Eda

Edith Blackwater (イディス・ブラックウォーター Idisu Burakkuwōtā),^[3] more commonly known as Eda (エダ), is a woman posing as a nun in the Rip-Off Church with ties to the criminal world since the convent is mainly a smuggling organization. She is also the titular character of the official Black Lagoon spinoff series Black Lagoon: Eda Initial Stage.

Appearance

Eda is a young, Caucasian-American woman who is 165.6 centimeters (or 5'5") in height^[1] with waist-length blond hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. She is always seen with angular pink sunglasses even with her nun's habit, and she is often seen smoking and sometimes chewing gum. When she is not in her nun's habit, she wears a green miniskirt, a white belt, and a tight pink tank top that shows off her well-endowed figure. On her upper right arm is a tattoo of a cross moline crucifix with two human skulls facing away from the cross. The tattoo slightly varies in each media appearance; for example, the crucifix may have a halo or heraldic ribbon above, and in some chapters there are different objects surrounding the crucifix, such as thorns or an upside down dagger. Eda's preferred firearm is a Glock 17L, which she wields proficiently. In her spinoff manga, on the other hand, she uses a Walther PPK pistol.

However, when she performs work for the Central Intelligence Agency, her hair is tied up in a bun and only a few of her bangs are on her face, additionally wearing a blue, formal businesswoman suit with glasses and a light shade of pink lipstick as well as gold-hanging earrings. In her spinoff, she wears aviator sunglasses instead of her angular sunglasses.

Personality

Eda is well-trained in intelligence and firearms thanks to her CIA training. Nonetheless, Eda has a quick temper and is impatient when a situation does not go as she planned. As a professed woman of God, she frequently cites Bible verses throughout the series. Eda also frequently teases Revy about her relationship with Rock, occasionally asking her if she finally engaged in sexual intercourse with him and also flirting with Rock whenever she sees him. She is a fervent American nationalist highly loyal to the U.S. CIA in particular, once taunting Mister Chang by telling him that the United States owns the whole world (although she does not like the U.S. NSA).^[4] Like Revy and many of Roanapur's denizens, Eda has also expressed racial insensitivity, including referring to Hispanic people as "cholos"^[5] and calling the Asian woman Le Majeur "slant eyes."^[6]

Background

Eda has claimed that she was originally born in Alabama, but later said that her true home is Langley, Virginia. It must be noted that Langley, Virginia, is a metonym for the CIA, as the organization's headquarters is located there. Later on, it is revealed that Eda is indeed a CIA operative and is being hosted by the Rip-Off Church in return for monetary payments. According to her spinoff series, before joining the CIA, Eda was a Harvard University graduate.^[2] She is stationed in Roanapur as part of her division's assignment to keep international criminal activity in Southeast Asia in check.

Black Lagoon history

In Roanapur, Eda collaborates with Sister Yolanda, the Rip-Off Church's leader, for ordering and shipping weapons and drugs. Yolanda knows of Eda's CIA connections and takes on the CIA as a frequent client, and the CIA in turn receives information from the Church's network of informants.^[7] Besides Yolanda, Eda also takes orders from agent Ravencroft, her superior in the CIA.

Calm down, two men

Eda is first introduced in the "Calm down, two men" arc when Rock and Revy try to buy weapons from the Rip-Off Church, with Eda directing the two to the drawing room to talk with Sister Yolanda. When Revy argued that she needed a certain weapon, Yolanda would not budge from her initial offer unless Lagoon Company offered a discount given that a different client had a priority in using the weapon. Angered, Revy pulled out her pistol, with Eda pulling out her Glock pistol in turn, resulting in a standoff. Before any blood could be spilled, Rock finished the negotiations with Yolanda by implying that he could tell Hotel Moscow about the Church's unauthorized drug routes due to Hotel Moscow looking for the people who shipped the drugs in her territory. When Yolanda agreed to Rock's terms, she told Eda to add the weapon to the inventory, so Eda sheathed her pistol and told Revy to leave since mass was going to begin. Before leaving with Rock, Revy showed her middle finger to Eda and insulted Yolanda.^[8]

Bloodsport Fairy tale

When Hotel Moscow members were being murdered around town, Eda, dressed in her casual outfit instead of her nun's habit, heard the news and went to the Yellow Flag to tell Rock and Revy the news about the bounty that Balalaika put out, but Bao told her that everyone in town already knew, disappointing her. Eda also tried to flirt with Rock to Revy's annoyance. Additionally, Eda commented that she had some extra information on the most recent murders of Private First Class Sakharov and Corporal Menshov at the Caribbean Bar, adding that Balalaika put her men on high alert.^[9]

Once the murderers, then exposed as two Romanian children, began killing Verrocchio and his men, Eda used a payphone to call Revy and urged the latter that they should not just sit around and let the police hunt down the murderers, adding that Joey rented a room in Palcana Square where the murderers were supposed to show up. Already having prepared her pistols, Revy retorted at Eda not to yell at her since she was on the way. In that building, Eda found Revy there among the giddy and impatient bounty hunters. Signaling Revy to come to her, Eda advised her that they should leave since Hotel Moscow would have escorted everyone out of the area if the twins were to truly appear there. When Revy agreed that the Russians would not rely on speculation to hunt the twins, Eda commended Revy's deduction but playfully insulted her for lacking high school education. Although ready to head out, the annoyed Revy grumbled that she did not remember Eda having an education either.

In an alleyway, Eda and Revy confronted the twins trying to escape. Not fazed, Gretel went up to Eda and asked her what the bounty on their heads were, scaring Eda. She continued to point her gun at the child after saying that the bounty was $80,000, but Gretel offered $150,000, making Eda ask Revy what choice they would make. Revy excitedly stated that they would take both the $150,000 and their lives to get the bounty, resulting in a shootout.^[10]

In short time, the shootout was interrupted by the Vysotniki, with Daniil using a heavy machine gun to force Eda to clear the line of fire, preventing her from getting the bounty on the twins. After the gunfire ceased and the Vysotniki left to hunt the twins, Eda insulted Revy for her failure, but the two realized that arguing would not solve their problems. When Eda asked Revy to give her a ride home, Revy rejected her request, leaving Eda behind. Although angry, Eda quickly became frightened when Gretel suddenly appeared and pointed her machine gun at Eda, searched the nun's body for weapons. Frozen in shock, Eda asked the child why she continued to kill knowing that Balalaika would defeat her. In response, Gretel merely laughed heartily and gleefully answered that she and her brother killed people simply because they wanted to. The child told Eda that she wanted her to arrange plans for her escape, so Eda contacted the Lagoon Company.^[11] At the harbor, Gretel promised that Eda would go free if Lagoon Company took the job and also accepted her pay, and so they did, leaving Eda alive after the ordeal.^[12]

Greenback Jane

Looking for help to escape capture by the Nuevo Laredo Cartel, Janet Bhai ran to the Rip-Off Church and banged on the chapel's door. Inside, Revy and Eda were relaxing by drinking and cooling off when they heard the knocking, so Eda told Jane that the church was closed and she should come back another time. When Jane continued knocking, Revy and Eda played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would answer the door. Losing, Eda pushed the door open and demanded that Jane leave, but Elvis and his men showed up. Elvis shot at the door and told the nun that he only needed the girl and he would leave, but Eda and Revy got angered and started shooting back. In the commotion, Lobos stepped away from his car and told Revy that there was a misunderstanding, but that only encouraged both women to continue shooting.

