Chapter Text
The girl and the boy stood huddled together like statues as they walked the streets. The neon signs, the many cars honking, and the shouting and conversation of so many people were almost overwhelming. Their shoes hit the run-down sidewalks as they ventured like strangers in a strange land. However, even with their unnatural appearance, none of the adults seemed invested in them.
She kept the rifle hidden away in what appeared as a packaged gift and tucked it close to her. Her fingers were laid on the side of it, ready to switch off the safety and rip the packaging and fire. They'd only been allowed weapons already approved by the mafia, if anything this would be considered an upgrade to her bar. Though she wouldn't be the one using it.
"It should be on the next block," the boy said.
"Second story correct? we'll have to get up high," the girl added.
"Yeah," the boy said. He seemed to be thinking of something, before he could summon the courage to speak about the thoughts she spoke first.
"What do you think the meetings about?"
He seemed slightly surprised by her talking about it, but nevertheless he replied, "He said they've been doing hits on the Russians...so..." he stopped to think, murmuring some of his thoughts but they were inaudible.
"You promised not to do that."
He looked at her, "Do what?" then he realized and nodded his head, "sorry. Verrocchio's been doing hits on the other families in this place, so maybe the others wanna try finding out who's been doing it."
"What if it's a set up?" the girl almost said it hopefully.
"I'm...not sure he's stupid enough to go into it if it's a trap. But...maybe."
"I hate that word, maybe."
"Me too."
As they set out earlier, they'd gotten Verrocchio's blessing for their plan. "Just know if you two get caught, I ain't comin to help either of you's, business is business so try and die if the pendulum don't swing yer way." was all he said.
All on their own, they'd done so many a time. There was always a feeling shared between each, that of the taste of freedom, the sound of it all around them as the people went about going where they choose to go. Yet underneath there was another that sometimes told the girl that they had a choice too. But that was a thought too scary to think.
"Do you think..." the girl said. He glanced at her, "what if we just..." she rubbed her face, "took a car, or got on a boat, or..." her voice trailed away.
They kept going, passing by shops, bars, and establishments galore. She was looking down at the sidewalk, and when he spoke, she looked up, "We can't trust adults you know," he said. "Remember, it's kill or be killed. That's just how it is."
"Is it better than this?"
"What is?"
"Death."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, they moved for another while, "Don't say that."
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
She looked at him, he looked at her, "Is that really how you feel?"
She shook her head. He studied her. Then turned away and they were silent until they reached the street across the office. There was a small alleyway in between two buildings long condemned and long with age. One was an old noodle shop, probably a mom and pop during the war. The other was an old liquor store, the rusted bars and the dark room beyond was all that was viewable.
Going in between, they saw a small wooden fence on the other side with a set of stairs leading to the roof of the liquor store at the side. Though they didn't exactly seem well maintained. Before ascending they huddled together and looked out from the alley at the large two-story office building across the street. She unwrapped the bar and handed it too him, "Are you ready?" he said.
She nodded.
"Hold on," he reached into his coat pocket and brought out his pistol and handed it to her. Shakily, she took it from him. Pressing a thumb to the side, the girl placed her hand under and caught the magazine and looked in. Ten bullets in all, nine for their enemy, and one...
"You have...yours?" she said.
"Yes," he showed her the right side of his open coat and she saw another hanging out of the lower pocket. It would be a quick movement, less than a second. Slide the safety off, then place it in your mouth, and pull. Whatever awaited them then was a better fate than whatever the element they usually faced had in store.
The girl stuck the pistol into her dress and looked at him, "Should we pray?"
"Oh," he shook his head at his forgetfulness, "of course." They held hands and they bowed their heads. Neither said a word, but each knew what the other was praying for. When the two were done, he turned around and headed for the stairs.
"Okay time to..." Before he could finish, she grasped his shoulder. He glanced back. The girl then wrapped her arms around and held him. The boy seemed surprised at first, but then he hugged her back and they stayed like that for a while. After the moment passed, she unwound from him and watched as he proceeded up the stairs.
"The meetings canceled?" Rock said as he placed his thumb under the crust of the pizza he was holding. The cheese hung down the bottom and he was quick to raise it up and caught the sliding mozzarella in his mouth.
The gravelly voice of Balalaika's Sergeant responded through the receiver with, "Yes. I shall let you know when her schedule is clear."
He would've given a goodbye, but Boris must've been in a hurry because the line went dead. Rock looked at the receiver, shrugged, and placed it back down on the nearby desk. "What was that all about, Rock?"
Dutch walked up behind him, his bald black head shining under the lightbulb that was bordering on touching it because of the man's towering height.
