[Lee and Iskario] Red Sun Over Valdesh

[Aromancer]

Lee tipped back another pint of beer, slamming it down with a defeated posture when it was completely dry. "An-an-another," he called out weakly, body trembling slightly as he let go of the beverage.

"You've had enough, kiddo," the barkeep replied with a weary glare. "Don't forget you gotta stay sharp if you don't want the Reznikovs to get ya."

Lee blew a raspberry at the barkeep. "Screw the Rez'n'kovs! They've sent every two-bit goon they got after me, and I've cut 'em all down! An' they're too CHICKEN-" here he grabbed the mug of the patron next to him and took a swig "-to come g-g-get me themSELVES!"

"Really?" The barkeep raised a disbelieving eyebrow as he replaced the other patron's drink. "Because by my count, you still have that stutter they gave you, don't ya?"

"N-n-n..." Deep breaths, Lee. Focus. "Nooo... I don't." He was speaking with a drunken slur, but the stutter was gone, for a moment. "'t only comes in when I'm not FOCUSED! An' my mind's 'n iron VICE!" He took another swig, draining the mug.

Things were not going well for Lee. He was probably the single strongest person in town, but with the Reznikovs monopolizing the local bounty hunting trade, money was drying up. No collection office would take his bounties for fear of angering the brothers, and the bounties on offer were so pathetic anyways as to be effectively worthless. Lee needed to get out of here, but he wasn't going to do so before showing those brothers who was boss.

Unfortunately, while he'd taken out most of their muscle, the Reznikovs still had eyes everywhere. No matter where Lee looked, he couldn't find them; always, they were somewhere else, somewhere out of his reach. And if he didn't find them soon, he might have to hang up his sword and look for other employment.

"Okay Mr. "Iron Vice," the barkeep said, grabbing up the mugs in front of Lee. "I think you've really had enough now. Why don't you call it a night?"

Lee rolled his eyes and stood up. "Whatever," he replied, staggering towards the door. He grabbed a sheaf of papers on his way out and got back to his current dayjob: plastering them all around town.

WANTED:

Information on the Whereabouts of the Reznikov Brothers

Contact Viper Lee

You Know Who I Am

You Know Where to Find Me

So Help Me if I See You Taking My Posters Down I Will End You

Reward: 200,000 Beli

Seems like somebody had come around and taken all his posters down again. Oh, well. He sighed and began hanging them up in all the usual spots once more.

[Tokoz]

  As Lee moved down the street, a figure stopped at one of the posters he had put up, considering it for a moment. Sliding it into their pocket, the suited figure moved down the street after Lee, waiting until he was a bit closer before reaching out and tapping his shoulder. 

She was tall, nearly 9 foot, towering a bit over the more normally-sized Lee. Brown hair dangled down over one shoulder from beneath a wide-brimmed black hat, and her green eyes twinkled in amusement as she pulled out the poster he had put up a few minutes earlier. 

"Would I be correct in assuming that you are one Viper Lee? Because you are correct, I do know who you are, and I think I knew where to find you." She looks at the poster for a moment. "You didn't technically see me taking this down though." 

Snorting slightly, she straightened back up, considering him for a moment. Interesting sword... and he gave the vibe of being fairly competent. 

Well, no sense in beating around the bush. This was a World Government Member nation after all. 

Reaching into her suit, she pulled out a slim wallet and flipped it open, revealing a black version of the World Government logo, and an ID. 

"Agent Lassa Iskario, Cipher Pol. I'm here on this island investigating a group who may have links to the wider Underworld, and who have acted as their smugglers and strongmen on occasion. I want to deal with them, and wouldn't you know it..."

She flashed the poster again. "It seems someone else is after the Reznikov family as well. So, given that as far as I can tell, you're a Bounty Hunter in good standing with the World Government, let me offer a deal." She spread her hands. "You can turn them in, kill them, whatever. But I get to question them first. Sound fair?"

[Aromancer]

Lee was jostled from his routine by a massive woman standing right behind him. He turned to behold her, his eyes drifting up... and up... and up towards her face. "Woah..." rarely had he seen anyone this height; even rarer was it a woman.

"Um. Hello," he said, speech still a little slurred. He'd sobered up a little since the bar, thanks to his incredible liver, but he was still just a little out of it; his mind felt like it was wading through pudding as she spoke.

But he sobered up fully when she showed him his poster. "Oh! Yeah, that's mine!" He remarked, amazed that somebody had actually contacted him about the Reznikovs.

Quickly collecting himself, he offered a hand for her to shake. It was trembling, but not really in a weak way; more like a gentle hum, like a massage device on the lowest setting. "Viper Lee," he said, the trembling deliberately not reaching his voice. "Nice to meet you, Lassa. Yeah, I'm a bounty hunter. You like the sword? It's seastone! Really good against those Devil Fruit-types!"

He'd never met a Cipher Pol agent before, but he knew they were professionals, and serious business. Hopefully she'd make for a better companion than the rowdy pirate-types he'd been trying to recruit thus far.

He considered her deal for a second, then replied: "Capturing all three of those guys is gonna be a tall order. What say instead, we go after one of 'em at a time? Take out two, then get the third guy to tell you what you need to know. Ivan's the weakest of the lot, he'll fold like a bad hand of cards if we get his brothers out of the way."

He almost left it at that, but then something else occurred to him. "Oh, right. The Reznikovs have this whole city under their thumb, so I'm gonna need to go elsewhere to actually collect the bounty. Once we bag these guys, can I hitch a ride over to the next island with you?"