"'Fuckin' hell' just about sums it it up, yeah," Cherry smirked. "I suppose you can't be faulted for thinking your little pond here would never be invaded by a shark."
"I should pay more attention to the damned posters," Slackjaw slumped back down into his chair. He pulled out a drawer and withdrew a whiskey bottle, an old one by the looks of it, and poured himself a glass, then a second glass after a moment of hesitation. "I guess I should share."
"If you're offering," Cherry wondered if it was poisoned. She'd poison it in his position. "You're even more relaxed than you were before you figured out who I am."
"I am. Either I'm a dead man or I'm not, nothing I can do about it so why fret?" Slackjaw took a slow sip from his glass, savoring it. "I was tense before because I reckoned I could take you. Since I can't, I'm at least not going to go out like a bitch."
It was one thing to recognize that, it was another to put it to practice. It took guts, and Slackjaw apparently had guts in spades.
Cherry downed her whiskey in one go, humming at the taste. Unfortunately, it wasn't poisoned like she hoped. "So, do you know where Corvo is? I'm only like 80% sure that he and the masked guy are the same guy, by the way."
"Not exactly, but I know he's still in Dunwall. Even narrowed down the possibilities," Slackjaw admitted. "The question is, what's in it for me?"
"Either a fuck load of money or a favor, if the lead pans out," Cherry presented straight forwardly. There was no reason to be stingy since he was being polite and cooperative now.
"I'll take the favor," Slackjaw didn't hesitate. Smart man, knowing which was worth more. He got up and went to a hanging map of the city on the wall. "I know for a fact he isn't in these districts. My money is on the Old Port District. The guard and overseer presence there is relatively low and it has plenty of access to the canals. The canals are a great way to get around if you don't want anyone following you. I have a few boats myself, for moving goods around."
Cherry studied the map, consigned it to memory. "Why is it called the 'Old Port District'? The ocean is hundreds of meters below the city."
"The island wasn't always so high above sea level," Slackjaw answered. "That big pillar we're all sitting on? It's a corkscrew, from some ancient clockwork mechanism. I haven't a clue why, so don't ask."
That was pretty interesting. She almost did ask why anyone would go through so much effort to raise a whole island above the sea like that. Oh well, she'll ask someone else if she gets the chance.
"Do you want me to owe you that favor, or do you have something in mind?" Cherry asked.
"Well, there is something," Slackjaw scratched his chin. "A rival gang has been causing me some trouble, the self righteous hypocrites. The Howlers over in Slaughterhouse Row. They call themselves revolutionaries, but really they just like robbing rich folk. Never did nothin' for the little guys. I'd appreciate it if you kicked them down a notch or two."
She thought it was cute how he was leaving that to her interpretation. If she just slaughtered the whole gang? He didn't tell her to do that. Naturally, she was going to play along and do it the way she wanted to, which did mean that the Howlers were going to have a bad time.
If she found Corvo in the Old Port District, anyways.
…
Cherry sat on a rooftop across the street from 'The Hound Pits Pub' in the Old Port District.
Exactly one devil fruit user rested inside. He could very well be the man she was looking for. Especially since the pub seemed to be closed down, but there were several people inside. A bit odd for a business that wasn't in business.
Well, there was nothing to do but to check.
In a single bound, carefully timed for when the guards below were looking away, she reached the roof of the pub. A bit of sneakery later, she was inside through an unlocked window.
A scruffy looking guy slept in the bed in the attic; there was no doubt that he was Attano Corvo. A complex looking mask rested on his bedside table.
Cherry reached for the mask and Corvo's hand shot out to grab her wrist. Cherry interlocked her fingers with his instead. "Oh my, how forward of you, Mister Attano~"
As expected, he was completely thrown for a loop. Then he caught up to the fact that she'd call him by name. "Who are you?"
"A friend, perhaps? That depends on what the truth is, I suppose," Cherry spoke cryptically.
His face scrunched up. "I didn't murder the queen, if that's what you're asking."
"It would seem you didn't. Or at least you believe you didn't," Cherry waved their intertwined hands. "Hearts rarely lie when mouths do. If you were skilled enough to control your heartbeat, then you ought to have been skilled enough to get away, too."
Corvo yanked his hand back. Cherry let him. "I'll ask again, who are you?"
"I'm Harpin D. Cherry, also known as Cheapshot," Cherry introduced.
"A pirate?" Corvo growled the question.
"Indeed! It seems you haven't heard of me, though? I guess six months in prison will keep you out of the loop in many ways," Cherry smiled.
"What does a pirate want with me, then?" Corvo asked bluntly, not taking the hint to inquire about her deeds. How rude!
"I want what you want, probably!" Cherry chirped. "To see little Emily safely out of the hands of her mother's murderers!"
Corvo frowned, disbelief plain to read in his expression. "And what do you want in exchange for this help?"
"Money would be nice, but I think my boss would tell me off for making demands when the life of a child is on the line. So let's shelve that until after, yeah?" Cherry lied through her teeth. Sometimes it was easier for someone to accept that a pirate had ulterior motives than that they were doing something out of the goodness in their heart.
Corvo grunted, pushing his way up out of his bed. "How did you find me? Do I need to move?"
"A bloke called Slackjaw pointed me to the Old Port District. It was all me from there," Cherry told him honestly. "I think he wanted to acquire your services after the whole High Overseer thing. He got a favor from me instead, and knows better than to screw me over."
Corvo actually scowled at that. "I wouldn't work for a scoundrel like him."
"Not even for Emily?" Cherry questioned, giving him pause.
"Fortunately, I won't have to find out," Corvo deflected. "What does he want you to do?"
"He wants me to cause some trouble with the Howlers," Cherry admitted.
Corvo actually spat this time. "Scum. They acted as if Jessamine was some tyrant, instead of one of the wisest rulers that Dunwall has ever had. Good riddance."
Cherry took a mental note of him using the late queen's given name and moved on.