"Our meeting was canceled, some sort of...emergency," Rock said rubbing his head. A small buzzing from the air conditioning kicked in, and he shrugged, trying to get some of the cool air into his button up. Whatever storm was brewing outside, it was going to be a big one. He could already see the dark clouds rolling in like the ocean below them.
"All those murders are probably playing a part," Revy said across the room as she sat on the couch. She was in the process of cracking open a beer and kicking back on the table. Her long legs extended out to it and she flipped her colorful ponytail over her shoulder.
Both men looked at her funny, she looked at them, her round face narrowed into the usual scowl that was expected of her, "Murdered Russians, c'mon. Ain't none of you two heard about it? six of em, shot up and left in the street like yesterday's trash. Not just the Russians either, all families have taken hits. Triads, Columbia, Italians. Shit's getting real out there."
Dutch pushed his sunglasses up, "Seems like you've been doing your homework Revy. Since when have you gotten so studious?"
"When it concerns random ass killings, call me Einsteina. I ain't about to get caught in the crossfire."
"Looks like someone likes playing punisher," Dutch said. "This won't help business at all."
"Hey, don't speak so soon Dutch, there's a manhunt goin on. Might be some money if we can-"
Revy had stood and started walking to a pizza box on the kitchen counter, "When it's their blood being spilled, Hotel Moscow pays-"
A few knocks at the door made her almost drop her beer, "Shit," she glanced over to the nearby dark corner of the office where the creatures from the black lagoon lurked, otherwise known as the resident hacker and mechanic's space. "Benny grab the door!"
"You're closer Revy, do it yourself!" he said jutting away from the light of his computer and poking his head out of the doorframe. She gave him the finger.
"I'll get it," Rock breathed and walked to the door, Dutch silently following behind. He'd slipped his hand behind his back and held it on the grip of his signature magnum and leaned against the wall. Revy noticed him, and though she didn't put any of her food down she did watch the door.
Rock grasped the knob and pulled back, a small creak sounding as the sight of a young blonde pale girl wearing a dress right out of the nineteenth century made him think his mind was playing some strange trick upon him. "Is this t-the Lagoon company?" the girl said.
"Um..." he looked to Dutch who seemed just as puzzled as he and it took quite a lot of craziness for that to happen, "yes," Rock said turning his head back to her.
"Oh, well then," her quivering face went into a smile, one that was filled with joy, "I am Gretel," she bowed to the two men. She couldn't have been older than eleven or perhaps twelve, and her accent was telling of her European origin, though he couldn't quite discern if it was Italian or Romanian.
"What the fuck?" Revy said dryly over Rock's shoulder surprising him. "This ain't casting for the shining kid, get out of here and back to Victoria or London."
"Yeah, listen. Hate to be rude little miss, but this is no place for a girl of your age," Dutch said grasping the door and going to close it as Rock stood back.
"H-Hold on! you've not even heard what I have to offer!" she squeaked putting her small hands against the door, "Please, you'll want to hear this!"
"Girl, take your hands off the door and get out of here now," Dutch sighed. For his looks and job, he was probably the most well spoken out of all of them. Sometimes his thesaurus of word choice surprised even Rock.
Rock looked at her, seeing her smile turn to an almost instant look of fearful desperation. As Dutch put slightly more force towards closing the door he said, "Hold on."
"What you wanna play Jack?" Revy said shaking her head at him.
"Come on Dutch, look at her," Rock said.
"I have in fact, looked," Dutch said.
"Ten thousand!" the girl said. That got their attention. "Ten thousand!"
"Cookies or dolls?" Revy said.
"M-Money! America money!"
"Okay...maybe Rocky's right Dutch."
The girl was squirming to try and keep the door open at this point with her hands pressing against the door. Dutch holding the knob, looked at the two of them. Benny had even come out of his usual space to give a look at the scene, although he hadn't approached.
"Pardon my doubts little miss, but ten thousand dollars and American no less? that isn't chump change, especially for some little girl happening upon our humble abode. I think..." he opened the door fully and she nearly fell through, but Dutch caught her arm and steadied her, "you owe us an explanation."
The entire time the two had been talking, Rock found himself looking out at the clouds. Back home, he always appreciated the weather, even the harshest of it. It was different, it offered a few moments of selfhood. Across from the second floor, however, under the darkness of the clouds he saw them.
There was a Liquor store with a burned-out neon sign off to the side, and right above that he saw the shape of the figure laying down on the roof. He couldn't discern, but he knew they were there. A moment passed before his brain realized what he was looking at.
"Get down!" he yelled and grabbed Revy. They fell to the floor, and Dutch as soon as he saw them did the same. It was lucky he did, the shooting started a half-second after he'd hit the deck. Benny was dragging himself back, and when Rock looked upon the girl, obviously concerned for her safety as well, he saw her already dived back out of the door. She was reaching into her pocket for something.
