, at the far end.

 

“I see only one door on the right,” he noted. Yu Fan glanced back at the door they had come through.

 

“No, that is the second door on the right,” she said. “The entrance is to the right of the axis of the hall,” she explained. Sousuke didn't bother to visually confirm her statement. As long as they found this Triad assassin who liked blades, it didn't matter. Following the silent steps of Yu Fan, he absently made sure that his Beretta was ready, just in case.

 

Reaching the door, Yu Fan scratched at gently, speaking softly in Chinese. A moment later, Sousuke heard a sound that might have been a reply, and Yu Fan entered the room, Sousuke right behind her. Stepping into the room, the two froze. It was not as they had expected, to say the least. Hearing a soft giggle, Sousuke turned to see a delicate-looking Asian woman rise from an over-stuffed sitting chair common to Europe. He saw that she was wearing an ankle-length Chinese dress, the sides slit all the way up to her waist, a white long-sleeve half-jacket, and silk shoes. “Is little sister,” said the assassin, moving toward Yu Fan.

 

“Sifu,” replied Yu Fan, making a Chinese bow to the taller woman before being engulfed in a brief, but warm hug by the assassin. “I am relieved to find you in good health,” said Yu Fan. “I was told that you had recently been shot,” she added, Shenhua's eyes on Sousuke.

 

“Yes, was shot twice two times by Two Hand and nun,” said the assassin as if she were saying that she tried a new tea. “Have only recently resumed work,” she added. “Where other half of you?” she wondered.

 

“Little sister Yu Lan was killed,” said Yu Fan emotionlessly. “Last year in Hong Kong,” added the older twin. Shenhua turned her attention back to Yu Fan.

 

“How happen?” asked the older woman, taking Yu Fan's hand and tugging her toward the chair. “You tell sifu Shenhua,” insisted the blade worker. Sousuke maintained an even distance with the pair, following behind them by two steps. Sitting down, Shenhua drew Yu Fan into her lap, holding her close.

 

“Little sister exceeded a contract's requirements, and was slain by the contractor,” said Yu Fan. “Her body was dismembered in front of me in Hong Kong,” she added, her tone darker than before. Sousuke caught the gleam of tears in her eyes. Shenhua looked outraged.

 

“Who do this?” she demanded, her suspicious gaze finding Sousuke. “Him?” she asked. Sousuke realized that he couldn't see Shenhua's right hand with her holding Yu Fan like that. His own hand moved to the butt of his gun as he shifted to his left, putting the back of the chair between them. Knife worker would have to go around, while I can shoot through the chair, he thought, hand on his gun.

 

“No,” said Yu Fan. “He is involved in a different aspect,” said the young assassin. Shenhua smiled at Sousuke.

 

“Then is good,” she pronounced happily. “He is your man, then?” she guessed. To Sousuke's surprise, Yu Fan smiled faintly.

 

“Perhaps,” she allowed. Shenhua giggled evilly.

 

“Young man with endurance good, Fan,” she said. “Keep you happy in bed,” she added. Looking at Sousuke, she evaluated him carefully. “He look capable,” she decided. “Is his long?” she wondered. Yu Fan leaned closer to Shenhua and whispered in her ear, making the older assassin giggle all the more as she whispered back in Cantonese. Sousuke was struck by the similarities between these two and Kaname's girlfriends at school; especially Kyoko and Mizuki.

 

“Now that important part done,” said Shenhua a few minutes later, “what bring you here?” she asked Yu Fan. “Is for revenge for little sister Lan?” she guessed.

 

“Partially, yes,” said Yu Fan. “Sousuke killed the one who desecrated her body, but now I have an opportunity to take my revenge on the one who actually killed her,” said Yu Fan. “But before I can do that, I have to find him,” she said.

 

“He who?” asked Shenhua, curious. “He in Roanapur?” she wondered. Yu Fan shook her head.

 

“He works for an outfit called AMALGAM,” she said. “A black mercenary unit with global reach,” she said. “Sensei was one of his men; before he decided to pursue his other interests,” she said. It was clear that Shenhua at least knew something about Gauron, since she was nodding. “He is called Leonard Testarossa,” Yu Fan said. “Have you heard anything about where he might be right now?” she asked her mentor. Shenhua shook her head.

