"It's hot today…"

"It is. It reminds me of that forsaken desert, back when things were simple"

"Nothings ever simple, some people just get blessed with ignorance. Those are the ones that get to die happy"

"They're also the ones that die first"

Chang and Balalaika stood at the edge of the loading dock. The scene was still fresh with bullet holes from the latest botched deal, the cases weren't even cold yet. Changs cellphone rattled in his pocket, he took a long out drag of his cigarette as if to savor the moment before he picked up.

"Talk to me"

Balalaika kept puffing her cigar as the sun rose on the horizon, she let out a muffled yawn while she flicked the concealer from beneath her eyelash. Before she could turn to see what was holding up chang he appeared behind her, no less than a foot away.

"You know these long nights are gonna make you sloppy, I cant remember the last time someone got the drop on you."

"Neither can I" Peering down, Chang noticed a Mauser pointed at a particularly delicate area.

"It seems ive been summoned by my higher up, I trust you can finish up here"

"Run along babe, the adults can handle it from here"

"Yea, later fry face" Chang ambled between the cargo crates, noticing the fidget of a shadow some feet away

"Take care of her will ya" Boris emerged from the shadow and gave Chang a confirming nod then went to her side.

"Did Chang have something better to do?"

"who knows, that man keeps his cards close to the chest, but if he's passing up meeting our new friends then it must be something fairly urgent"

A ship approached the harbor accompanied by a cold wind, balalaika's eyes widened in the frigid air. On the deck she could see the silhouette of a man, the sun rose behind him so it was hard to pan out the details but she could notice he was wearing a dark suit. As the ship began to dock a gleeful shout could be heard overhead.

"AAHHHH GLORIOUS. THIS WONDEROUS CITY NEVER CEASES WITH ITS BEAUTY"

Balalaika stood at the edge and continued to look out onto the sea while boris checked the crew for weapons. A distinctly Asian man in a dark grey suit walked over to her, bypassing boris.

"Ma 'dam may I be so bold in saying that YOUR beauty far surpasses anything else that can be found here with only one exception"

"I'm flattered. Id rather we make this short , this place reeks of oil and blood"

"Ahhh but its such a divine scent, the scent of life waged on a bullet"

"We really broke you back then didn't we?"

"Don't sound so guilty. As you know, anyone who can survive a life like this was broken from the start"

He reaches for his breast pocket and pulls out a note.

"The supplies you requested are all here and you can keep the ship, il be boarding another to get back"

"How very cautious of you, The higher ups usually don't go this far to stay hidden but I suppose their far more interested in hiding their mistakes this time around"

"Aww that's so cold, what way is that to talk to an old ally?"

"My men are my allies. To them you're an investment, as far as im concerned your just depraved"

"Remember, We ALL did some pretty deplorable things in that war"

"With what you did to my men, what you almost did to ME, You made the entire campaign feel deplorable. I'd say their deaths were regrettable but it was the only kindness afforded to them"

"Cant argue their, but trust me im much more humane"

Balalaika darted a look at him the showed she was aware of his recent activity

" In comparison"

"Are we quite finished here?"

"Just about" Balalaika is handed a note with a single word written on it "война" The russian word for war.

Suddenly her eyes narrowed, her superiors never used that word the same way she did. That note was sent as a warning, a permission slip of sorts informing her that whatever is coming needs to be met head on with full force. The once tired and groggy commander was now fully alert, almost as if THIS was what she'd been waiting for.

Meanwhile, at roanapur's only Department store…

"I'll be back I a bit, just gotta makes a detour"

"Well then move your ass, it feels like I'm dying of sobriety poisoning"

"Sure thing, i'll only take a minute"

"o… ok, bye" Her voice shook just a bit when answering rock due to the fact that HIS voice was different. It was calm and yet at the same time had a savagery to it, his words felt different than usual.