The shattering of the building complexes windows sent each of them pressing themselves against the ground like snakes, and when Rock looked up Revy pushed him off and he fell back across the hardwood. "The fuck!?" she yelled. "Who has the balls!?" Revy pulled out her all too familiar pistols and began searching for an opening for a counter shot.
As Dutch joined her, and Benny managed to reach across the room, Rock closely following him in a prone crawl, the latter looked back. He saw the girl starting to look back, her hand still in her pocket. Then she saw Rock, and he saw her. Her maroon eyes meeting his dark. She was shaking, her other small hand scratching against the floor.
He thought in that moment that she looked so tired, more than scared actually, who was she?
Benny pulled him by the wrist up, "Move it man, c'mon!" the girl had taken her hand away from her coat when he last saw her. He and Benny hid behind the walls and a wooden chair the latter had thrown in front of them for extra measure.
"I think I see him! oh yeah, eat this!" Revy was smiling as always as she shot her guns. Rock could just barely see what was going on out there, but he thought he saw the figure moving from the roof. "Fuck! this asshole's quick!" she shouted. Casings and several magazines filled the floor around her as she tried firing at the shape again.
"Running away," Dutch added. He slid out the cylinder from the loader and shoved in another six rounder. "We gotta get after em, fast."
"Nah nah, what if its a trap?"
"Hm...I think you're right two hands...stay down and watch, that goes for everyone!" he yelled back at his two co-workers. He stood staring out the window and watching the people below either taking cover or running, and cars speeding up. "We wouldn't even find whoever this was in all that, don't know what I was thinking. Stay frosty though, they could be comin right for us."
"No complaints from me," Benny breathed and pushed up his glasses. "You okay Rock?" he looked down at him. His frizzled blonde hair tied into a ponytail had specs of dirt and grime in it from his laying on the floor.
"I'm..." Rock huffed as he crouched up, "fine. Hey..." when he looked at the door again, he saw the little girl, only she was in the fetal position and a light sobbing was coming from her.
Before they reached her, he thought he heard her say, "Esec, esec," over and over again.
"What the fuck," Revy said. "C'mon get the hell up," she reached down to grab the girl who when seeing her hand popped up as if she'd woken from something, her rapid movement causing something to fall out of her pocket. A pistol.
Seeing this, the girl looked at it, then back to all of them, and then she was on her knees her hand on the pistol but not picking it up. In a flash Revy was pointing her guns at the child and Dutch had his hand on his own but lowered, and Benny and Rock watched.
"Jesus!" Benny said.
"So...you were a little distraction huh? makes sense. Now if you don't mind givin me the whereabouts of the cocks who put you up to this, I maybe let ya go. Unless you piss me off more than I already am. Rock."
"Yeah?"
"Grab me a beer, that shit made me thirsty."
"Uh...sure."
He brought it to her and placed it on the mantle beside Revy, her guns still pointed at the girl. Dutch shook his head and watched on with Benny who was looking away. Neither ever liked how she got her kicks like this, but they said nothing even still.
"Revy." Rock said.
She didn't answer him, "Yo, look at me kid, I got two crosshairs aimed at your pretty little face. Don't think my soul ain't so black I'll splatter it right all over this nice clean floor. Answer. Me."
"Revy!" Rock said.
"Shut it Rock."
The girl was crying so hard at this point she could barely form a sentence. "What was that?" Revy said. "Speak up, I can't hear you..." she sang. "Was it the Columbians? bet it was, those fuckers get so damned sour over anything."
"I-I-If I tell...I-If I...tell y-you," she sniffed, "they'll...t-they'll hurt my...Fratele..."
"Damn...that sucks. Anyway who was it you worked for?"
The girl opened her mouth, and an odd noise came out, "T-The..."
"Oh my god, fuck this," as Revy was about to move her finger, Rock grabbed her wrist. "Hey!"
"What're you doing?!" Rock said. They struggled with each other for a moment, before Revy wrenched free of his grasp.
"What's it look like I'm doing?"
"She's just a little girl!"
"And?..."
"Revy!" he seemed to not be backing down.
Dutch took the opportunity to finally step in, "Be cool you two," he walked past them and to the girl who fell back not even caring about the gun anymore. Dutch took and placed it in his back pocket, chuckling, "the safety wasn't even off, you would've had no chance."
He reached a hand out to her, all of them watching. "Get on up."
The girl stared at his hand, then to Rock, then to Revy, to Benny, and finally back to the hand. Hers was small in his grasp as she shakily gave it to him, and he helped her stand.