Seconds later, Rico joined the women with his machine gun, introducing himself to Revy. Continuing to shoot, Eda furiously reminded Rico to call her "sister" and not "sis." In the chapel, Yolanda saw Eda's old fashioned glass and alcohol, berating her for drinking in the chapel. Mortified, Eda told her she could explain, but Yolanda tossed the glass aside and said they would talk later, pulling out her golden Desert Eagle to aid in shooting the Nuevo Laredo henchmen. As Elvis and his men fled, Eda glared at Jane as the annoyed Yolanda remarked that someone needed to pay for the chapel door's repairs, telling Jane that she had some explaining to do. Jane entered the chapel and explained herself while the three church members and Revy listened.

Jane's knowledge on reproducing counterfeit U.S. currency started to tire out Eda and Revy, causing Eda and Yolanda to ask what Jane's point was in her story. Subsequently, Jane showed them two counterfeit bills and proved that Revy could not spot a counterfeit like she could, but Yolanda still asked what she wanted. Finishing her story, Jane told them she ran away and arrived at the chapel, making Eda remark that Jane betrayed the Nuevo Laredo Cartel instead of fulfilling her deal. Nonetheless, Yolanda offered Jane help by telling her that she could be given safe passage by the church. When Jane said she would offer $30,000 for her printing plates and escape, Yolanda rejected her offer, disappointing Jane.

The young counterfeiter told them she would find help elsewhere, but Eda gave her some advice to stay at the Ramsap Inn since she would be easily found at any other hotel. As soon as Jane left the chapel, Yolanda commended Eda for setting up a plan to convince Jane to agree to whatever price they wanted, confusing Revy. Immediately, Eda called Leroy to tip off Jane's location at the inn in exchange for money. The same night inside the Yellow Flag, Eda told Revy that she already had a full rescue plan to coerce Jane into paying them. Asking if Rock had the car ready, Eda left the bar as the impatient Revy followed her. Rock then drove the two women to an alley near the Ramsap Inn where Jane stayed, and Eda assured them both that she had a plan to rescue Jane.^[13]

Eda also tried to flirt with Rock and breathe into his ear, shocking him. Revy threatened to injure Eda, so she ceased and told the two about her plan. When the two heard about Eda's plan to guide Jane out of the inn using signs explicitly marked with the word "escape," Revy and Rock found the plan to be too simple, with Revy comparing Eda to Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin. After Revy told Rock to start the car so that they could leave, Eda pleaded with them to stay, but seconds later they saw Jane running past them to their surprise. Eda told Rock to drive backwards, passing by and teasing Jane that she was out awfully late for a jog. Realizing that she had been tricked, Jane kept offering various prices to Eda, who rejected the prices and reminded the young woman she was being chased by various mercenaries. Desperate to survive, Jane agreed to whatever Eda desired.^[14]

Accordingly, Eda let Jane into the car while Quentin the Tiger and other mercenaries saw that she was helping Jane. Quentin tried to tell Eda that there was a $1,000 bounty on Jane, but Eda shot him, stating that such a meager sum of money was chump change compared to her pay to rescue Jane. Rock drove them away from the bounty hunters as Eda and Revy shot at the remaining pursuers. Close to the docks, Eda gave Revy's pay to her in advance, but Rock told her that the plan would not work. Arriving at the Lagoon Company dry dock, Eda found out that the PT boat was not at the docks, ruining her final plan to escort Jane out of Roanapur and disappointing Jane as well. Revy told her that Dutch and Benny were doing a delivery and would be back in some time, so they waited around while Jane locked herself in a closet to continue her work. Seeing alcohol on a nearby shelf, Eda asked for a glass of the bottles, but Revy rejected her request since they were Dutch's, so Rock got some Jim Beam from his own stock and offered it to Eda.

Soon, the rest of Russell's bounty hunters stormed the dock building to capture Jane, but Eda and Revy already prepared for their attack and shot the first several raiders. Being flanked on all sides of the building, Eda used the Lagoon Company's ARWEN launcher to disperse other bounty hunters. Spending a long time fighting off the killers, the situation was made worse by Shenhua's presence as well as Claude "Torch" Weaver burning the building and Sawyer trying to injure Jane and Rock. Remarking that Shenhua was trouble, Revy asked Eda if she could accurately fire a shot at Shenhua, which Eda smirkingly confirmed. When Revy forced Shenhua to run off the building's external duct, Eda fired a shot at the window when Shenhua ran by.^[15]

Thinking she had made the shot, Eda walked to the window and Shenhua immediately held the nun in a lethal hold with her weapon. Pretending to leave, Revy managed to distract the Taiwanese assassin, giving Eda the opportunity to shoot Shenhua downward. Consequently, Revy screamed because of the several small knives thrown into her muscles, making her berate Eda for not warning her. Meanwhile, when Sawyer cornered Rock and Jane on the rooftop, she lost her voice machine in the process, refusing to fight further. Eda soon got onto the roof and remarked that Sawyer was a special type of person who she had seen before, insulting her anxiety. To their fortune, Dutch's boat arrived on scene, so the four of them jumped onto the boat after the roof began collapsing, with a few assassins and Russell getting onboard. Jane stayed inside the ship while Revy and Eda fought the remaining assassins. To shake off the assassins, Revy had Eda tie themselves to the ship while Dutch swerved the boat in a 180 degree motion, succeeding to some extent.

With Claude onboard and Russell escaping into the boat's engine room, Revy agreed to fight Claude while Eda stopped Russell from killing Jane. In the engine room, Eda overheard the Floridan cowboy's rant and mocked him. Immediately, the two got into a gunfight, with Eda eventually disarming the cowboy. As Russell contemplated what would happen to his boss Elvis, he thought that he recognized Eda from somewhere, but she denied his recognition. He then stated that he knew that he saw her in Washington, D.C. at the restaurant Fontainebleau talking to a U.S. senator, with Eda nonchalantly confirming that she talked to Senator Jack Bonham about how to deal with countries within the EAEC that opposed NAFTA. When she told Russell that she was from Langley, Virginia, Russell immediately yelled in shock that she was CIA, resulting in Eda shooting him in the head, ending the chase. Later, she got the money-printing plates from Jane and the Indian woman was escorted out of Roanapur.^[16]

El Baile de la muerte / Roberta's Blood Trail

When the NSA's Grey Fox team instigated an operation in Southeast Asia without consulting her CIA division, she was tasked with tracking down and stopping Shane Caxton, the same foe who Roberta was hunting. At first, Revy told Eda that the U.S. Army was in the city, surprising her. Knowing that she had to stop them from interfering in the CIA's territory, she advised Revy to guard Rock as he went around town helping Garcia Lovelace and Fabiola Iglesias,^[17] giving her time to talk to Yolanda.

