[Lee and Lucy] Bounty Hunter for Justice

[Aromancer]

Lee stood at the entrance to the surprisingly well-maintained warehouse. He supposed it would be; the Reznikov brothers seemed to have a thing for comfortable living. Didn't dull their vicious combat skills a bit, though. Still, warehouses weren't their usual haunt. He was a little wary of this tip...

Then again, not like he had much choice. This was the first tip anyone had ever given Viper Lee, and he had sobered up just for this. Sunk-cost fallacy demanded he go through with the plan. He reached out to the door...

And noticed his trembling hand. He gave a shakey sigh. Then he took a deep breath in, and let it out, long and slow. The trembling ceased; he was under control once more. He reached his hand out and turned the knob.

Then, he dynamically burst into the room, sword drawn and pointed outwards! "Your time is up, Rezni-"

He paused. He looked around. The room was empty.

"Hello?" He called out. He walked around the room, looking for hidden passages. Nothing.

"Did they seriously call me out on a bad tip?" Was this some sort of strange plan on the Reznikovs' part? If it was a trap, they seemed to have forgotten the "trap" part.

Lee sighed and punched the wall. After all this time! He'd finally let himself get his hopes up, only for them to be dashed upon the ground!

He was not happy.

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

Sorry Kiddo, looks like it isn't your day, is it? Offered the privilege of something close to a birds eye view as the boisterous boy erupted into the room as she clung to the ceiling in her wasp form, perhaps had she been able then Lucy Roberts might have broken into a little bit of a giggle as she saw the shape of someone familiar to her lurching forward packed full of piss and vinegar, and then finding their effort stalled immediately by the lack of any recognisable company, let alone the target they so desperately seemed to seek.
Or your week, month, and/or year… It almost seeming like something of a tragedy and for that the whole thing likely hilarious if it wasn’t so sad, in a way the disguised dish was glad for the fact that she could only twitch her wings and wriggle her limbs to convey her emotions, because with all that gusto behind him it would have been a shame to start their relationship off in such a manner. After all, when all was said and done, he was pretty cute wasn't he?

“Looks like you just missed them, huh?” For that reason the flying fox opting to try to sound a little sympathetic shortly afterward when she resumed a more shapely state and slid a pair of sunglasses onto her nose for reasons of coolness alone, the voice of the vixen piped up in a manner that made it hard not to sound steeped in sarcasm, and for that reason lucy might have cursed the cynicism which came with her job.
“Shame they always seem one step ahead of you, isn't it~?” Spending her time keeping tabs on this lad ever since she had found their intentions crossing since arriving in this land, she had garnered an almost voyeuristic affection for his efforts similar to how one might have viewed a little brother, or at least, that was what she guessed. I mean, she had been an only child, hadn't she?

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Throwin' Shade

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	Post Summary
	Hidden in her wasp form, Lucy watches Lee break in, and feels a bit bad for him. Revealing herself because of that, she makes a joking light of the situation, though can't help but feel like she knows him even if this is their first meeting…

[Aromancer]

Lee whipped his head around towards the source of the mysterious voice, watching as the waspy woman above him morphed into a more attractive form and touched down in front of him.

"Ew," he said, remarking on the transformation, "that is... not super flattering." He pointed his sword at her. "So, what's your deal? You another Devil Fruit user? Did the Reznikovs hire you to m-m-mess with me?"

Dammit. And he'd been doing so well, too! He gritted his teeth, angry at himself for his slip-up. That stutter was so not scary; every time he did it, he instantly became the target of his foes' mockery. Never mind that he'd made a habit out of killing anyone who laughed at him for his speech impediment.

Well, whatever. Not like there was anything he could do about it now. "They've just got a lot of lackeys," Lee responded to Lucy's remark. "But every day, I hunt another one down and gut him like a fish. Pretty soon there won't be anybody else for them to hide behind, and then I'll get rid of the big guys themselves. Speaking of..." He dashed forward, faster than the naked eye could perceive, and held his sword to her neck. "So, are you or are you not working for the Reznikovs? Because if you are, you better tell me where they're at right now, or there'll be one less person for them to hide behind."

