Black Lagoon : The Dice

Chapter 3 : Confession

   Around 10:00 yawning could be heard from Rock's bedroom. The former salary man had already woken up and went shopping food for breakfast. 'Looks like she is awake. I don't want to rush her but this is my chance of her answering my question' Rock thought. At the same moment Revy entered the apartment's small kitchen, wearing only her undergarments. "Damn it my head hurts so much!" she said annoyed, "Well it was you who was drinking like it was your last time" Rock bluntly said. Revy scoffed, "Do you have anything for us to eat?" she asked, and then her stomach's tinny growl followed. "Well tell that guy that I'm currently working on it" Rock responded while chuckling, making his partner give him an angry glare. Till food was ready Revy was walking around the apartment, 'What a neat freak' she thought. While looking around she noticed something that surely brought up memories. Hanging on Rock's wall was that hideous Aloha shirt she had bought him. It was mainly coloured pink and in the center you could see a palm with a risen middle finger. Under that colorfoul image a "Fuck you" could be read. Revy smiled, "I thought you didn't like it" she said with a softer tone than usual. "Well it's not that I don't like it, I just prefer wearing my old costume. Actually to be totally honest, the only reason I have kept the shirt is that you bought for me" Rock replied with a smile on his face.
   Revy wasn't any fool, she understood where this was going. It was time for her to answer her partner's question from the previous night. It was a win or lose situation for her. 'You used up whore! How can a man so decent love YOU?' she could hear her old man's voice in her mind, 'Shut up!' she replied and unconsciously her hand reached one of her cutlasses. The move didn't go unnoticed by Rock. "You know Rock, I'm not good with words, but I will respond to that question of yours", she said and took a deep breath, "If it wasn't for you my life would have continued being fuckin shit. You were the one that opened my eyes and helped my shitty personality become more relaxed" another deep breath "I can't go on without you, I need you". She said an hid her face in her palms. She was actually crying. Revy, the terrific "Two Hands", killer of many was crying in front of a man. Rock was shocked, he surely didn't expect that.
  "Revy" he softly started and moved towards her, giving her his hand "Thank you" he finally said. "Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for opening my eyes, for setting me free. You know, there's only one person that I need to save". Revy had stopped crying, and stood up. Tears were still though streaming down her cheeks. "That one person, is the one I love the most ever since that day in the restaurant, you Revy" Rock then gulped and kept his hand towards his partner "Do you want to be saved?". "What the hell! Do you actually think of me as one of those princess in the fucking books your parents were reading you? I can't be saved, I'm a used up whore and a walking dead!" the woman screamed. Rock gave her smile, "Can you for once be honest with yourself? I know you want to lead the normal life you never had. Let me give it to you". He then stood exactly in front of her. Then something unexpected happened, Revy leaned towards Rock and kissed him. It felt right, he was surely telling the truth. That man in front of her, her beam of light had the same feelings. "Thank you Rock", she said "I believe I don't deserve but please can I leave with you?", Rock was still shocked. 'She actually kissed me, that's a dream coming true' he thought. "I don't really know why you have such a low self esteem, but I definitely know one thing, I love you and you totally deserve having your dream become a reality" he said and kissed her back. That was it, the first time Revy actually heard the word "love" being used sincerely. Now she was completely his, as all those voices in her mind silenced.
  After that they are their breakfast and went out for a walk. "Rock, does all this mean that we are now an item?", "Well I guess so" he responded. Now the difficult part was about to start. He couldn't fail this time. He had to save her, for the sake of them both. "You are a fake", that phrase of Fabiola buzzed in the former businessman's head. 'I won't fail this time' he thought getting a serious expression. Revy feeling her boyfriend's tension, gave a nervous look around to be sure that nobody was watching, and then held for a bit Rock's hand, the Jap chuckled and relaxed "We look like a couple of  teenagers" he whispered, causing a colourful reaction from Revy "If you tell anything to Dutch or Benny, I swear that I'll give you a second asshole!". Little did they know though, that Benny just came out from an alley and saw them holding hands. He grinned, 'Seems I'm gonna be takin those 2 grand from Dutch' he thought thanking God for his luck, of being able to photo the evidence. While the new pair was running errands around Roanapur, Benny ran towards the Lagoon Company's headquarters.
  "Haha, I told ya Dutchy! Now gimme my 2 grand!", Dutch was seriously annoyed, "Damn it here you go Benny-boy". While Benny was counting the money, the door opened and revealed Revy and then Rock. "Let me guess another bet?" Rock asked the blond Jewish with interest. Benny laughed, "Yeah and this is the first time I've beaten Dutch". The big black man huffed like a train, "What was the bet this time?" the Japanese man asked again, and Benny whispered him the answer. "Better not tell Revy..." Rock said to his friend's ear. "What's the matter you assholes?" the redhead woman asked while reading a magazine on the sofa, "Nothin" all three of the men replied in unison. Revy still had her suspicions but decided not to dwell deeper on the matter. "Looks God really is on my side today!" the Jewish chuckled "Wanna play with the darts Rock?", "Yeah sure, I feel like defending today my record" the Jap said stretching his fingers. After half an hour the phone rang. "Lagoon Company here, how may we help?" Rock asked and then called for Dutch, "It's Miss Balalaika". After the phone call ended, Dutch gathered his crew "We got a job to do"
  (Some days before)
"Kapitan, the big bosses want to talk to you", Boris said to his boss and crime baroness or Roanapur, the fearsome Balalaika, a tall, blond and scarred woman. After his boss closed the phone, Boris noticed her expression. Her eyes were gleaming, and she had a devilish grin on her face. "Does this mean what I think it means Kapitan?", "Yes comrade, it's finally time for war!" she replied. The Russian mafia needed more funds in order to expand it's influence, in more countries. In order to do that they had to take under their complete control various cities that could offer big funds. Among those cities was Roanapur, who was simultaneously controlled by the Hong Kong Triads, Hotel Moscow, Italian and Colombian mafia. The two main contenders were Hotel Moscow, led by Balalaika and the Hong Kong Triads, led by a former cop and fearsome gangster, Chang. "Comrade Sergeant, be sure to order new weapons, and be careful of our moves. We must not give our enemies the impression that we are preparing for full out war", "Yes Kapitan!" Boris replied and left. "Finally, I will settle the score with Triads" Balalaika said to herself, she was a war maniac and aching for battles ever since her and her soldiers fought in Afghanistan. The Lagoon Company's job would be to carry all the new weapons. After a while Boris returned to his boss's office, "What about the scheduled meeting with Chang tonight?", Balalaika simply responded "Don't change anything".
  Wai-San Chang, is a tall man who loves wearing black suits and glasses. A former cop, Chang once burned with justice, but after seeing his superiors hypocrisy and corruption he quit the police and somehow reached the position of mafia boss. After a fight against Hotel Moscow in 1993, Chang became the main controller of the city. 
  "Big Bro, we received some information from Hong Kong", said a member of the Triads who entered Chang's office. The gangster was sitting, with his legs on a desk, seemingly sleeping. "Hmm... what did they tell you?", he asked with no interest, "The Russian mafia is on the move in various cities. They will probably move on this one too" Chang's subordinate said. "Ooh" Chang replied and looked over his glasses, "So it's time for us to take total control. Guess it couldn't wait more, it was fun to coexist with the Ivans", the Chinese man sighed, "Begin negotiations with the Italians and Colombians. It's the most safe way to best the Russians". After that the Triad member left the office leaving Chang again alone, "Seems today will be my last time with Fry Face..." the former cop murmured and lit up a cigarette, "This place will now become a true hellhole" he then said and pulled out his guns from their holsters.