In the chapel, Eda elaborated to Yolanda that the NSA was trying to compete with the CIA's influence as they previously did in Venezuela. Yolanda promised Eda that the Rip-Off Church's network would gather information on the NSA members' backgrounds and location, adding that she needed financial compensation from the CIA in return. Eda replied that she would bring up the compensation to her boss, and soon Yolanda provided her the list as well as a transcript and minutes of the Council meeting at The Golden Swingin Night Club between Roanapur's crime lords.^[7]

The next day, Mister Chang went to the Rip-Off Church to talk to his CIA contact, with Rico guiding him to the confession booth to talk with them. Unknown to him, Eda was the contact, and she told Chang about the details and history of the Grey Fox team, including their names, the three hotels where they were hiding, and Grey Fox's then-current mission to capture Shue Yan, reminding Chang that the Triad's heroin trade would be crippled if Shue Yan was captured due to his control over opium in the Golden Triangle. When Chang told her that the call was over, Eda stopped him and asked him what his plan of action was. He replied that he was under no obligation to tell her anything, calling Eda a bureaucrat and saying that the Triad was not a lapdog of the CIA. In response, Eda laughed and told him that smack talk did not work when the receiver was stronger, calling Chang street trash and saying that the CIA was one of the many hydra heads of the United States government that could control and topple countries and governments, in contrast to the Triad only being able to control businesses. Upon hearing her comment, Chang angrily hung up the phone and left the chapel.^[18]

Later, she also visited Rock on her motorcycle and agreed with his plan to get Caxton out of Roanapur as well as helping Roberta follow Caxton northward to the Golden Triangle. Before she sped off, when Rock suspected that she might not be who she said she was, she warned him to not investigate further for his own safety.^[19] At the same time, the Rip-Off Church forged travel documents for Roberta, with Rico informing Eda that he sneaked into Roberta's hideout to drop off the envelope there. Although Rico was curious as to why she made such arrangements, Eda sternly advised him to mind his business and ordered him to report to Sister Yolanda.^[20] At Don Mueang International Airport, Eda boarded a flight which Roberta also boarded thanks to the former's specially designated ticket. As Roberta sat down next to her, Eda joked that she should have showered. Angered, Roberta tried to hit her, asking Eda if she was an American dog. Annoyed, the agent told the maid to calm down and told her that she courteously made travel arrangements for Roberta to enter the area where Grey Fox was supposed to be. In response, Roberta glared but calmly thanked Eda, telling the latter that she would give her a painless death after her hunt.^[19] Later, Eda was last seen telephoning her division head in Langley regarding Shue Yan's custody being switched from the NSA to the CIA.^[21]

The Wired Red Wild Card

After Rock needed information to connect the dots of Feng Yifei's findings, he went to the Yellow Flag Bar to meet up with Eda and Rico. As Rock asked Bao another question about the machine, Eda arrived and wrapped her arm around Rock, flirtatiously saying that it had been a while, with Rico accompanying Eda (both dressed in casual clothing). Eda asked Rock if he gave up on Revy after she got arrested, but Rock shot her down by saying that he could not taste his alcohol. Getting a drink from Bao, Eda asked Rock how he would break Revy out, calmly adding that she knew about the Chinese girl that he was sheltering. Rock commended her for her knowledge, telling her that he needed a favor, with Eda asking what he would give in return.

Rock explained that he would give her the Lagoon Company's list of recent clients and shipments in the past 4 months in exchange for breaking Revy free from jail within 24 hours and receiving info about any dealings between Cosa Nostra and the Albanian Mafia in the past 6 months. Eda agreed to his terms, telling Rico to come with her to report to Sister Yolanda first. Rock quickly asked her how he would contact her, but she interrupted to say that she would swing by Jackpot Pigeons, knowing that he was staying there with Feng.^[22] The next morning, Eda and Rico (now dressed in clerical clothing) visited Rock and Feng, with the nun saying that she did not like the morning sun. On a table, Rico laid down his documents as Eda explained the Albanian Mafia's history and the Tirana-based cartel's recent alliance with Ronnie the Jaws. Rico then told Rock and Feng about the identities and history of the four men known as The Quartet, a brother-assassin group of Bren the Black Death's murder business, who were hired to kill Feng.

Rico and Eda apologized to Rock since they could not get any concrete data on the fourth brother, and Eda explained the details concerning the Sicilians' washing machine run by Zamid Dhiyab for the Albanians. Rock asked where the washing machine was, with Eda telling him that it was not her job and any extra information would cost extra, but told Rock as a friend that the mafia likely used the BTCE, a bank that was globally popular with crime syndicates. Rock then proposed that they use the washing machine money to secure Feng's safety under Cosa Nostra. When Feng explained that she could find the washing machine but could not access it offline, Eda and Rico burst into laughter. Rock thought they could just go to another internet café, Rico reminded him that their enemies would surveil such places since Feng was spotted at one.

Knowing that the mafias would likely not let him use their electronics, Eda recommended that he free Revy at the Roanapur City Police Station first. Feng agreeing that she could securely access the washing machine there. Seeing that they could visit the station to access the internet and free Revy, Rock agreed to the new plan to visit the police station.^[23] Soon, Rock and Revy left the police station after the bloody rampage there, and outside the mercenary Montero stood on a rooftop opposite of the police station. Revy knew that Montero was still after Feng, but Rock assured her that he already made arrangements. As Montero prepared his sniper rifle, Eda ascended onto the rooftop as well. There, she used a baseball bat to hit Montero off the roof, making him fall onto a car and killing him, completing her deal with Rock.^[24]

New Girl in the Hood

Feeling like going out for a drink, Eda donned her casual outfit and headed to the Yellow Flag. Inside, Eda walked to the counter and leaned against Le Majeur, rhetorically asking if she was the sole survivor of Les Cinq Doigts. Complimenting Majeur surviving the Vysotniki, Eda commented that she wish she had Majeur's luck. Glaring at Eda, Majeur told her not to be so friendly with her, to which Eda joked to Revy that her friend was not very polite. Asking Eda if she thought she could treat her like a nobody, Majeur calmly threatened to kill Eda, who snidely told the "slant-eye" Majeur that she could try if she liked. Consequently, both women immediately attempted to draw their pistols until Revy slammed her glass onto the table, telling the two that they could settle their quarrel over drinks. Waving her hand to Bao, Revy ordered him to give them several rounds. As the drinks were poured, the two women were told that whoever passed out first would lose. As several men began betting on Eda and Majeur, Revy served as referee and ordered them to begin, and the two women swung their heads up.^[6]

El réquiem de los Desalmados

A short time after the Nuevo Laredo Cartel's ally Los Eses declared war on Roanapur's Council members, Yolanda paid attention to the incident and believed that it was an important issue to resolve. Eda herself was asked by Rock to gather intelligence on Gris el Tigres and his background to see if anything would aid him in his quest to deescalate the fighting. Bringing some tea to the drawing room, Yolanda confirmed from the young nun that the Lagoon Company requested their help. Hearing Eda write off the conflict as mere infighting, the elderly nun posited that they could not take the Mexican gangsters lightly, recalling that the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee once drove them into a corner over the Middle East. Scoffing, Eda commented that Oliver North screwed them over due to the Iran–Contra affair along with Fernando "El Negro" Chamorro's fighting. However, Yolanda advised her to be vigilant and not underestimate the situation, so Eda complied and called for Rico to gather the relevant information.