The green-tinted seastone of the blade gave off a threatening aura to the Devil Fruit user. If Lucy got into a fight with Lee, a single cut with the blade would probably spell her doom. That was, of course, assuming he could hit her. Lee was clearly underestimating Lucy; not entirely his fault, since he'd been the biggest fish in this small pond for weeks now (and it was only weeks), but his tune would probably change were he to discover her true nature. Lucy would probably give him more of a run for his money than he expected.

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

“My, my, didn't anyone teach you it was good manners to compliment a pretty gal when you first met them~?” Arching her brow at the negative reception her transformation seemed to bring to the would-be gangbuster, having gained a certain aesthetic appreciation for her insect form Miss Roberts couldn't help but feel a certain note of offence in such narrow minded thinking, hut all the same seemed to tilt her head and pouted at his apparent disgust in a way that demonstrated how little she thought of it.
“Goodness, you know all the right things to bring a smile to a woman's face, don't you?” Shaking her head and even going so far as to roll her eyes when next he mentions gutting gangsters like fishes, the saucy senior sighed and had to remind herself of his age in spite of his achievements, and therefore tries to cut him a little slack, even if it did sound like he was trying a little too hard to seem tough. Though maybe she should take it as a compliment as well? He could just have been trying to impress the pretty woman he had met, after all~?

“Cool your jets, kiddo. I'm not here to make you cry, the opposite, in fact~” Raising her hands in a gesture of peace between them when next he seemed to reaffirm his desire to know her identity and also showed a presumption to consider her an enemy, Lucy shook her head and denies the idea that she was here to torment him, and was relatively honest in her answer as well. I mean, she didn't intend to, did she? At least no more than her usual mischievious manner might have compelled when dealing with a teenage boy.
“I serve a much higher power than some silly group of gangsters, and well, I'm also a fan of yours too, Viper Lee~ ” Instead affirming her allegiance to something much greater than this pack of sneaky wolves and perhaps doing so with just a hint of pride in that fact, even behind the veil offered by the sunglasses that she had slipped onto the bridge of her nose the girl narrowed her green gaze a little and smiled as she also hinted that she had him at something of an advantage right now. She knew exactly who he is, even if he was totally ignorant of her own identity, right~?

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Throwin' Shade

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	Post Summary
	Disappointed by his disgust, she playfully chides him for it, and his rather coarsely coloured choice of words. Confirming she wasn't an agent of their enemies, she hints at her origin, and the fact that she's more informed of him than he is her…

[Aromancer]

Lee stepped back as Lucy mentioned being a fan of his. Knowing who he was wasn't such a big deal; Lee was kind of infamous around here. But this woman seemed to have a curious confidence that he was unused to; a Devil Fruit user probably shouldn't play too fast-and-loose with a guy wielding a giant seastone sword. Lee wondered what to attribute her confidence to; eventually, he decided it was probably a faulty self-preservation instinct.

"Alright lady," he said, taking a step back, "let's say I believe you. Why do you need my help? Surely, this "higher power" of yours could t-t-take the Reznikovs down, no sweat?" Damn, he'd stuttered again! Lee took a few deep breaths, trying to regain his composure.

"Anyways, if you want me to compliment your appearance, you're gonna have to prove your allegiance first," he said. "How do I know I can trust you?" Lee had formerly been a marine (well, a marine-in-training), and would probably recognize a badge if she had one to show him... although, Cipher Pol was a more secretive organization, and might be less familiar to him.

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

“They'd prefer to be hands off in this one, and while I could throw my pretty little hat into the arena and try to settle things up myself, I'm not sure of the optics?” Arching her brow as lee questioned the ability of her so called 'higher power' and why they were flexing such an inconsequential portion of their power here, Miss Roberts knew that her would-be ally was right to be a little guarded about her intentions given his experience, and shook her head only a little as she made an effort to convince him without showing off too much of her hand.
“A local hero is much better for the newspapers, no~?” Not exactly hiding the truth either as she did so, while the facts of the matter were that the great and powerful government of the world were none too happy with the influence this gang had over the region, they were a little lacking for a manner to address it with a view toward discretion, and ultimately it had been left down to her own choice to involve this boy and for exactly the reasons she spoke as well. Whilst also perhaps because she had found his determination endearing during her survelliance as well.

