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Charisma
Pg 158
Archer is strapping weapons down under his clothes: knives and guns. Aida is watching.
Aida: Where'd you get that gun?
Archer: Grabbed it from a gay bastard.
Aida: Is it necessary for you to be armed?
Archer: Of course it is.
Murphy is also watching.
Pg 159
Aida: Promise, Gatito.
Archer: What? Promise what?
Aida: To have faith in God.
Archer: There is no God, Aida.
Aida: Then whatever you believe in?
Pg 160
Archer pauses in the doorway. His smile is more of a smirk.
Archer: I believe in nothing.
: Take care of Murphy.
Murphy: Aachii.
Pg 161
Night. A few windows are still lit in the police station.
Tech: A wireless mic, a miniature camera, and a homing signal.
Kouki: Isn't this a bit of an over-kill?
Tech: It's shaped like a watch and for use in emergencies.
Kouki: Just like 007.
Tech: A while back an undercover cop got shot and killed.
: The cops who were following him didn't notice.
: Because his mic was shorted due to sweat.
Kouki is starting to look a little freaked out.
Kouki: Hold it! Hold it!
Pg 162
: Is this gonna be alright?
Tech: It's an old story.
*pon pon* *pat pat*
: But you're a rookie so this is best.
Quincy: How is it? All set?
: Enrique and Garrison.
Two hulking officers are with Quincy. One smiles. It's rather disturbing.
*ni* *smile*
: These two will be following you at all times.
Kouki: Good to meet you.
Quincy: Now, Kouki...
Kouki: I know! Let me say it.
Pg 163
: It's my fault that a citizen, Archer Rogue, got involved. But it can't be helped.
: I will definitely protect him! So...
Quincy: Who's asking you to do that?
Kouki: Wha?
Quincy: Undercover knowledge. If you feel any danger, call in your backup immediately!
: If you're escaping from danger, it's alright to drop the mission.
*niya niya* *smile smile*
Tech: *Safeguard procedures...*
Quincy: Don't misjudge the situation. Alright?
Pg 164
: Now go, Kouki!
*gon gon gon go* *low rumble*
Dagwood, the unnamed supervisor, and Archer are waiting in the dark by the market building.
Pg 165
Dagwood: You got that, boys?
Archer: Why the Bronx? There're safer places to do this, aren't there?
Dagwood: It's what the other guys wanted.
Kouki: And the cargo?
: What are we carrying?
Dagwood: Coffee beans, of course.
Sup: Ok! They're done!
Archer: Don't be so nosy, Ken.
Pg 166
: We're getting 500 dollars for one night's delivery of coffee beans.
Kouki: That's true.
Sup: Is it gonna be all right leaving this to those two kids, Dagwood?
Dagwood: The executives see the killing of that dealer as a declaration of war by "Cali."
: Two trucks are going out tonight.
: Want to wager on whether
: those two come back or not?
Pg 167
Enrique: They're moving out, Garrison!
*ban ban* *bang bang*
Nearby, Garrison is talking to a street vendor. Enrique bangs on the car door to get his attention.
En: You like bagged candy that much?
Garrison: 'Cause I never got to eat them when I was a kid. How's the mic picking up?
Mic: "Wait a minute, Archer!"
En: Nice and clear.
Kouki: Wait a minute, Archer!
Archer is climbing up into the driver's seat of a delivery truck.
Kouki: You have a license!?
Archer: No, I don't.
Pg 168
Kouki is sitting in the driver's seat. Archer is leaning back in the passenger seat, looking bored.
Kouki: Then why would you get into the driver's seat?
Archer: It's no problem. I can drive.
Kouki: It's not ok!
: Leave it to me! They call me the "speeding bullet".
Archer doesn't look reassured.
Archer: ...... That's not very original, is it?
Kouki: Shut up!
En: .........
Garrison: Will those two be all right?
Pg 169
At Deano's hideout:
Lott:
I'm not satisfied!
: This is our war!
: Why are you lending strength to some guy who isn't a brother?
Deano: You intend to speak out against my decision, Lott?
Deano looks like he means serious business.
Pg 170
Lott: .....
Deano: My decision is your decision.
: What's wrong?
: Things got so peaceful that you forgot that?
: What about the rest of you?
: If you can't go back to the way things were before, leave now.
: You've only got ten minutes.
Foz: Toby.
Toby: Shut up.
Pg 171
?: We're of the same opinion as Lott.
: We can't trust someone who isn't the same race as our brothers.
: Sorry.
*kata* *tink*
A group of them leave, dropping their earrings on the table as they go.
DJ: I'm going too.
BD: DJ!
DJ: Don't think badly of me, BD.
Pg 172
?: I've always been a dishwasher.... and at last I've got an apprenticeship...
: I don't want to throw away the life I have now.....
Todd: Wait, everyone! Don't you want to pay back the enemy!?
: He mocked Rocco........
Big Fist: Todd.
Foz's brother starts dragging him out the door.
Bro: You're coming out of here with me!
Foz: No! You coward!
: Toby!
Toby: Don't touch Foz!
Foz: Toby!
Toby yanks his friend back and glares a challenge at Foz's brother.