Taking the findings, the nun brought them to the Yellow Flag and met up with Rock, Revy, Feng and Majeur. Seeing the last woman, Eda tried provoking Majeur's anger with a racial slur, but the latter threatened her back with a fight. The tense atmosphere quickly disappeared, and the nun relayed all of the details concerning Gris's background and how Los Eses grew in such a short time period. Wanting to concoct a plan, Rock wondered how he could defuse Gris's feud and asked Eda about his hometown. Proudly confirming that she had information on Cananea, the nun told them that the town's main industry was silver mining. She clarified that the mines had been open since 1995 but had had no operations due to security issues. Under establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a Canadian mining company gained the mining rights in the town, but they did not operate the mines because they angered Los Eses by attempting to buy the mines cheap.

Thinking of a solution, Rock proposed that if Cananea's mining industry was restored, the town would be prosperous, and Gris would likely at the minimum stop engaging in drug trafficking to support the city. Needing more info, Rock asked Feng and Eda to procure state laws related to mining as well as a mediator who can settle tensions in the state of Sonora. Accordingly, Eda agreed to make a connection with an official of the Directorate General of Mines under Mexico's Ministry of Economy. Despite the plan, the nun asked Rock how he would even buy the mines or know a buyer, to which the ex-salaryman admitted that he was improvising his plan as he went along with it. At that point, several Russians entered the bar and called for fellow Russians to help them since one of Hotel Moscow's go-go bars was bombed by Los Eses, grabbing Eda's attention.^[25]

Light novel history

Ballad of the Sinful Wizard

In the second official light novel Ballad of the Sinful Wizard, Eda briefly returned to the CIA headquarters in the U.S. to speak with Ravencroft and CIA Deputy Director Darryl Lansing. In order to convince the U.S. President that the CIA needed more funding, Lansing wanted to find an excuse for the former that there were great foreign threats to the United States of America, even telling Eda that she could use Roanapur as the place where the CIA could build its power without interference. Looking at her boss Ravencroft, Eda realized that she would not get help from him and had to do things on her own ability to fulfill Darryl's plan. Going back to Roanapur, Eda spoke with Sister Yolanda about the CIA's plan to show that the marriage between Tricia O'Sullivan and Zeng Shuntian's grandson was bad due to the Zeng family's connections to the Fujianese crime syndicate Budaibang.

Although skeptical, Yolanda agreed to let Eda use the church for her operations, and Eda summarized how the CIA would abduct Tricia by hypnotizing her to come to Roanapur and then convince Tricia's father that his daughter would be safe once he severed his friendship with the Zeng family. The young nun concluded that she would only engage in liaison work and not directly engage in the kidnapping, which would be done by the foreign agent Cardinas Sheringham, nicknamed "Wizard." The two nuns then remembered that the Roanapur-based freelancer Lotton was also nicknamed "Wizard" but laughed off the idea that the latter man was Sheringham.^[26] Later after Lotton "saved" Tricia at the Yellow Flag, he unintentionally brought Tricia to the Rip-Off Church chapel, surprising Eda, who had left a cellphone on the altar for the agent to use. Seeing the cellphone, Lotton picked it up and answered the call while Eda used a voice changer to disguise her voice.

Beginning to speak, Eda addressed Lotton as "Wizard" because the contact was coincidentally nicknamed "Wizard," and he muttered a line about how prophets were useless if God could use a telephone. Brushing off Lotton's unusual question about God "abandoning" Tricia, Eda asked him for a report. When Lotton told her that the men at the bar claimed to be working for Zeng Shuntian, she swallowed her words in pain as that meant that Budaibang would become involved in her CIA plan Operation Persephone, which would have to change course. Albeit annoyed by Lotton's berating of her, Eda wondered how an aloof man like him could take on two Budaibang thugs with ease, thinking that he was possibly smart but feigned being an idiot. Lotton confidently told the disguised Eda that he could protect the girl, and Eda in turn assessed the situation to figure out why Budaibang interfered instead of Philip O'Sullivan.

Knowing that Darryl's subordinates would prevent Philip from finding out about the CIA's involvement in Tricia's disappearance, Eda had time to think of a story to concoct regarding how Budaibang's intervention made the situation worse for Philip's daughter, so she advised Lotton to take Tricia to room 207 at the Ramsap Inn as a safehouse. Speaking in his usual grandiose matter, Lotton replied that God's guidance would take them to safety, annoying Eda. Begrudgingly agreeing, Eda responded that he could choose a place but needed to be discreet. After Lotton ended the call, Eda mistook Lotton and Sheringham as the same person, but she entrusted that he would fulfill his end of the operation and she herself would try to distract the police and Watsap so that they were baited away from discovering her involvement in the recent mess in Roanapur.^[27]

Later the next night after Lotton and the Lagoon Company fought several Budaibang gangsters at Sankan Palace Hotel, Eda had not received any calls from the agent, so she decided to call Richie Leroy for information. Answering the phone quickly, Leroy asked Eda why she was calling so late. Beginning her inquiry after brief banter, Eda asked him if he knew of any recent news about Shenhua's friend Lotton, agreeing to pay him at his usual price. Although hoping that he knew nothing, Leroy answered that Lotton was involved in a battle at the hotel which resulted in seven dead Budaibang gangsters, making Eda's heart sink. She was at least relieved to hear that no one realized Tricia's importance, lying to Leroy that she focused on Lotton because he still owed her money after a poker game.

Finishing the call and concluding that Lotton had messed up, she decided to look for him until she sudenly got a phone call from him. Hearing him speak, Eda listened to Lotton carefreely ask if "God saw everything from his throne," angering Eda enough to tell him that he had messed up since many people got word of his actions. Changing her plan, Eda ordered Lotton to kill Tricia, adding that she would take care of corpse disposal. Lotton annoyed her again with his nonsensical speech, so she hung up on him and decided to treat him as a traitor if he did not follow her instructions.^[28] Later when Lotton agreed to confide in Rock about his recent involvement with Tricia, Eda got a call from her superior Ravencroft about how the CIA failed to persuade Philip O'Sullivan about the Zeng family's criminal ties. He then told Eda to make her own judgment for the rest of the mission, meaning that she gained tacit approval for her plan to kill Tricia.

Getting a call at 7 a.m., Eda thought that the "Wizard" would be calling again but instead recognized Rock's voice on the other end. Rock, who thought that he was talking to someone else, threatened to kill Tricia if he did not receive a $300,000 ransom. As Rock told Eda that she could resell Tricia for a higher price, she guessed that Rock would not be blackmailing her if he knew that the phone belonged to a CIA agent. Once agreeing to Rock's terms to get another call at a later time, Eda proclaimed to herself that Rock was a dead man walking.^[29] Unknown to Eda, Rock was able to get help from Balalaika and her Vysotniki to ensure that he would be protected by snipers. At the appointed time, Eda answered her phone and confirmed to Rock that she was able to get his money, so he ordered her to bring the money to the Marnie Juni Motel two hours later.