“I suppose you've got me there. Not like I have a badge or a warrant or whatever. Carrying that would get me killed?” Sighing as he asked her to better prove her allegiance however and finding herself coming up short beyond what faith could offer, once more her shoulders bobbed as Lucy had to admit that she had little on hand to demonstrate the legitimacy of her intentions, though that didn't mean she wasn't willing to give him a little something to vouch for herself with either.
“Though, given your history, I think you might have heard about…” Knowing that despite her jests that she had chosen him for reasons beyond his sheer photogenic ability after all and knowing all about the brief history he had with the forces of justice, lucy smirked for a moment as she hinted at that understanding, and then offered up something less official to vouch for herself.

Tapping her toe on the ground a dozen or more times in the blink of an eye and flinging herself to the space behind him through that move in barely more than a blur, the black beauty would seem to vanish from one position and reappear in the next as she showed off her proverbial tools of the trade, and added to it with two words which would full imply her status without being too on the nose about it.
“Cipher Pol~?” Guessing that would be all she needed if he was as sharp as she hoped he was as well, as a final measure of faith the fox lifted her fingers and removed her eyewear once more, showing him a look in her green gaze that had very little in the way of deception within it as well. She might have been playful, after all, but right now she was no liar…

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Throwin' Shade

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	Post Summary
	Quietly acknowledging the WG's weakness in the area, she puts a positive 'spin' on things by having a local play hero instead. Admitting she has little to identify herself, instead she opts to exploit her skills and the name of her organization to inform him, using soru to 'warp' behind him and uttering the name of Cipher Pol as well.

[Aromancer]

"Optics? What-" Lee took a sharp breath as Lucy revealed her Cipher Pol status. "No way! You can't be Cipher Pol! You're-" Lee paused; he had nothing. There was no reason the woman couldn't be a member of that organization, and it would certainly explain a lot...

"Cipher Pol..."

This was a big deal; one of the biggest things he'd ever gotten involved with. The young man had trained for the marines, but he'd only seen CP members at work from a distance. The idea of collaborating with one directly had never been in the cards.

Lee turned back to face her. "So then, I guess that explains how you know so much. Not that I've been making much of an effort to hide, but a master of information-gathering like yourself has probably figured out where the Reznikovs are, yeah?"

He hummed, suddenly realizing what all this meant. "I've gotten stronger since last I faced those guys... but all of them together would still pose a significant threat." He held out his arm to her. "Is there any way for us to separate them, deal with them one at a time? I can take 'em out easy, then."

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

Pretty hot on his heels as well, isn't he? The brow of the beryl-eyed beauty lifting when it seemed that her daring demonstration was duplicated by the lad, perhaps it was all that sparring that she had done with Lassa but when she watched her cohort vanish the vixen couldn't help but subconsciously tighten and tense her muscles as if she expected an attack, and thus Miss Roberts felt perhaps the smallest note of relief in the fact that she wasn't about to risk being knocked across the room.
So much the better~ More than that happy to see that her belief in the boy had been well placed however, after easing herself back into a position of relaxation rather than iron-hard intensity she was left to simply smirk at the fact that her intended collaborator for this operation already seemed capable of keeping pace with her in at least one way, and for that fact she was glad. After all, what she intended would not be easy.

“I know exactly where they are.” Seeing little reason in being so guarded with the cards she held in the face of both the reveal of her allegiance and how the pace of her partner had impressed her, some of the friskier elements of her tone were lost when she responded to his query about her understanding of the location of their target, and she confirmed that if she so desired she could readily launch an assault upon them.
“But it won't do me much good? The 'where' is only part of the problem…” Shaking her head afterward though since the breadth of her understanding meant that even an elite and 'superhuman' rated practitioner of the six arts like her was likely to struggle with a full frontal assault, lucy knew that any attack on them would either need plenty of brawn behind or a lot of brains, and she was aiming for the latter in this case, given the limit on her 'resources'.