"Breath and tell us. Who made you do this?"
"I-I-If I tell..."
"Listen, let me rephrase that. Do these people who sent you have plenty of money to go around?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Do they have that money where it's easily accessible?"
"I...believe so."
"Are you sure?"
"Y-Yes."
"Hm," he looked behind at his workers, "well then. It looks like we may have a job on our hands after all," he turned back to the girl, "now then, for the question we've been waiting for. Who ordered you to this?"
She inhaled, her tears not coming out anymore but what remained of the one's that had reaching her chin. "T-The...the Cosa Nostra..."
"The Italians?" Rock exclaimed.
"Shit..." Revy said.
"That isn't good at all," Dutch took his hand off of hers and rubbed his beard, "not one bit. Damn."
"W-Why not?"
Dutch stood up and sighed, still rubbing his beard, "Before any of that you should come on in. Rock, call up Boris again and let him know about this. I think we've found our punisher in the form of Verrocchio and his pasta gallary." He watched as the girl started moved in, "What was your name again girl?"
Hesitantly, she stepped inside, her eyes wider than plates and she put her hands together saying, "G...Gretel."
"Pfft!" Revy placed a hand on her mouth to keep the beer sip she'd just drunk in, "holy shit! no fucking way! is your brother's name Hansel? please god let his name be Hansel."
"What?"
"Like the fuckin fairy tale, duh! also, Dutch you sure about keeping her in here?" As they talked Rock moved to the phone, though he seemed weighed down by something as he did. He looked back at the girl, and the girl saw him, but she did nothing and said nothing.
He closed the door and glanced back at Revy then the girl, "It's better to have her here than to send her back over to Verrocchio's neighborhood. Speaking of which, Ms. Gretel, sorry for all the questions, but who was that on the outside?"
"M...My...brother..."
"Any other involvement?"
"N-No..."
"It was only you two doing all this work?"
"For you...yes...we...arrived a day ago."
"How old is your brother?"
"Same as me. We're...twins."
"How old are you?"
"Um..." she held up an index finger on her right hand and three fingers on the other, "this many...I think."
Dutch shook his head, "We're the only folk in the city you two have gone after, right?"
"Y-Yes, we did arrive in the city a day ago. I said that, I think."
"Are you sure?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Hm...I think it'll all come down to Balalaika at the end of the day, but if you're telling the truth little miss, you may just get out of this."
Stupid, stupid, stupid! the words repeated over and over in his head as he dragged himself along the alley a good hundred yards from the Lagoons office. Rain had started and he was getting wet, the water mixing with the blood from the gunshot in his left abdomen. His breaths were ragged, the pain unbearable.
Hot tears were in his eyes, "Forgive me...forgive me," he said to God and the girl. He was switching from Romanian and English as he stopped for a moment and placed his back against the brick wall.
Guttural sounds escaped him as he lifted the jacket and saw a hole in the upper side of his stomach. The worst part was that he could feel the bullet in there. Like a knot tied inside him and stretching with every step. A trail of blood led down through his hip and to the side of his shorts, dripping off into the puddles. Dark red splotches within.
He'd dropped the rifle almost immediately, moving was already hard enough and carrying that would've slowed him. He was coughing, something in his throat, and as he thought of what to do, the boy wondered.
Were any of them even dead? what of Sora? he couldn't think about that right now. No, he wouldn't. He had to get back, circle around and use the axe if any were left though he doubted there would be if the girl had anything to say about it.
Double back, then the girl would help him to the Italians. She had to still be okay. She had to be. Please.
He got off of the wall, feeling the tightness in his belly, the blood still running. Walking wasn't as easy as he thought it to be. Then death came into his mind. If the girl was dead, and he was here dying, would he see her again? he pushed that thought away.
Stumbling forward, the rain a mere two minutes into it being there was coming down hard with fat drops of water. It matted his hair like a shower.
This plan was stupid from the beginning, why hadn't he gone with her? why didn't he let her use the gun instead of him? he was a better shot, but she used those kinds of guns more often. So stupid, so dumb, and now he would die here without knowing if he'd see her again.
His boots smacked against the small puddles as he finally managed his way out of the alley. It'd seemed like a journey that'd taken him miles. He fell to his knees, getting his hands up before the ground came.
He looked up and stopped. There was a small yard across the street, with strange contraptions crudely built. Escaping from these things and coming over a small horizon, some complaining of the rain, were children. Some were brown, and some were light, but they were children. The rest of the street were dead. Don't think about children right now, don't think about...don't think about them...
Then he saw the adults, and everything fell apart. The last thing he heard before hitting the ground and knowing unconsciousness was a woman's scream.