Close to the dropoff time, Eda had brought a suitcase with a gun inside instead of money, also waiting to execute her plan since she needed to know if Rock was working alone or with his crew. Going elsewhere, Eda hired a local drug user, Gibert, to kill Rock at the meeting location when the time was right. She then visited the Yellow Flag to check on Bao for information but coincidentally found Rock at the counter alone. Seeing that Rock was gloomy and heavily drinking, Eda teasingly asked him if he had a hard job, claiming that she finished doing an errand for Praiyachat. As Rock commented that his job's stakes were too much, he noticed the time on his wristwatch and left, so Eda finished drinking her glass and went into an alleyway to change into her casual clothing. Arriving near the motel in advance, Eda only saw that Gibert was there and not Rock, worrying her. As she prepared her Glock pistol and guessed that the Lagoon Company only cared about smuggling Tricia out of Roanapur, she saw Rock arriving and prepared to shoot him until she heard a gunshot, seeing that Gibert got killed by a sniper. Frozen by fear, Eda realized that she could not make a move as Rock stole Gibert's cellphone that Eda had planted on him, and her operation had failed.^[30]

Later, Eda called Ravencroft using a phone line via satellite, informing him that later details on Operation Persephone would be submitted in writing at a later date. When Eda stated that she took responsibility for not stopping the Wizard's breach of trust, Ravencroft assured her that no report was necessary and that she would not be reprimanded, shocking her. Ravencroft himself specified that the operation ended before Eda even started it on her end, saying that Lansing was demoted for his own failure. Thanking Eda for her report, Ravencroft commented that her actions at least helped him see that the CIA should not actively interfere in a town like Roanapur, confusing her. He then specified that Sheringham had died the day before Tricia arrived in Roanapur, shocking Eda, and he demanded to know who she had collaborated with if the real "Wizard" was already dead.^[31]

Sometime later, Eda visited the Yellow Flag and saw Revy and Rock at the counter, and she tried to flirt with Rock until Revy warned her to back off. Poking fun at Revy's bad mood, Eda asked her if she still had irregular periods. Although Revy wanted to fight, Eda advised her to calm down, ordering a bottle of Trois Riviere from Bao. Clarifying that she wanted to clear her sorrows, she offered some of the bottle to Revy but especially to Rock, wanting a toast. As Revy again told her to quit flirting with Rock, Eda poured a glass for them both, and Rock did not hesitate to grab his glass. When Revy questioned Eda, the nun told her not to worry about it, stating that God's plan was beyond their comprehension. Concluding that they could not think about life all the time, Eda began to drink and encouraged Revy to join in.^[32]

Eda Initial Stage history

In the second official Black Lagoon spinoff manga Eda Initial Stage (authored & illustrated by Hajime Yamamura), the series focuses on Eda's first missions when she joined the Central Intelligence Agency and her travels across the world.

Devastating New Face

In the present, Eda spoke with Rico concerning the presence of weapons caches, and the young man confirmed the info. When Eda warned Rico not to call her "sis," she saw something in a nearby crowd, with her shock surprising Rico. He asked her what she saw, and she merely commented to herself that she saw something that she should not have. Back in the past, Eda began her first field job as a new agent of the CIA after having graduated from Harvard University. Accordingly, she was sent to a Central American country to gather intelligence on the local cartel there using help from a fellow agent, Ruggles. In the country, Eda was pulled over by several men who were secret police that tried to interrogate her, but she freed herself and single-handedly dealt with the men to Ruggles's amazement.

Afterward, Ruggles introduced Eda to their cartel informant Enrique Gasol, who had infiltrated the cartel enough to be the boss's right-hand man. Eda disliked Enrique's attitude, sarcastically telling the boy that it would be a pleasure to work with him. Later at a restaurant, Ruggles advised Eda to get along with Enrique and reminded her that she had great diplomatic privileges as a CIA agent. In response, Eda remembered how a captured officer got killed in Beirut in 1978, irritating Ruggles. He sternly asked her not to interrupt him, though she muttered that he should not make questionable claims. When Eda earnestly remarked that she joined the CIA to uphold the honor of the United States, Ruggles burst into laughter, annoying her.^[2]

Later after having gotten some information from the informant, Eda was prepared to leave the country with Ruggles and Enrique when the cartel forced them into a firefight. Subsequently, Eda killed several of their men, but Enrique betrayed her and kicked her off the roof. Although at gunpoint, the men surrounding Eda were killed by a secret policeman, and Eda quickly grabbed her pistol and tried to shoot back. Walking in a daze, Eda suddenly saw Ruggles's body fall in front of her, instinctively making her shoot upward as she took cover. As she was shocked, Enrique came down from the roof and was enraged that someone else, not him, had killed Ruggles. Pointing her pistol at him, Eda ordered him to get her out of the area. To her bafflement, the boy continued to grab money from Ruggles's suitcase. Hearing him claim that dead people did not need money, Eda smirked and joked that he was rather shallow for his age. Frustrated, he furiously clarified that money was power even if it was not justice, advising her to remember that well. As they ascended the adjacent building onto the roof, Enrique got shot and fell off the roof, and Eda turned around to see the secret police officer that she beat up before. In the standoff, Eda jumped to the side and shot the man. Going downstairs to the alleyway below, Eda saw that Enrique had survived and ran away, leaving a trail of blood behind.^[33]

MIAMI VICE

After only 4 days of being in the field, Eda was forced to leave her assignment. Thanks to Richard Ravencroft's defense of her work, she was permitted to continue engaging in field missions. While training with fellow agents, Eda got pinned down, but the agent commended her for her excellent combat skills. Looking over Eda, her new partner Amber Whinberry introduced herself, and the two started their new mission to engage in domestic espionage and talk to an informant, Percy, in Miami regarding local drug deals. On their way to South Florida, Eda and Amber got into a fight at a bar, but Amber sat by and drank while Eda fought off the hooligans with another bar customer, Glenn. The next day, going to a motel to speak to Percy, Eda was held at gunpoint by the men inside and the situation escalated when the informant bragged that Eda was CIA and would save him. As she stood silent, they all heard the doorbell ring, startling them. Stokes opened the door to tell the person, Amber, to leave, but the latter kicked him aside and ordered the men not to move.^[34]

Immediately, Eda saw Cutter slowly pull out his pistol, prompting her to warn Amber. In the ensuing gunfight, the two women fought off the men, with Eda having shot Hancock dead. Getting into their car, they fled the scene with the informant, but Amber noticed he had gotten shot and soon died. Eda berated her partner for pretending to be drunk so that the former would confront the men first, but the latter responded that she could handle herself fine. Finding out that the men Percy worked with were police officers of the Metro-Dade Police Department, including Hancock, the two women realized that they were actually investigating police corruption. After burying Percy's body, the two women visited a bar and escort service called Club Social, where they would meet Rona Hunt, an escort associated with Percy. Although they assured Hunt that they were not cops, the woman still wanted payment for her information concerning the key that Percy had. Once getting the money, Hunt confirmed that the key was to a locker near a train station somewhere. As she agreed to write down the approximate address, a couple of police cars stopped outside the bar and several cops, including Glenn, barged inside demanding to see Rona. Hearing the police, Eda and Amber quickly left but were spotted by Glenn. Exiting the business, as they got into the car, Eda turned around to see that the officer pursuing was Glenn, shocking them both. With the man's frozen state, the women took the opportunity to flee the scene.^[35]

After examining the storage locker, Amber brought Percy's bag of belongings to the van, where Eda also noted that there was money and drugs inside the bag. Calling the local Miami cops at their police station, Amber told the chief, Sommers, that they could return the drugs and money in return for all of the documents that Percy possessed, so the police chief agreed and asked where they should meet. As the chief and his assistant drove in a car on the way, Amber used the van to block their path, forcing their car to stop as she walked to the window wearing a gas mask and sprayed knockout gas inside their vehicle. Eda then drove in her car while Amber commandeered the cops' vehicle. Bringing the chief to a small field, the women discovered that the documents had little info written on them. Annoyed, Amber berated the chief, who calmly explained that Percy was not the type of person to write detailed information.