“Well, well, well, looks like you've got some potential there, kiddo~” For that reason the fox once again seeming to smile with a growing admiration for this determined figure as he seemed to strike a similar chord with her by mentioning a divide and conquer notion, while this wasn't exactly how she expected their mission would proceed it was nice to note he had more of a mind for strategy than her surveillance had implied, and as such made him a more valuable asset in her eyes accordingly.
“That was kind of how I wanted to play this little operation? Why waste time chasing them, when we can make them come to us~?” Seeing the sense in his suggestion as well but guessing that if they felled one or two of the gang they would only succeed in making the rest harder to find, she had an idea on how to provide themselves with access to the lot, and now just needed minds and bodies enough like hers to spring her trap…

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Throwin' Shade

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Post Summary

Surprised by his speed, she reflexively readies tekkai, but is glad she doesn't have to use it. Confirming her intel, she none the less thinks that a direct assault on their targets would be foolhardy. For that reason preferring more of a 'precision approach', she is happy to note the fact that Lee seems open to such concepts, and all the more satisfied she has tapped up the right comrade for the op…

[Aromancer]

"Come to us, eh...?" Lee stroked his chin thoughtfully at the prospect. "Two problems with that: one, they're too scared of me to come out and face me directly. That means that as long as they think I'm on the island, they're not coming out for just about anything. Two, if we do somehow manage to lure them out of hiding, we have no way to separate them."

He began pacing around the room, arms folded as he continued thinking out loud. "Now, we might be able to set a trap for them in one of two ways. First way I can think of would be to start a rumor that there's a Devil Fruit on the island. I can't do that myself, since if they knew it came from me, they wouldn't believe it for a moment. Second way is to give them an opportunity to get rid of me entirely."

He turned to face Lucy. "That's where you'd come in. We set you up as a mysterious merchant peddling a Devil Fruit to the highest bidder, and invite one of the Reznikovs -but only one- to a rendezvous to sell the thing. At the same time, we have a big, public incident where you kick my ass to show that they don't need to be scared of me while you're around. Maybe you offer the brothers the fruit in exchange for assistance in getting rid of me for good. Once they're separated, I raid their base while you apprehend the guy you called out."

He stopped pacing in front of her. "Anyway, that's my plan. I get it if you've got a different one, though, being Cipher Pol and all." He tsked slightly. "I warn you right now, I don't much like taking orders. But I'll at least hear you out. I just have one question before you do..." he leaned in close to her face, a suspicious look on his own. "...Can I trust you?"

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

He gets quite chatty when he's excited, doesn't he? Staying quiet as her would-be recruit seemed to wax lyrical on the methods and means of the operation to follow and instead moving to rest her rump on the nearest wall with her arms folded before her, lucy was surprised that a soul so young and seemingly inexperienced in efforts of espionage managed to conjure up a little plan in an effort to suit the designs, though that being said the young agent couldn’t help but feel they were getting off to a bad start with how the youngster seemed to wish to tilt their dynamic in his favour.
“My, my, give me some credit darling. Did you think I was going to rat-a-tat-tat on their front door with you at my side~? 'Hello Mr and Mr Reznikov, this is my new boyfriend, your arch nemesis'~?” First and foremost it seeming that she was being vastly underestimated for her abilities and moreover that simple common sense she was born with, the sable siren couldn't help but smirk a little as it seemed that her potential protégé appeared intent on teaching her how to suck eggs when it came to their would-be tactics when it came to this little intervention here. However, that was far from his most grievous error.

“Moreover, it seems you might be under a false impression about who is leading this operation?” Apparently possessing a talent for rubbing people up the wrong way with his zeal, while Miss Roberts could have appreciated his passion and the planning he wished to put into this potential venture, she was not about to permit him to usurp her authority by any means, and therefore needed to stamp a little authority that her mischievous manner had seemed to be lacking thus far.
“I'm in charge here, and if you can't handle that, or trust in that, we might as well part company right here and now?” For that reason the fox straightening up and letting that element of warmth and playfulness vanishing behind the veneer of a stone cold pro, the smile she wore faded and the soft look in that green gaze became harder and colder as she reminded him of her command, and just how disposable he was to her effort ultimately. I mean, this was his job interview not hers, and it seemed like he was gunning for the top spot already…

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Throwin' Shade

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Post Summary

Resting against a wall as he spews his plan, Lucy can't help but feel a little disrespected as her would-be recruit seems to try to seize control of a situation, sewing doubt in her mind about his ability to act under her orders. For that reason wishing to stamp her authority on the situation, she reminds him that this is her command, and that she is perfectly able and willing to walk away at any moment should she choose to…

[Aromancer]

"Well, obviously we're not dating," Lee said, rolling his eyes as he mentioned "obviously." "Unless you've decided your character for this mission is a pedophile." Additionally, he wouldn't say it out loud for fear of boosting her ego, but Lucy was significantly more attractive than he was; no way he'd be able to get away with claiming they were a couple.