 

“No, have not,” she replied. Yu Fan glanced at Sousuke, who withdrew the picture of Kaname Chidori from his pocket, handing it to her. She held it up for Shenhua.

 

“Her name is Kaname Chidori,” said Yu Fan. “Leonard has kidnapped her. Where she is, he will likely be as well. We have uncovered information that indicates that he does business in this area, and that he had facilities in several locations in the world. Right now, we need to find him, so I can kill him,” said the girl darkly.

 

“Facilities where?” asked Shenhua, clearly committing Kaname's face to memory. Yu Fan gave her the list, and when they reached the one in the border area of France, she smiled.

 

“Can check that for you,” said the assassin, hugging Yu Fan before prompting the girl off her lap. She rose as well, stepping over to a small side-table and withdrawing a cellular phone. Punching in several numbers, she fired off a burst of Chinese, listened, then another burst, then hung up. “Will take few hours,” said the assassin. “Tea?” she asked Yu Fan. The younger girl glanced at Sousuke before answering.

 

“Yes, sifu,” said the girl. “But then we must continue our search,” said the younger assassin. “Do you know how to contact Black Lagoon Company?” asked Yu Fan. Shenhua nodded, scowling slightly. “They can reach us, if you have news for us,” said Yu Fan.

 

“I cut Two Hands tits off someday,” muttered Shenhua. “But maybe not too soon,” she said, her scowl being replaced by a smile. “Fun to play with her,” she explained to Yu Fan.

 

“I wouldn't know,” said Yu Fan, “I have yet to see her work,” she explained.

 

“Be careful of Two Hand,” cautioned Shenhua. “She good, but lacks emotional control. Very bad when angry,” she briefed Yu Fan. While she talked, she rubbed her abdomen absently before going to a corner tea service and getting ready to prepare the tea. “You tell big sister what been doing last few years,” instructed the assassin.

 

-

 

Revy, Mao and Rock approached the doors of the large church on the outskirts of Roanapur. They had driven there in Benny's classic American muscle car, much to Mao's delight. Rock had driven after convincing Revy that if she destroyed it again, Dutch might dock the costs from her paycheck. Revy had had some things to say about that, but handed him the keys anyway. Now, here they were, looking at Catholic church, complete with stained-glass windows; though it wasn't many churches that had anti-grenade screens on the windows, or bullet-chips in the stonework. Sniffing the air, Mao realized that the scent of burnt gunpowder and cordite hung in the air.

 

Revy kicked the extra-thick wood doors with her combat boot. “Hey! You in there, Eda?” she yelled. “Open the fucking door!” screamed Revy, “I'm dying of thirst out here!” she added, as if that would open the door quicker.

 

“Well, die more quietly,” came an annoyed voice from inside the church before the sound of a heavy bar being thrown was heard. The doors cracked open a little, a habited head peeking out. Mao blinked, seeing that the nun was wearing sunglasses and chewing gum loudly. Blowing a bubble, she studied Mao.

 

“Hey, Rock,” she said, nodding to him. “Who's this?” she asked Revy.

 

“My cousin,” replied Revy innocently.

 

“You don't have a fucking cousin, Revy,” said the nun derisively. “You trying to sell a tourist again?” she asked suspiciously. Revy turned to Rock, grinning at him as she held out her hand.

 

“Told you,” she laughed. “Pay up. Now,” she demanded. Sighing, Rock fished a US twenty dollar bill out of his shirt pocket.

 

“Fine,” he sighed, Revy snatching the bill from him, smirking evilly at him.

 

“Hey! If you're making bets on me, I' get a cut of the profits!” said Mao hotly. Revy shook her forefinger in Mao's face.

 

“Not going to happen,” she said. “But, because we're family, I'll front you a smoke,” she said, her other hand shaking a Marlboro out of her pack and offering it to Mao. Growling, Mao plucked the cigarette from the pack and reached for her lighter. The nun watched this play out.

 

“Shit,” she said, sounding disgusted with herself, “she really is related to you, isn't she?” she asked rhetorically. Revy smiled around her own cigarette. Rock held out a lighter, Mao lighting her cigarette first, then Revy, and finally, Rock lit his own.