When Amber demanded that the chief bring them to Percy's place, Eda argued with her about the state of their mission, and the former responded that they had to get the blame off themselves, adding that they could use the chief as leverage against his fellow officers for more information. Subsequently, the two agents were guided to Percy's house, where the chief sat with tied hands on the couch while Eda and Amber searched the furniture for important info. Although the chief explained that he got involved with criminals to get money for treating his wife's leukemia, Eda did not believe his story and showed no sympathy. Examining a small drawer, Amber discovered a ledger with a list of Percy's partners, so she returned the bag of money and drugs to the chief.

As the two women exited the house after promising to return the chief to his police station, several bullets flew by, forcing them back inside the residence. Outside, Glenn kept his rifle's sights on the house since he wanted revenge on Eda for killing his brother Hancock. Preparing her pistol, Eda went to the back of the house and caught Glenn and Cutter off guard, shooting at them and successfully hitting the latter officer. Rolling into his range, she pointed her pistol in Glenn's face, resulting in a standoff. Though Amber asked them to deescalate, Glenn proclaimed that he had nothing left to lose since his only family member was killed. Smugly smiling, Eda shot at him again but was quickly pushed down. As Glenn aimed his rifle, she pulled out her concealed revolver and pushed it right into his neck, bidding him goodbye with a single lethal shot, surprising Amber and the chief. Afterward, as they waited for backup while the chief accepted defeat, Eda sat down as Amber jokingly asked Eda how much longer she thought that she would live by lethal means, annoying the blond agent.^[36]

Wandering Old Case Officer

When Ravencroft agreed to help a fellow high-ranking agent, Chesterton, privately deal with the rogue ex-agent Harold Meyer, the former discreetly assigned Eda and Amber to find Meyer. As Eda drove, Amber recalled how those at the top in the CIA had to pay off the cops and make up for the two officers whom they killed. Once learning on the way about Meyer's history as an ex-DDR official who defected to the U.S.A. and became a counter-espionage agent, the two arrived at Meyer's house. Inside, they found nothing there but discovered newspaper articles that the old man had thrown out in a dumpster. Driving to the town mentioned in the newspaper article about an ex-CIA agent, they went into a neighborhood and spotted Meyer walking on the street. Eda stopped her car near him as Amber informed him that the agency sent them, but the old man immediately pulled out a machine pistol and began shooting at them, forcing the women to flee. As Eda confirmed that she was all right after crashing into a streetlight pole, Amber revealed that she had been shot in the right shoulder.^[37]

Sometime later in a large building after Amber's wound was treated, Eda and Amber spoke with the ex-agent, Jeremy Stainton, about how Meyer wanted to kill him. Eda relayed to Stainton the summary of Meyer's background in East Germany, with Stainton responding that he was doing charity work to atone for his days in the CIA. Eating at a restaurant after speaking with Stainton, Eda asked Amber if she believed Stainton's guilt. Sipping her drink, Amber answered that her experience had taught her to never trust any active or retired agent. In the hotel, Eda took a bath while Amber checked her shoulder bandages. When the relaxed Eda began dressing, Amber recommended that she review the paper archives on Meyer since she already finished briefing herself. Later at the charity event, Eda and Amber attended the place to keep watch of Stainton as he gave a speech. While standing in the back, Eda clarified that she did not read the case files and archives on Meyer that Amber offered, annoying the latter woman. Eda tried to calm her by guessing that Stainton recruited Meyer as an alleged ex-Nazi to recruit scientists after the war, but Amber told her that her guess was dead wrong. Subsequently, Amber explained that Stainton had participated in Project Bluebird (later renamed Project Artichoke and then MKUltra) brainwashing operations during his time in Frankfurt in West Germany.

After Stainton had finished the speech, Meyer suddenly appeared to him in the back area and pointed his pistol at Stainton. As Meyer reminded Stainton of his past actions at a mansion, Eda and Amber had rushed to find him and at that point burst into the room, causing Meyer to point his gun at Stainton's head. Recognizing the women, Meyer calmly explained that his parents and sister fled to West Germany and were put into military custody at Camp King, the same place where some MKUltra experiments occurred. Once joining the CIA, Meyer examined the Operation Bluebird files and found out that his family had been used as guinea pigs in the tortuous experiments, but he could not do anything as he was an agent and already had a new family. As he yelled in anger, Amber threw a smoke grenade to block Meyer's vision while she and Eda quickly charged at and disarmed him. Eda heard Amber criticizing his late revenge, but Meyer warned her that she should watch herself lest she fell into the same trouble and torture.

Afterward, Meyer was put into police custody for criminal trespassing, and Eda saw the worried Stainton and joked that he had to deal with quite the danger for charity work. Turning to her, he thanked her, saying that the United States had acted in such ways due to their paranoia about the USSR. After Amber remarked that Meyer would probably be put in a detention center but in good care, Eda and Amber remembered their damaged car and how they would have to personally pay for repairs since they were not on an official mission.^[38]

Balkan crisis

In the Balkan peninsula in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eda was driven by an interpreter, Rashida, into the country's border to a small city. Arriving at an office, Eda spoke to the CIA agent Tobias, who had summoned her because he needed a female agent but was disappointed upon meeting her. As Tobias mentioned that his men were spying on an Islamic charity group, Eda rhetorically asked if the charity was a front. He confirmed, elaborating that Muslim volunteers aided Bosnian Muslims trapped between Croatian and Serbian forces during the last Yugoslav Civil War, but a few of the groups among the many volunteers were quite extremist and began plotting trouble after the Dayton Agreement. Finishing the explanation, Tobias said that their insider among the suspects was a woman, clarifying that he needed Eda since the Muslims in the group were less suspicious about same-sex friendships.

Soon, Rashida helped Eda don a hijab, which Eda was hesitant to wear since she saw plenty of women throughout the city without one. She assured Eda that the hijab would suppress suspicion about her. Once donning it, Eda listened to Tobias explain that the female informant would go into town every three days to buy food, and contact would be established via a passphrase. On the day, Eda went to the market and confirmed her part of the passphrase, relieving the fellow hijab-clad woman. Walking together, Eda whispered to ask about her intel, but the woman replied that she need to buy something first to ease the situation, annoying Eda. When the woman continued buying food, Eda grabbed her arm and sternly told her that they were not accompanying one another to have fun.