He folded his arms as she spoke, attempting to establish dominance. "I asked for your plan," he said, "and you don't seem to be coming up with anything. I'm sure a pro agent like you could poke a ton of holes into the strategy I just came up with after like thirty seconds of thought. So if you can quit your posturing about this, maybe we can discuss our plan like equals."

Lee didn't intend to monopolize this discussion, but neither did he plan on letting this woman take the lead; not when he'd been in town for months longer than she had, and probably had a better idea of the threat level of their foes.

"I don't plan on mindlessly following your commands," he informed her. "If you didn't need me to beat the Reznikovs, you wouldn't have approached me at all. Meanwhile, I don't even care about being the one to defeat them, that much." A slight bluff, admittedly; he did want revenge, but he also didn't want to let her know that. "All I care about is that they are defeated. So if you want my help, you'll learn to work with me. Can you do that?"

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

“I chose you because you worked hard, and I respected that? I've been keeping tabs on this thing for a long time, and those tabs kept having you mentioned, so I thought 'Hey, why not let the kid have a hand in it?'.” The toughness of the temptress not quite seeming to cut the mustard here from the looks of things with how lee seemed to rise up and still seem to seek to challenge her authority, while Miss Roberts could have pointed out the hypocrisy between his apparent goal and his unwillingness to even pay a little lip service to get it, ultimately she simply let loose a sigh and clarify the summation of her interest in him. Or more accurately the generosity in her invite.
“Never meet your heroes, I guess?” More than sure that she would catch it in the neck a little for hiring a marine dropout but figuring that it would be worth it for both the fact she might have a decent asset and also 'reward' his effort, the vexed vixen ultimately wasn't going to risk her operation on someone who thought themselves above her judgement, and so regardless of his expertise and effort she was happy to walk away from this opportunity because of that fact.

“Here. Come to this address by five if you change your mind, and if not well…” Disappointed in what this little discussion had allowed her to discover but perhaps maintaining a hope that maybe time to cool off and assess his circumstance might help him to make the right choice, she pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and scribbled a legible destination upon it, before tossing it onto the table and turning around.
“Plenty more fish in the sea, I guess?” Glancing back over her shoulder for a moment with a shrug and showing that she was perfectly willing to consider other options if he did not show at least that level of maturity, once she had done so lucy resumed the small size of her wasp form and darted for the window to disappear, and leave the lad to consider the compromise on his own time. After all, she was a busy woman, wasn't she?

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Throwin' Shade

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Post Summary

Choosing not to throw shade but certainly not about to accept his desire to dominate her, ultimately Lucy explains she's involving him out of respect for his effort thus far, and little other reason. Feeling the operation too delicate to risk having a loose cannon aboard however, she's happy to walk away and consider other options. Giving him an address as she leaves, she offers him one last chance to accept her command, though feels she will lose little sleep if he does not.

[Aromancer]

Lee scowled. "There's not a single other person on this island with the guts to take on the Reznikovs," he informed Lucy. "Believe me, I've been looking for months. There are no other fish in this sea. But, if you want to try to depose them by yourself, be my guest. I could use a b-b-break."

Dammit. So close to keeping his cool. Lee didn't want to admit it, but he didn't like the idea of letting this chance pass him by. He was staying sharp and apprehending criminals left and right; he'd even learned a few new moves! But frankly, he was getting sick of Veldesh, and he wanted off the damn island.

He watched Lucy buzz off and rolled his eyes. "That lady's gonna get herself killed," he said to himself. Examining the scrap of paper she'd given him, he sighed. "Probably better follow her. I dunno what kind of plan she's cooking up, but she d-d-definitely can't handle the Reznikovs on her own."