 

“You gonna let us in or what, Eda?” demanded Revy, blowing smoke in the nun's face.

 

“Suppose I should,” said Eda, “wouldn't want the faithful to find such a huge pile of shit on the stoop again,” she muttered. Revy and the other two followed her into the church. Looking at the nun's habit, Mao's eyes picked up the bulge of a gun. Armed nuns? she thought, then reconsidered where she was. If the prostitutes wear guns, I guess it makes sense for the clergy to wear them as well, she decided.

 

The nun lead them off to the side, into one of the rooms that faced the statute of Christ in the main sanctuary. Kicking open a small prayer shrine, Eda withdrew a bottle of Jim Beam and four double-size shot glasses. Mao found the edges of her perception of the world wobbling slightly. Revy, meanwhile, had been dragging chairs around, and as Eda set the glasses out, she and the nun dropped into two wooden chairs, leaned back, and put their boots up on the prayer rest at the base of the shrine. “Double or single first?” asked the nun, cracking the cap open on the booze.

 

“Double,” said Revy, grabbing two glasses. She tossed one to Rock, who caught it deftly. Eda poured herself a glass, tossed the last glass to Mao, and then began to pour shots for the three guests. Mao noticed that under the habit, Eda was wearing high-ankle name-brand hiking boots, and - she hoped - shorts.

 

After slamming back the first round, she poured the second round for them. “What brings you here, Revy?” wondered the nun. “That shipment you're supposed to be taking to Australia hasn't arrived yet, you know,” noted the nun.

 

“Yeah, it isn't about that anyway,” said Revy. She tossed her head toward Mao. “My cousin here is looking for information,” said the woman, downing another shot. Eda looked at Mao.

 

“I don't know, Two Hands,” said the nun, “she might as well have `US Military' tattooed on her forehead,” she noted suspiciously. “How you and she can be related is beyond me,” she added. Mao's eyes narrowed.

 

“Hey, fuck you!” she said evenly. “I'm betting that you're a company woman, Eda,” she counter-accused. Eda shrugged.

 

“Can't help what you think,” said Eda casually.

 

“And I can't help what you think, either,” Mao brought home her point. “But, if you're worried, rest assured that I was dishonorably discharged years ago,” she soothed the woman's feathers. Eda barked a laugh.

 

“Dishonorably?” she asked Revy, who shrugged. “Well, you wouldn't dare come here if you weren't in trouble,” muttered the nun. “Rock, what is this about?” she asked the young man.

 

“Like she said, they need information, and your outfit might be able to help them,” said Rock easily. “Is Yolanda available?” he asked. “It would save time to go over the details with her,” he explained. Eda glanced at the watch on her wrist. “Twenty minutes, minimum,” she added. “If you need information, why not hit up the Russkies?” she wondered.

 

“Already did; yesterday,” said Mao. “We're still waiting to hear back from them, but since your outfit has different networks, we thought we'd check here, too,” said the MITHRIL AS pilot.

 

“What's it involve?” wondered Eda. “We specialize in smuggling, arms and drugs, you know,” she reminded Rock.

 

“And so, you have a good chance of knowing something that we can use,” said Mao. “Ever hear of a black-ops outfit called AMALGAM?” she asked. Eda's head snapped around to look at Mao squarely.

 

“You with them?” she asked, her eyes intent. Mao shook her head.

 

“No,” she said. Eda didn't take her eyes off Mao.

 

“Then why ask about them?” she pressed. Mao held out her shot glass, wiggling it impatiently. Without looking, Eda grabbed the bottle of booze and poured her a double; also without looking. Mao nodded her head.

 

“If you have heard of AMALGAM, then you might have heard of MITHRIL,” said the woman. Eda kept her eyes on Mao. “You could truthfully say that we are where the two collide,” said Mao. Eda gazed at her for a moment before looking at Revy and Rock.

 

“Stay here,” she said, standing up, bottle in hand as she turned toward the door.