Glad to hear that Eda was a CIA agent of influence, the woman quickly slipped a piece of paper to her and walked away. Confused, Eda then got bumped into by an angry man, and she apologized but could not understand his language. Eda tried to awkwardly walk away, but the man pursued her, so she ran and eventually took cover on a railing beneath a tall bridge. Returning to Tobias, Eda removed her hijab and threw the small paper at him, furiously asking what was wrong with the woman since she was a bad agent. Examining the paper, Tobias casually warned her to be careful how she spoke to her superior, saying that she would not die in the field so long as she followed instructions. After the meeting, Eda poured some alcohol and expressed to herself her dislike for Tobias. Sitting down next to Eda, another male agent joined her for a drink, with Eda commenting that she thought her job would be finding and arresting war criminals. Responding that war criminals were already assets to the CIA, the man told her not to give up since each agent had a role to play in their missions. He then fell asleep drunk, angering Eda since she still wanted to drink more alcohol.^[39]

Deciding to play a role, Eda then met the informant again and received another envelope, giving it to Tobias. She then asked if the information was actually useful since he only spent a short time reading the intel, but Tobias told her to mind her business as she left the room. Eating food with Rashida, Eda asked her why she took the interpreter job, and the woman explained that she wanted to see what happened in her own country during the war since she was born in Bosnia but she grew up with her exile parents in Germany. Re-donning her hijab, Eda walked through town and got another envelope. Later during the next contact, Eda saw the woman with a bruised face after her husband had beaten her, and the woman calmly grabbed Eda's arm and told her to come with her. As Eda followed the contact, she thought to herself that their meeting was too long, and they arrived at the bridge.

Although on edge, Eda listened to the contact speak about her late husband being killed in the VRS's bombings during the war, saying that she dreamed of going to the U.S.A. Angered at her lack of info and thinking that she had been spotted, Eda put out her own cigarette and noticed several men walking toward them from both sides, telling the women not to move. Thinking fast, Eda shot all the men and fled, and she got to an empty part of town. Reloading her pistol and lamenting her lack of bullets, a cloaked woman suddenly appeared and attacked Eda, who was quickly disarmed by the assailant. The woman then shouted the Jesus Prayer in Serbo-Croatian and shot her, knocking her down a hill as she was consequently surrounded by a few armed men.^[40]

After having her face covered and taken into a small house that night, Eda was tied up and her captors removed the bag from her head. She denied being a CIA agent, but the leading interrogator punched her several times, not fazing her. Pushing her onto the ground, the man told her to prepare herself when his leader would arrive, and he left. As Eda wondered why the Serbian Christian assassin let her be captured by Muslims, she moved her tied hands from behind her back to her front. Entering the room, the informant found Eda and clarified that her superior Tobias planned for her to be captured in order to create a spying opportunity, angering her. The woman then assured Eda that she would rescue her, asking in return for herself and her daughter to be given U.S. citizenship since she wanted to escape her current husband who was a mujahideen fighter.

Remembering Amber showing her a picture of the former's daughter, Eda wondered why that came to mind, and she agreed to help the contact, subsequently being given a pistol. As the two women exited the house, the extremists surrounded them and told them not to move. Seeing her daughter at gunpoint, the contact pleaded with Eda to lower her gun. In the crowd, Eda was surprised to see the group's "emir" (Osama bin Laden) among them. As Eda watched the husband order one of his men to kill the daughter, the man's head was blown apart by a sniper, and Tobias and several CIA agents killed several of the men as the rest fled. Eda herself got up and quickly shot several men near her, and she checked on the contact and her daughter's well being. Once the area soon became secured, Eda reconvened with Tobias and demanded to know the full story.

He then informed Eda about how the U.S. had supported the Bosnian Muslim side since the civil war's start, and later on some anti-American extremists appeared, but the CIA was not able to convince the Bosnian government to cut ties with the extremist faction. Subsequently, the CIA concocted a plan for an agent to be abducted by militants, which would give them an excuse to force the Bosnian government to cut ties. Although Eda was angry for being used and replied that she would not just let herself be killed, she sternly asked Tobias to give asylum to the two Bosnian women as a favor.^[41] She promised to pay him after the mission, and he agreed. Thanking Eda, the contact smiled and embraced her daughter, but Eda looked away and advised that they leave. At that moment, the contact and her daughter were shot by an enemy sniper, killing them. Shocked, Eda froze as Tobias ordered her to take cover.

Furious at the women's murders, Eda took one of the agent's cars and pursued the husband and his men, catching up to them and shooting their back tire in the process. As the enemy car crashed over, another extremist got out and asked the husband if he was all right. Stealthily walking, the Serbian Christian woman appeared and killed the extremist and was about to kill the husband when Eda pointed her gun and ordered her to freeze since she wanted to kill the husband. In response, the Serbian woman stabbed her sword into the husband's leg, taunting Eda to try and stop her. Eda shot at her, but the assassin evaded her bullet and attacked. In the tangling, Eda managed to push the woman's arm away and shoot near her head, pushing off her head covering. Eda then tackled the woman down a hillside while the husband tried to flee.

As he dragged himself along the grass, Eda pointed her pistol at him, and he responded that divine justice would befall her. Not concerned, Eda shot him once, killing the terrorist. Catching up, the blonde Serbian woman asked if the mother and daughter were dead, which Eda solemnly confirmed. Eda then found out from the assassin that she was the contact's collaborator as well as the collaborator trying for three months to track down the husband's group in vain. Finding out that the woman was trying to track down the "rich Arabian guy" (bin Laden) and his group al-Qaeda, Eda asked her what her affiliation was given her Serbian background, but the woman only told Eda to try and find out, bidding goodbye. The next day, Rashida drove Eda out of the small city, speaking about how Tobias reprimanded the latter.

Suspicious of Rashida, Eda ordered her to stop the car and then put her pistol to Rashida's head, rhetorically asking her if she was linked to the Serbian Christian woman. Even though Rashida denied the association, Eda elaborated that she knew her group of Serbian women was trying to use the CIA to rid of extremists in her country, baffled as to why a Bosnian like her would team up with a Serbian due to the latter country's hostility toward Bosnia. Speaking seriously, Rashida admitted to being half-Serbian, clarifying that she had a home in Yugoslavia until the country's collapse and subsequent re-stigma of having two nationalities. When she said that the peace after the war allowed her to live again, Rashida posited that the extremists wanted to change that and thus she did not want foreigners to determine the country's destiny. Eda sarcastically thanked her for using the CIA for her own benefit, but she sheathed her pistol instead of shooting Rashida, declaring that she was tired and that Tobias still could use Rashida's help.^[42]

A Savage Place

Back in the United States, Eda and Amber were given a temporary vacation by Ravencroft until he could decide on what he would have them do in the future. Amber suggested that they vacation somewhere out in nature, to which the irritated Eda begrudgingly agreed. Going to Lakeside in the Deep South, Eda drove for them and remained angry while remembering the faces of the slain mother and daughter back in Bosnia. Thinking to herself, she wondered why she felt so angry despite not feeling an ounce of sympathy for the Bosnian women. Noticing a Mercedes-Benz in front of her, Eda believed they were showing off, so she sped past them and showed them her middle finger. Consequently, the Benz's driver, J.J., attempted to rear-end them, with Eda realizing that the enemy car had a tuned engine. Improvising an escape, Eda drove off the road down a steep incline and up the adjacent hill. When the Benz tried to follow her, the car crashed into the hill because of its suspension, causing Eda to taunt them as she drove off.