So, at 4:30, Lee headed towards the address, staying hidden and out of sight as he scoped out the location from a nearby window. The young bounty hunter could go basically anywhere he wanted in this city; nobody would help him actively defy the Reznikovs, but they knew it was almost as foolish to get in his way. From his stakeout position, he kept an eye on the building Lucy had indicated, waiting to see what her plan was.

[Jess]

What~? Think I can kill you with looks alone~?

Lucy Roberts – Cipher Pol

"Ohhhh, bosss… I think they guy's shown up? In the window, there?"

"Whaaaaat? I thought you said this guy was tough? Looks like a kid!"

"Bwahahaahaa... Least we'll have someone to fetch us our dinner, eh?"

The covert activity of their would be companion nothing that would trouble a trained team of lookouts and especially so when a certain cheeky minx had opted to give their target a decoy address, it was only standard procedure for her little party to operate with such significant degrees of subterfuge, and with a knowledge of the lay of the land they were provided they had all the more reason to see him coming and react accordingly, and perhaps a little playfully as well.

“He's young sure, but he more than makes up for it with the size of his attitude~? …But he's got some skills. Managed to keep up with my Soru, even?” The leader of the team a little more understanding of their potential protégé however, and perhaps a little more complimentary in her thinking when Miss Roberts thought that she was far from his earshot as well, she waved away their concerns when it came to their fighting ability even if she still had her doubts about other factors given the means of his entry.
“Guess we'll see how much he's cooled off, hm~?” Resuming her bug form for only a short few spaces of seconds to make it hard to follow where she had come from and then going back to her prettier state as she approached a bench outside of the address she had been given, the girl with the green gaze hummed as she flopped back onto it and took out a newspaper to read as she let the lad seize the chance to surprise her on this occasion, and waited to see what his decision had been in the interim…

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Throwin' Shade

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Post Summary

Giving Lee a decoy address, Lucy has some of her allies play 'watchdog' and alert her of his arrival. The group seeming to dismiss Lee for his youth, she notes his physical ability, though has to admit she hasn't quite made her mind up about him mentally yet. Heading out to a bench not far from the address she gave, in clear view, she takes the first step this time and waits for Lee to join her, or not, depending on his choice…

[Aromancer]

Heh.

A decoy address. Should've figured. Those Cipher Pol guys never like to play it straight. Lee watched as Lucy conspicuously walked into view and pull out a newspaper, sitting down to read it and look for all the world like an oblivious moo.

Well, it was clearly an invitation. Lee sighed and climbed out the window to go join her.

He made no attempt to disguise his movements as he approached her at an easy walking pace. Holding up a hand, he waved hello to her. "Hey lady. No covert entrance today? That's cool, I don't like sneaking around everywhere anyways."

He remained standing and facing her, giving her time to reply before continuing with what he had to say.

"Listen, I'm not here to be another toady. You've got plenty of those already." His eyes flashed up to where her bawdy compatriots had been chatting loudly about how weak he looked. "I'm just here to give you a warning."

Having had time to prepare his voice, Lee was even and confident, without any stutters or flubs in his words as he spoke: "You're gonna die."

He gave the words some time to sink in, maybe enough time for her to throw in an "excuse me?" or a "pardon?", before continuing. "The Reznikov brothers, they rule this town with an iron fist. Nothing goes down around here without their say-so. All three of them put together are practically Daibukai-tier. They're smart, too; smart enough to have evaded capture for years, smart enough to find every legal loophole in the books and use 'em keep the Marines off their island. They never show up in person, and they always have some dumb henchman to do their dirty work for them. And if you try to challenge them openly, you're gonna die."

He looked out at a nearby street. "They've got eyes on us right now. Pretty much everybody in the city is part of their information network. The fact that I'm talking to you right now means they already know we're in cahoots. And no offense, but you don't have what it takes to beat them. The weakest of them would destroy you and all your cronies, no contest."

He turned to look at her again. "So if you don't want to work together, as equals, I'd advise you get off the island ASAP. Because the Reznikovs are already coming for you, and I'm the only warning you're getting."