 

“Hey!” complained Revy, “leave the booze!” she demanded. Glancing down at the bottle, Eda tossed it to Revy, who snagged it cleanly out of the air. Once Eda was out of the room, Revy glanced at Mao. “That wasn't really very smart, Mel,” she noted calmly. “You forget that bounty on your heads?” she reminded the woman.

 

Mao shook her head. “No, I haven't,” she replied. “But I felt that the risk was warranted to get what we need,” she paused before continuing. “Besides, I'm pretty well armed,” she reminded her cousin. Rock groaned.

 

“It's like there's two of you now, Revy!” he complained. Revy chuckled as she reached over and ruffled his hair as if he were a little kid.

 

“You're lucky that way,” she said playfully. Minutes passed before Eda re-appeared, a shorter, older, one-eyed nun with her. Rock stood as the two entered.

 

“Yolanda,” he said, bowing his head to her. The old woman grinned at him.

 

“Ah, Rock,” she said warmly. “I understand you are here to negotiate some business?” she hinted, giving Revy and Melissa a cool look. Rock nodded.

 

“Yes,” he said, “we have been hired to be intermediaries for a client,” he said. “They are looking for information that you likely have.” Yolanda looked at Mao.

 

“The kind of information that they are likely to be interested in isn't going to be cheap,” she warned. Mao glanced at Rock, nodding slightly.

 

“That won't be a problem,” Rock said. Yolanda considered that, then jerked her head toward the door.

 

“Let's talk in my office,” she said, the five of them moving into the church's office. Once they were settled - Revy still holding the bottle of liquor - Yolanda opened negotiations. “I'm told you are looking for information about AMALGAM and possibly MITHRIL, as well,” she said. “But before anything else, I want to know exactly where you are in regard to those two groups,” she warned them.

 

“Why does that matter?” asked Mao. Yolanda smiled without any warmth.

 

“Because there are some people I won't help, and I will have to make sure that you aren't in league with them,” said the woman coldly. “Who are you working for?” she asked Mao.

 

Mao looked her in the eye. “I'm working for me and my two friends,” she said clearly. “We are rogue agents from MITHRIL, if you must know, and we're after the head of a senior member of AMALGAM. Anything more than that will cost you,” she warned the old woman. Yolanda chuckled.

 

“That is good enough for me,” she said. “So, what can the Church do for you, and how much can you pay us to do it?”

 

-

 

Sousuke and Yu Fan stepped out of the parlor and moved down the street, both instinctively watching those around them for threats or for excessive interest in the pair. As they moved down the block, Yu Fan spoke up. “Was she what you were expecting?” asked Yu Fan.

 

“I am not sure,” replied Sousuke. “I had not given much thought to what she would be like, being more concerned with rather or not I would have to defend against her,” he admitted. Yu Fan gave him a small, unexpected smile.

 

“Defending against her is difficult,” she said. “I'm glad that she didn't attack us,” added the assassin. Sousuke frowned at her.

 

“You mean, she might have attacked us?” he asked her. Yu Fan shrugged.

 

“Shenhua can be…capricious,” she said diplomatically. “When my sister and I were training with her, we learned that lesson the hard way,” she said. Sousuke figured that he was better off not pursuing that topic.

 

“Has she always operated out of a brothel?” he asked her. She shrugged.

 

“She operates out of many places,” the young woman said. “That, however, appears to be her current home,” she added. “And is there a more appropriate place for her to have her office than a whorehouse?” she asked. “Given the nature of her services, and the fact that they are seeking a woman to use, does it not make sense for her to use those places as an office of sorts?” pressed the girl. Sousuke blinked at that. She has a sense of… humor? he found himself thinking.

 

“I…hadn't considered it in that light,” he admitted. Yu Fan glanced up at him.

 

“Sousuke,” she said unexpectedly, “can we go in there for a moment?” she asked, pointing to a small shop. He shrugged.

 

“Sure,” he said. This is a lot like being with Kana in Tokyo, he mused. Yu Fan stepped into the shop, Sousuke behind her. Looking around, he found that they were in a clothing shop. Yu Fan moved over to a rack of dresses, swiftly flipping through them before taking two off the rack. Pausing, she perused a table of underwear before selecting a few items and moving to the changing room. “One moment, please,” she said to Sousuke, pulling the curtain more or less closed.