Rock hung up and began sifting through the isles waiting for something to catch his eye. After that incident in the ally some months ago rock has had a problem keeping his clothes clean, things have been getting hectic for him since committing to his "goal". If it wasn't there blood it was his and he was getting tired of the dry cleaning bills, added to the fact that he has to go a mile out of his way to one of the few cleaners that doesn't recognize his face. While sifting through bad knockoffs and a couple local brands like "KILL-fresh" and "The cheese" he wondered how he was able to stay under the radar for so long, the details of his involvement in the Lovelace situation have been slowly spreading due to Chang's somewhat outstretched rumors regarding the matter. Considering where he was and the day to day death the permeates the place he figured most of the murders will either be brushed off or attributed to someone else. He stops at a mannequin sporting a black leather jacket with its hand shaped like a finger gun. "How fitting" he chuckled to himself while grabbing it off the doll, he then glanced at his watch to check the time and realized he wasted at almost 20 minutes daydreaming and it was time to actually move his ass. He paced though the rest of the isles with slight panic at what revy would do to him for being late with her bottle. He decided on a pair of black jeans with a rip on the leg and a red button up shirt and chose not to get new shoes. After rushing out the store he made for the lagoon office racing like a mad man, if there was one thing he still feared it was revy's wrath. He made it just in time to see revy storming out the door in his pursuit, they locked eyes for a second and just before revy was about to exploded on him he gave her the bottle.

"Sorry, took longer than expected. Lets head back upstairs"

"I was waiting around in the tired ass office for over an hour and all you have to say is fucking sorry? Yea, you're sorry ass I about to..." I pulled another bottle from the mass of bags he was carrying and presented it to her wearing the look someone who just got away with murder"

"C'mon this one is your favorite, and a special addition at that. Wouldn't your rather spend your time getting zousted than beating on me?"

She inspected the bottle and tried not to show her appreciation for the gift "I can give you a shit kicking after" she grabbed the bottle and began up the steps with rock not far behind.

" Hey Revy"

"What"

"don't take this the wrong way, but I never noticed"

"What the hell are you talking about"

"You have… a really nice ass"

"..." Revy paused for a moment and then lauched the bottle she sent rock to get right at him and somehow rock manages to catch it despite being thrown off balance by by the force of her throw. Revy stormed up the remaining steps without even looking back to see if rock was okay, she imagined he was fine since she didnt hear any definitive thuds or the sound of breaking glass. She got up to the office area and was greeted by Benny who immediately turned the other way when he saw the expression on her face. Benny made his way to Dutches office to warn him of revy's current moodiness and inform him that rock made it back with the groceries. Since most off Lagoon's time is spent either at sea or in the office Dutch decided it would help moral if his employees didnt have to trek all the way home for a meal.

"Rock is stocking the fridge and Revy already downed her first couple of rounds, She's all fired up in the worst way. It's rocks fault this time so i'd keep my distance.

"Good idea, she always had a screw loose but when rock's involved she rips that screw out and stars stabbing. Ill leave handling the fallout to the guy that set off the bomb, I think il take a nap"

"Yea, il be heading out too, me and Jane have a video date planned and she can be even scarier than revy

when she's kept waiting"

After rock finished stocking the fridge and plopped a seat next to revy who was already half drunk and staring and another full shot glass. He poured himself one and downed it in a similar fashion as revy. She continued to stare at the brown remedy infront of her and said nothing.

"SSHHHIT, dam thats a kick. This isnt something you have to drown yourself in like that stuff at the flag" He poured himself another while peering over at revy. She had an odd look, like she was in deep thought; made even more strange by the fact that the deepest though she usually has is about her profit margin.

"Hanging in there rev?"

"What the hell is wrong with you rock"

This statement puzzled rock and it showed

"what do you mean?"

"you're changing, you've changed."

"of course I have, anyone who makes this place home never stays the same"

"What was in that extra bag you brought in" She asked while glaring at it

"A change of pace"

"I wanna see it"

"Its really not that important"

"Rock"

With a defeated sigh I mumbled "ooookay" as he dragged the bags he had into the bathroom.

Revy's face sported more confusion the longer he took, an unexplainable panic began to rise from her. Rock's been acting odd for some months now and ever since that time in the red light district he's been acting even weirder. She hears the door open but its just Dutch Getting ready to head out.

"Lock up when you two are done, I dont need to come back too you passed out on the floor again"

"Roger that boss" Revy closed the door behind him and when she turned around she was introduced to rock in his new duds

"So?" Rock said hoping for a compliment.

"uuhm" Revy was stunned by what she saw, Her eyes took him in for a moment. This new look only proved to her that rock IS different, the pants, the shirt, the messiness of his hair after treating his new shirt like a pullover instead of buttoning it up the right way, and that jacket. It would look pretty standard on someone else but on rock it looked like he was the "bad boy" of some teen dream band, and if she were honest with herself she'd admit its effect on her.

"I guess that means you dont like it, its not what you would have picked out but I needed more than one outfit"

Revy plopped back on the couch and twirled her drink; hailing rock to take a seat aswell. Rock slipped off his jacket