Quiet Moments

Part Two

Frederica Sawyer aka 'the cleaner' was a woman few people understood, even those who claimed to know her well. On the job she wore surgical scrubs, a mask and goggles, a anonymous figure who sliced and diced the living or dead bodies the underworld needed 'cleaning up.' Few saw her off the job, especially after the Greenback Jane fiasco, where for the first time she had shed her protective whites for her prefered goth clothes and attempted to be a killer.

'Of course,' Sawyer thought as she saw the door to the apartment open, 'I wouldn't have met my partners if I hadn't joined in the hunt for Jane.'

Shenhua had a cool smile on her face as the taller asian woman entered, her impressive figure confined by a Chinese dress. She moved more like a feline than a human, gracefully sliding across the floor as if she wasn't weighed down by all the hidden knives she wore. She shimmered with sensuality, her eyes twinkling with a certain kind oif amusement at the world arround her.

"Lotten checking out possible job," Shenhua told her, refering to their partner and the man who had saved both of them from a deadly fire. In the aftermath all three had decided to work together, reaoning that Lotten might very well be lucky for both women.

Using the ultravoice device around her throat gave Sawyer a odd sounding voice, but it was far better than being mute. "Good," she answered her, "I hope it won't be just a disposal job."

Shenhua grinned as she sat down beside her on the couch, stretching out her long, sexy legs as she relaxed. "Those be fun too." she pointed out.

Shenhua enjoyed her work, almost as much as Sawyer did. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling that rose within her when she finished a good clean-up job, a sense of completeness that Sawyer didn't find anywhere else in her life. In her more honest moments of self reflection Sawyer rather suspected she had a damaged personality, though she'd never admit it to anyone else.

"What you want to do?" Shenhua asked curiously, fixing her with a thoughtful gaze.

Reluctantly Sawyer asked, "Do you want to go out?" Unlike her two partners Sawyer wasn't as comfortable going out, feeling exposed out of her normal work gear. Shenhua and Lotten seemed to love going out, though Sawyer suspected that for them it was as much about keeping an eye on the competition.

"We go to Yellow Flag," Shenhua offered eagerly, "maybe see how far Bao get in repairs."

"Is he still angry at Revy for shooting the place up?" Sawyer had to smile at that thought. A pair of Chinese toughs had tried to make a name for themselves by starting a gunfight in the Flag, but it had ended with their deaths at Revy's hands. Predictably, Bao was less than greatful she stopped them and annoyed she hadfn't done it sooner.

"When is he not angry?" Shenhua said with a shrug as she got up from the couch then took Sawyer's hand and pulled her up.

As Sawyer rose she stumbled a little, falling against Shenhua's lush curves, feeling her arms moving around her to holdi her gently. She blushed faintly as she pulled away, not used to the casual touching that the other woman so enjoyed. "Let's go," she said as they set out together.

THe Yellow Flag was, as usual, a gaudy neon hole that the people of Roanapur fell into, the worst of the worst congregating there. Deviants, killers, hookers and more all gathered at the bar and tables, talking business, making arrangements or just being seen by their and occassionally nervous nods of greeting were exchanged between them and various associates, the two heading through the crowds looking for a drink.

"Sawyer, Shenhua," Bao nodded curtly as the bartender gave them a wary look. "What can I get you?" he asked them cautiously.

"Rum," Shenhua said briskly.

A little hesitantly Sawyer offered, "Wine, please."

"Coming right up," Bao said with his usual scowl as he headed back to pour the drinks and presumedly water them as much as he thought he could get away with.

"Only a few tables still have holes," Sawyer noted as she looked around.

"Bao probably gets discount on tables," Shenhua noted with amusement as Bao delivered the drinks.

"Not likely," Bao bitched, "Hotel Moscow charges me the going rate." He looked at them and sighed as he conceded, "At least you two don't bust the place up often."

"Thanks," Sawyer croakled, "I think."

"Hey, Chinglish!" Revy waved from one of the tables, Rock sitting beside him.

Shenhua gave Sawyer a thoughtful look, "Want to?"

Sawyer thought about it then nodded slightly, "Why not?"

"We be right over, Twinkie!" Shenhua called to Revy as both women got up, carrying their drinks over with them.

"Don't call me Twinkie," Revy growled as Shenhua sat down.

"Then don't call me Chinglish," Shenhua shot back calmly, Sawyer sitting down quietly beside her.

"Ladies, please...?" Rock held up calming hands as he looked at them anxiously.

Revy smiled slightly, "It's all right, Rock. I'm not starting something tonight." She smiled slightly, "This is the first time you've met Sawyer when she wasn't trying to kill you, right?"

"No hard feelings," Sawyer croaked at him politely. In fact she did feel a bit of disappointment she hadn't gutted him, as a professional she hated to leave a job half done. Still, she thought that a bar wasn't quite the place to bring that up.

"Quite all right," Rock smiled weakly, "you were just doing your jobs just like us,"

Things relaxed a bit as the drink flowed, Shenhua and Revy boasting as Rock and Sawyer made somewhat more quiet conversation. Watching Shenhua talk was a kind of entertainment all on it's own, seeing her eyes flash and her hands gesturing gracefully.

"I was impressed you kept away from me," Sawyer admitted to Rock.

Rock shrugged as he answered, "Sheer terror will do that."

Before anything else could be said, the front doors bursat open with a crash as three men rushed in. "Nobody move!" the leader called, holding a machine pistol in each hand and waving them about wildly.

"We just want the women who killed our brothers a week ago!" another man added, his hair falling in front of stylish sunglasses, casually hefting a shotgun.

"Give her to us and nobody gets hurt," the final man offered, hefting a impressive looking sword of some type.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!' Bao yelped, ducking behind the bar as usual.

"Rock, get down," Revy hissed. She looked at Shenhua, "You wanna split 'em?"

Shenhua grinned, "Oh, thank you. You good friend."

"Too bad I didn't bring my chainsaw," Sawyer pouted.

"Oy," Rock sighed as the room exploded into violence once more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Lotton blinked as Sawyer and Shenhua walked into the apartment, both women splattered with blood. "What happened?" he had to ask.

"Just some fun at Yellow Flag," Shenhua told him cheerfully.

"Ah," Lotten nodded. "I got us that new job, we're chasing some gangsters the Triads say are muscling in."

"I think we've met," Sawyer noted as she thought of the men Revy & Sawyer had killed. "Do we know how many?"

"About ten," Lotten said dryly.

Shenhua grinned, "More fun for tomorrow."

End.

Notes: I rather like Shenhua, Lotten and Sawyer, tho I will easily admit they're fucked up people. Of course, MOST of the cast in Black Lagoon are messed up, so eh. Set after 'Greenback Jane' and before Chapter 44 of the manga.