 

Used to this behavior from Kana and her friends, he fell back into habit, scanning the area for threats. Before he knew it, Yu Fan was emerging from the changing room, still wearing Kana's clothes. In her hands were the two dresses and some smaller items. “Ready,” she said. Moving to the register, Sousuke dropped the requisite money and the sales woman carefully wrapping the items in plastic-backed paper and tying it neatly up into a carrying package.

 

Back on the streets of Roanapur, the pair made their way toward the offices of the Black Lagoon Company. Both of them were silent, their habits focusing their attentions on other matters - like their own safety in this violent place. As the two reached the waterfront, it was approaching late afternoon. “Sousuke,” said Yu Fan quietly, “do you…” Yu Fan trailed off, reconsidering asking him whatever it was she was going to ask. “What is it you plan to do after we recover Chidori?” she asked instead. “It is apparent that we cannot just go back to MITHRIL with the price on our head,” she noted.

 

“You are correct,” said the young man. “For the time being, we need to concentrate our attention on rescuing Kana,” he said. “After that, we will have to plot a new strategy to get us all back safely to Tessa, be that at Merida or on the De Danaan,” he said. “As it sits right now, she is the only one I trust in MITHRIL command,” he said grimly. Yu Fan considered that.

 

“Then, I have no choice but to trust her as well,” she said. Sousuke glanced at her.

 

“You said earlier that she had been supervising your recovery since Hong Kong,” he said. “You didn't pick up on what kind of a person she is from that?” he wondered. Yu Fan shook her head.

 

“Until recently,” she said, “I was not in an emotional condition to understand, and even then, I was suspicious of her because of the uniform she wore and the fact that she was involved with you and Chidori,” said the assassin. “It was not until just a few weeks before this mission that I finally decided that I could gain from trusting her to some degree,” she said.

 

“Really?” wondered Sousuke. He had always trusted her; more so since Hong Kong. But then, that is a different set of circumstances than what Yu Fan has been in, he admitted fairly to himself.

 

“What is the relationship between you and the captain, you and Chidori, and the captain and Chidori?” asked Yu Fan. Sousuke considered that.

 

“I…am not sure, exactly, Yu Fan,” he admitted. “The situation is…unique,” he offered.

 

“We were told, my sister and I, that the two of them were competing for your attentions,” said the girl. “However, when sensei was recovered, he began to question the reports from our agents. It got to the point where he changed our mission,” she said. Sousuke looked at her. She was looking straight ahead.

 

“Changed to what, Yu Fan?” he asked intently. Knowing what Gauron had really been up to was something he was keen on learning, after all. Yu Fan looked at him for a moment.

 

“I will tell you once we have secured Chidori and managed a safe return to the MITHRIL captain's location,” she said. Sensing that he was going to press the issue, she shook her head. “If we do not make it back, then it will be a moot point,” said the girl. Sousuke looked her in the eyes, searching for any signs of deceit or guile. Not seeing any, he nodded.

 

“Very well,” he said. “When we have successfully finished the rescue and are back at base, you will tell me,” he agreed to the deal. Silently, the two made their way into the offices of the Black Lagoon Company. The first thing to greet them when they came in the door was Benny and a sheet of paper.

 

“You got email.”

 

-

 

“Gimme another,” called out Revy, waving her beer glass.

 

“Another here, too!” seconded Mao. Between the two, Rock nursed his original bottle of brew. Being with these two was a lot like being with a clone of Revy, though he was thankful that at least the cousin to Two Hands kept her guns in the holsters a lot more than his short-fused teammate did.

 

“Man, that Yolanda is a real hard-ass,” muttered Revy. “What does she think she is doing, charging that kind of money for a `I'll see if I can find anything' deal?” groused the woman.

 

“She better find something, or I'll take that money back,” agreed Mao. Rock wondered if anyone had ever successfully repossessed anything from the Church of Violence. Certainly never heard of it, he thought. Plenty of people had pissed themselves at the mention of the Church, but none of them claimed to have managed to get anything back. But then, no one else here is quite like Revy, and her cousin seems to be disturbingly like her in many of the worst ways, he reflected.