Pg 173
Bro: These little....
Louka: Give it up, Beans.
: Even if they're little, they have the right to chose.
: If you're going to go, you'll have to go alone.
Beans: I'll remember this, Louka!
Louka: I think that's my line.
Lott: ...Why....?
: Why is Deano supporting him this far...? That half-Hispanic....
Louka: You don't get it? You must be sick in the head, Lott.
Pg 174
Louka: It's because right now he's more useful than we are.
Lott: I'm not gonna listen to this garbage!
*gatsu* *clatter*
He tosses down his earring.
: I'll never forget as long as I live that he was the one who gave me this scar!
*ban* *BANG*
Pg 175
Deano: Louka.
: BD.
: Todd.
: Big Fist.
: Foz. Toby.
: Chicks, you're still here too?
Chicks: Stop calling me "Chicks", Boss.
Deano: The best of the gang.
Pg 176
The truck is parked in the dark. Kouki checks his watch.
Kouki: ...They're late....
: It's 30 minutes past the promised time.
Archer: It's dangerous to stop in the alleys of the Bronx for a long time.
: Let's look for some place we can hide the truck.
*bushu* *b-dump*
They drive the truck into an abandoned building.
Kouki: It would be better if we really did have coffee or something.
Archer: How 'bout some gum?
Pg 177
In another part of the alley, men are gathered around a barrel-fire. Kouki and Archer settle in and wait. Kouki glances down at Archer.
Archer: I was eavesdropping.
Kouki: Eh?
Archer: To your conversation with Dagwood in the office.
Pg 178
Kouki: Oh... that.
: Why, all the sudden...?
Archer: You wanted to ask, didn't you?
He's grinning up at Kouki from his seat on the ground.
Kouki: Then...
: You knew it was a dangerous part-time job.
: So why were you interested?
Archer: I already said it, didn't I? For the money.
: My father's in the hospital and I have to take care of my brother.
: And you
Kouki leans down.
: looked like you were asking for my help.
Pg 179
They stay still for a moment, searching each other's faces.
Kouki: "For the money" is a lie.
: You're trying to earn an honest living for you brother.
: And you...
Archer: I lie and you lie.
: You knew things I didn't tell you. And there's the time I told you I'd kill my father.
Archer begins to stand up.
Pg 180
: You wouldn't listen to the reason. You only pity me.
Kouki: Is that so bad?
Kouki looks wry, while Archer's face is harsh in the darkness.
Kouki: That time when you were hurting I sympathized with you.
: And that's no lie.
: I didn't ask you for the reason because it wasn't necessary.
Pg 181
: Do you believe me?
Archer: If I do, then I'll have to trust you.
Back at the police station, Oliver saunters into Quincy's office with a folder in his hand.
Oliver: Lieutenant Quincy, the results of the identification have come.
Quincy: We're the same rank, Oliver, you sarcastic bastard.
Pg 182
Oliver: The victim was D. Auckland.
*basa basa* *rustle rustle*
: Cause of death was blood loss from the shot in his head.
: I think based on the amount of blood found at the scene that he was killed somewhere else, then left in front of the warehouse---
: And then in front of the warehouse, once more BANG!
Oliver has pointed his finger at Quincy as he reenacts the crime.
Quincy: Quit it.
: He's got a record of theft, assault, and drug-dealing. We had him marked as a pusher.
Oliver: He had three molars pulled. --- But it wasn't a dentist's job.
: And two nails torn out.
Quincy: Traces of torture?
: Estimated time of death is two days ago between 9 and 11 pm.
: No record of the gun that killed him.
Oliver: Why do you think they went to all that trouble to put him in front of the warehouse?
: And the showy letters in blood and crucifying him to the shutter?
Pg 183
Quincy: Plain provocation. Even if the criminal wasn't a member of "Cali", they've rubbed "Medicine's" face in the dirt.
Oliver: We may have a clue to follow on this manhunt.
: Two weeks ago two men had some trouble behind the bar.
: A tooth was pulled out then too.
: One was a black man around 25 years old, though the age isn't certain.
: The other was a young brunette man.
: His companion called him "Archer".
: One of the bar patrons remembered it.
Pg 184
Back in the Bronx:
Enrique: Hey, dinner, Garrison.
: So what's happened? Any progress with Kouki and the other?
Garrison: Yeah.
: They're still talking about the problem of trust.
Enrique: That's just eavesdropping, Garrison.
In the abandoned building:
Archer: If you believe me, then you'll trust me too.
Pg 185
: Is that the deal you want?
Kouki: But there's just one thing I want settled clearly.
: You were smiling.
: I saw the body in front of the warehouse, and
: that body was of the man whose tooth you pulled out.
: Did you kill him, Archer?
Pg 186
Archer: -- If I did, what would you do?
Kouki: ...If you did...
: I'll have to arrest you.
Enrique: Kouki! What are you trying to do!?
Garrison: No, wait.
Pg 187
Archer: ...A cop...
Flashback.
Kouki: You don't have to tell me anything.
: These aren't hands that fire a gun.
Archer: ...Now it makes sense...
Pg 188
Archer pulls his gun and aims it at Kouki's head.
Next: Volume 3, part 1
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