Black Lagoon 84

Black Lagoon 84

*Reserved for use by Taka2552

p1:
Top: Is the women’s battle about to begin…?!

Hey, / I know you’ve only put back one beer so far, / but did you call me out here just to have someone to glare at while you drink?

Did I say I was buying you your drinks?

I’ve got no money. / No credit cards either, and they don’t take travelers’ checks here.

Maybe you should head upstairs, / entertain a few customers?

You’re kidding. / Is that / how you figured you’d get your revenge on me?

I know what you said before, / but maybe you oughta use that big old thing dangling by your side. / That’d make things quick. Even wrap ‘em up with a bang.

p2:
There’s easier ways than that. / Get out of the shadows and take a walk out in the open. / The weather’s great; it’s the perfect day for a stroll. / And then they’d all find you.

There’d be three percussion blasts, / and the angels with their trumpets would take care of the rest. / How’s that sound?

……… / If I’m going to die in this fucked-up city, / I wouldn’t mind dying in a fucked-up way. Like, say— / by being shot by you.

But you know, / getting taken out by those bastards who abandoned me? / I’ll pass, thanks..
#84: The Wired Red Wild Card Pt. 8

p3:
Hmm. / You care that much about how you die? / It doesn’t seem that different to me.

You think they’re the same? / Not a chance. / That a part— / of how I live.

……Enough smalltalk. / I came here— / because I figured that, if I could get you on board, our own problems would get solved.

I’m not quite sure what you mean. / Is this your problem? / Or is it— / your Company’s problem?

p4:
…..Well, / I wonder.
Enough talking in riddles. / If you’re going to join up with me, then share your info.

----You getting mixed up in this / might’ve changed something decisively. / If sometime up ahead they stumble upon us, / now’s the only chance we’ll have to regret it.

…………You should just take a breath, / look straight ahead, and run.

? / What are you talking about?

p5:
I only respected one of the old greybeards back home. It’s something I heard from him. / Once you’ve made up your mind, it’s important to not look around; instead, just run. If you do— / he said, then people are made / to get to the place where they’re going.

Well, of course. / Whatever you do, you’ll always get to one place eventually, / no matter where you go, / right?

I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to point out to me— / but you’re right. / There’s someplace we all get to eventually: / you, me, everyone.

p6:
---Lemme ask you one thing: / Why do you have your eye on him?

Are you being serious?
I am. / If I don’t like your answer, things might go differently.

Well, if I had to say, / out of the few people I’ve met in this town…. / he hasn’t forgotten the ways of the outside world, / he hasn’t stripped himself of any remaining vestiges of mercy,

and yet he still understands the rules of this city. / That’s who he is. / That good enough for you?

……Your evaluation of him’s pretty much spot-on. / Being able to appraise things well’s the secret to surviving.
Maybe so. /Then did I pass your test?

p7:
----Yeah, / you passed.

So let me ask you again— / why did you come to me?

………. / The same reason you came to him, asking for help. / You smell like an outsider—just like Rock does.

p8:
Hey, what’s this? / What’s going on?

I get that you must have a million questions. / I’ve got a million things to tell you, too. But….. / For now, just let us in. / I don’t have time to explain. If we don’t do something quick, she’s… / gonna burst…

Ugh!

p9:
SFX: (puking sounds)
Waahhhhhh! She did!
Get a bucket! A bucket!

So, / how much did she have to drink?

You want to know? / She started with cans of bear. She had, umm….
Five.

Next, she had the one the Treasure Island pirates had. That was… / Bacardi. / That’s right. She had…

p10:
four of those. / She then finished off a bottle of Old Overholt, at which point she collapsed.

I couldn’t believe it. / If her stomach wasn’t made of steel, she’d be dead.

I have no idea how you can be so calm about it.
The only things I’m strong against are fate and beer. So… / when I asked who there was who could take care of drunk little Revy, I got sent here.

…..Thank you for that. / All the more so since, last night, / you were pulling the trigger at each other.

However, / you should have left this city / before bringing her here.

p11:
If only leaving this city would cause the game to end, / right? / But sadly, that’s not the way the rules work.

And besides—… / Strangely enough, it turns out our interests coincide.
…….? / What do you mean?

Thanks, but I don’t smoke. / ……..Well, / before I explain, there’s something I have to tell you first.

She told me / why you’re so cold.

p12:
She told me all about / the strife you guys got caught up in.

Of a female servant and her young master,

of justice and good and pride—

and all the rest, and the apocalypse that consumed them all.

Dammit… Argh! Which way’s down?! / Rock! / Ugh. / I’m… gonna use your shower!

p13:
…-- / ….That / has nothing to do with you.

If it was a reason you turned me down, / then that’s enough reason for it to matter to me. / All the more so, seeing as how my issue / is a matter of life and death.

If you won’t talk about it, / then I can never begin / my own battle.

p14:
How did that old Western counting song go? / Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!

It looks like you’re really not sure / whether or not you should talk.

……I might not look like a farsighted person.
Of course not. / Do you want to be?

I do. / It’s not good to get tied up in stuff that’s none of your business.
….Do you have any beer? / If you don’t, I’ll get some water.

p15:
---There’s some Singhas and San Miguels in there. / But still, / do you really want to keep drinking?

What are you saying? / I’m grabbing some for us both. / This isn’t the sort of conversation you can have sober.

Snatch!

…--So then, where should you begin? / ----Well, / the night is long. Maybe we should start with a little gossip?

p16:
When I first saw you, / I thought, you’re used to this town, / but you’re different.

Normally, someone like you / would never come to this city. / So how’d you wind up here?

-------…A long time ago, / there was a stupid office worker who didn’t know how much he was worth….

He was ordered by his superiors to tie up all the loose ends, and he thought that he could. / That’s how it all began.
(bottom): Next chapter planned for the October issue.
(sidebar): The chance meeting of Roanapur's outsiders.