 

A hand slapped his shoulder, shaking him free of his thoughts. “Hey, Rock,” came Revy's disapproving tone, “this isn't a funeral - yet! - you know, so drink up!” she commanded. Knowing from experience that she wouldn't let up, he swiftly downed the beer, shaking the empty at the barkeep to signal another round. It arrived with the two fresh mugs of brew for Revy and Mao.

 

After the negotiations had been handled, and the money had changed hands, the two women and Rock had withdrawn from the church, and on the way back, it had been decided for him that they would stop off at a watering hole. When Mao asked why they were driving so far out of the way, Rock had explained that due to Revy's tendency to get bars leveled, the number of places they could drink at were limited. Revy had immediately smacked him a good one for that.

 

So, they were in a seedy joint off the beaten path, having beer to go with the liquor that they had consumed at the church. Thinking of that, Mao chuckled. “What's so funny, Mel?” asked Revy.

 

“Just thinking that if the churches elsewhere served booze, their attendance would be better,” snickered Mao. “I certainly would have attended more if they were serving shots of Beam,” she offered. Revy smirked.

 

“Meh,” she replied, “the best booze can only do so much to dull the taste of religion,” she opinioned. “You couldn't get me drunk enough to attend church!” she stated. Mao shook her head.

 

“Yeah, me neither,” she agreed. She and religion were not on any kind of terms, good or bad. Not something that ever appealed to me, she thought, swallowing another dose of beer. “You religious, Rock?” she asked the young man trapped between them.

 

“Not really,” he said. Revy leered at him.

 

“You were praying for that little yakuza girl, weren't you?” she challenged. Rock sent her an unfriendly look, which only fueled her more. “Or were you praying to get lucky with her?” she needled him. Rock didn't answer.

 

“Doesn't matter now, does it?” he asked, taking another pull from his bottle. Mao glanced at the two.

 

“Something I should know?” she asked. Both shook their heads.

 

“No, just something that happened recently,” said Revy. She glanced at Rock. “Just remember, Rock, you chose to come back,” she said softly. He grunted, but made no other reply. Seeking a change in topic, she glanced over Rock's head to her cousin. “So, what did you do in your outfit before you got the boot?” she asked her cousin. Mao grinned.

 

“Same as before: I piloted an AS and was the senior non-com for the ship-based detachment,” she said. Revy nodded.

 

“Arm slave driver, eh?” she said. “Never saw one myself,” she admitted. “They as good as they say they are?” she asked. Mao considered that.

 

“The M9 is a hell of a platform,” she said. “But even so, like all weapons, it has its limits,” she said. Better not mention Arbalest or the man-sized units or Lambda drivers or anything like that; who knows where it might end up, she warned herself. “Mostly, if you encounter them, they will be Rk-92 Savages,” she said clinically. Looking over a Revy, she smiled. “Bet you didn't know that a single, well-placed bullet can take those tin cans down, did you?” she asked.

 

“Well, yeah,” denied Revy. “Shoot the pilot and the machine stops, right?” she predicted. Mao frowned.

 

“Well, that is a different method, but yeah, it works, too,” she agreed. “But if you find yourself being chased by one, you won't be able to shoot the pilot, since the compartment is armored,” she shared. “You can, however, put a round into the main bi-lateral balancing circuit, which causes a cascade of system crashes that immobilizes the thing; well, unless the pilot is stone-cold crazy enough to run it without the systems up,” she qualified. Sousuke is that stone-cold crazy, she recalled, and I bet that Yu Fan is, too!

 

“Where is this `bi-lateral balancing' thing at?” wondered Revy, definitely interested. “Just in case, you know,” she added.

 

“Hip joint, right hand side, just above the swivel gusset,” supplied Mao. “You need enough gun to penetrate the flex armor that covers it, but once you're in, you need to aim upward and in toward where the spine would be if it were a human,” she instructed. “You have to go for a shallow angle, or the cable will flex instead of being severed, too,” added the woman. “Not like you're going to be over-run with AS units, though,” she added happily.

 

“We see a lot of smuggled parts come through here,” said Rock. “So far, though, no fully-assembled ones.”

 

“Hopefully, you won't have to tangle with them. The best way to take them out is with another - preferably better - AS unit,” Mao said.

 

“So, you lead an AS team?” asked Rock. Mao nodded. “What was your team like?” he wondered. Mao frowned.

 

“Normal; at least, in the kind of outfit we were in,” said Mao. “It was me, Sousuke and Kurz for a long time, then flag gets a wild hair up the ass and sticks me with some butter bar hero type from a different unit…” Mao complained, pausing to drain more beer. “Next thing I know, it's like being back in the Corp with some fucking cherry Oscar!” she carped. For the next half hour, the two cousins gleefully traded complaints about everything from authority to politics to religion, to their pasts.

 

As Rock finally managed to convince them to go back to the office, the two found themselves, in the ladies' room, returning the beer that they had rented over the last hour. “Hey, Becky,” said Mao from the next stall over, “what's the deal with you and Rock?” she asked.

 

“I told you not to call me that, Mel,” reminded Revy. “As for the other, what do you mean?” she asked. Mao snorted.

 

“Don't give me that bullshit,” she scoffed. “You're sweet on him, aren't you?” she accused. Revy growled.

 

“No more than you are on that Sousuke guy,” she counter-attacked. Mao hummed.

 

“Sousuke is a nice enough guy,” she disarmed the attack, “but he has too many women after him already,” she deflected the remainder of the attack. “From what I have seen, the only man interested in you is Rock,” she said. Revy banged her fist on the wall dividing them.

 

“If you want to keep your teeth,” she snarled, “you'll shut up about that!” Mao considered that.

 

“Fair enough, I suppose,” she said. Something happened to her; I can tell it from her aura, Mao realized. Finishing up, she stepped out of the stall. “How about we go see if we have learned anything?” she suggested.

 

-

 

Kaname swallowed with some difficulty, looking around before slowly reaching out for the small object she had found on the pillow next to her that morning. Scarcely believing it could be real, she hesitantly caressed it before pulling it to her, holding it to her heart with both hands. After several seconds, she eased it back and looked at it. There is no doubt, she realized. It's real. And it's his, she thought, her heart fluttering.

 

Scarcely breathing, she considered what the choice before her. Ok, he took it from Sousuke when he kidnapped me, that much I know. But, what did he do with it until now, and why now? she asked herself. Closing her eyes, she considered the situation. Well, he could have used it to find a way to monitor MITHRIL communications. Or, he could have re-wired it so if I use it, it tells him. Or, more likely, it is supposed to be used to call Sousuke into a trap, she thought. But, he could have done that long before now, so why?

 

“Probably not charged,” she murmured, slowly pushing the power button. A moment later, the screen came up. Her breath catching in her throat, she once more glanced around her room, wondering if this was some sort of game or trap. Deciding to press forward, she started to dial the number that she knew Sousuke dialed to contact MITHRIL, but suddenly stopped.

 

They gave me up, she thought, scowling. Only Tessa, Sousuke and Mao are coming for me. If I contact MITHRIL, it would be a waste, she reasoned. So, what do I do? Call for help? I have no clue where I am; or even if it would make my situation any better! Calming her mind, she concentrated on the problem. She didn't realize that the whisper in her mind grew louder until she was seeing and understanding the entire MITHRIL communication setup in her mind. Gasping, she slapped herself once as quietly as she could, the better to shake free of the grip of the Whisper.

 

“Ok,” she breathed. “Let's do it,” she murmured, swiftly keying in her instructions before once more clasping the digital communication device to her breast. Please, Tessa, Sousuke, come save me! she begged silently. Eventually, she knew she had to get up and get ready for the day, since one or the other of the two young women would be in to wake her soon. Not wanting to risk them seeing the device, she tucked it under her pillow and moved into the bathroom.

 

Sure enough, she hadn't been in the bathroom for five minutes when Sari came into the room, announcing that breakfast would be ready soon. After checking on Kana, she withdrew to set the table. Quickly finishing up, Kaname pulled on the fresh pair of bikini bottoms and dried herself off before stealthily checking to make sure the device was still there. Feeling it, she sighed softly. “For some reason,” she said happily, “I'm really hungry this morning!”