Stopping at a diner, the two women sat down. Being berated by Amber for her mean behavior, the blond agent rebuffed the notion that it was her fault, but Amber retorted that she started it and had even told her to stop. In a sour mood, Eda ordered her to be quiet, muttering that she wished she never took on Amber's offer and insulted the town that they were in. She also grumbled about regretting not going to Las Vegas. Annoyed by her irate attitude, Amber reminded her that she invited her because she thought that Eda wanted to get over her awry mission. When Amber claimed that nature was the perfect place to calm one's mind, Eda angrily denied being emotionally hurt and asked her who told her that nature calmed people. Smirking, Amber in turn asked her why she did not decline the vacation in the first place, pointing out that she was clearly not over her wounds because she kept talking about her mission.

Eda became silent but angry at her comment, and to their surprise, several men blocked their path and rhetorically asked if the Jeep outside was theirs. Glaring at Eda, one man informed her that he and his friends were from the Mercedes-Benz that she made fun of. Ordering her to get up, he threatened that he would make her pay for insulting the Enos family. Immediately, Eda threw hot coffee in his face and insulted him as a wannabe gangster, warning the other men that she was willing to fight all of them. In response, another man grabbed her by the shirt, but she elbowed him in the face. Heading outside, Eda kicked the first attacker to the ground and sarcastically asked him if he was still going to give her payback. Looking up, she was dismayed to see several men with guns, and leading them, Needham asserted that she was done messing with his group. Amber ran out and tried to help her, but she was immediately restrained by another man.

Eda turned around and worried about her, but one of the men kicked her in the head for looking away, disorienting her. As the gangster asked Needham if he could rape her, a Ford Fairlane convertible suddenly barged through and rammed into the thug, barely missing Eda since she moved her legs out of the way in time. Standing on top of his car with a gun in each hand, a burly man, Burt Gummer, cursed the Enos family gangsters and began an outmatched gunfight with them. Eda attempted to crawl away using the distraction, but Gummer jumped down and ordered her to get in the car. Even more confused, she wondered why he was staring at her, and the prepper suddenly believed that she was Angela resurrected, relieving him. He grabbed her and drove away in his car, making Amber panic.^[43]

On the way back to his cabin, Eda was terrified and tried to wriggle her way out of the car, so Gummer punched her to knock her unconscious. In the woodlands, he parked his car and carried the unconscious woman over his shoulder as he entered his cabin, tossing her onto the floor. Waking up after she hit her head, Eda yelled at the prepper and berated him for hitting her very hard back in the car. Gummer replied that she was being too violent, reasoning that he could not drive safely if she did not behave herself. Shouting that she was going back home, Eda tried to storm off, but he grabbed her arm and asked her where she would go, reminding her that she was already at home. Angered, she asserted that she was not his daughter. Relieved, Gummer professed his happiness that "Angela" had returned home, confessing that his life without her was no better than a "rat living in a shit-covered drain." Suddenly, Eda punched him in the face, knocking him onto the ground. Seconds later, Gummer stood back up and joked that Angela was still the same as ever, saying that she was stubborn and quick with her hands. Declaring that she needed to be punished, he uppercut her, knocking her to the ground. Even more angry, Eda responded that she had had enough of the delirious old man and wanted to leave. Laughing and grinning, Gummer commented that she was truly his daughter given her rash attitude.

Restraining the struggling Eda, Gummer recalled that they were in the middle of war with the Enos family. He recounted to Eda the story of Angela being tortured to death and eaten by crocodiles as a result of falling in love with Enos II. Putting Eda in a chokehold, he cursed the Enos family and promised that, as her father, he would avenge her. When she tried to attack him again, Gummer threw her onto the floor and joked that she was still not capable of defeating him. Trying to get up, Eda rhetorically asked him how she was supposed to be his daughter if she was eaten by crocodiles. Not listening to her, Gummer happily expressed his excitement that his daughter had come back from heaven in order to make him happy. Angrily yelling back, Eda stood up and glaringly rejected his notion, retorting that Angela was dead. Punching her in the face, he smiled and stated that Angela had been revived, comparing it to a reenactment of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Eda was then repeatedly slapped and fell into unconsciousness, with the upper part of her dress being ripped.

Subsequently, Gummer put a cheerleader uniform on the unconscious woman. When she soon woke up, Eda was mortified upon noticing her change of clothing, insulting him as a pervert and asking what he did to her while she was passed out. Smirking, the prepper recalled how she previously cried when she received the outfit because of the slight difference in size, admitting that he was happy the uniform finally fit her well. Immediately, Eda insulted him as a colorblind old man and swung her foot at his head. Blocking her and grabbing her leg, Gummer replied that she was not putting enough weight with her move, flipping her body onto a pile of framed pictures. Stretching his arms, he grinned and asked her if she would give up, taunting that she had become weak. As she recollected herself, Eda saw a framed photograph and threw it at him, but he reflexively caught it. Standing up, she rhetorically asked him who the woman was, further denying that she was Angela.

With a solemn face, Gummer became confused and wondered why she could not remember, claiming that the photograph was of him and her on her 18th birthday. Poking the photograph, Eda yelled that she and Angela did not look alike in the slightest, asking the old man if his optic nerves were connected. Squinting at her, he answered that she was just like herself no matter how she looked at it, believing that her mind was dim as a result of returning to earth from heaven. Completely stressed out by his behavior, Eda repeatedly cursed him and threw several punches to no avail. Catching one punch, Gummer threw her onto her back, then confessing that he was glad he was able to spar with her again. He encouraged her to keep on trying until the next morning, but the exhausted Eda laid down and quietly called out for Amber in stressful despair.^[44]

When she stood up in yet another attempt to defeat him, the two heard a loud explosion outside caused by a couple of Enos family gangsters driving over tripwire connected to explosives on the forested property. Unknown to them, the Enos family decided to raid the woodland property because Enos II also thought that Angela was alive per Gummer's claim at the diner and wanted to exterminate Angela. Eda watched Gummer open his large cache of firearms and was amazed at the sheer quantity of weapons he had. To her surprise, he tossed her an FN FNC rifle, claiming that it was Angela's favorite. As she examined the rifle and hear Gummer say that they could use as much ammunition as they wanted, the Enos family gangsters began shooting at the cabin, forcing them to take cover. One of the gunmen taunted Gummer by joking that he would mince up his body and feed it to the crocodiles at the family's mansion. Hearing them, Eda shot at them and retorted that they were the ones who would become mincemeat.

Assessing that there were too many enemies, Eda asked the survivalist what he would do to counter them. Pulling out a detonator, Gummer pressed it, blowing up the area beneath the first few gunmen and killing them. Smirking, he decided to use more explosives, detonating more bombs that sent a couple of more gunmen flying. When more gangsters tried to charge the cabin, Eda shot at them, killing two men in the process. At the same time, a submachine gun-wielding gangster jumped through the window, but the unfazed Gummer shot the man in the chest. Two more gangsters barged through the front door, so he ran to the side while Eda covered for him using suppressive fire. Although she killed one man, she ran out of bullets, dismaying her. Seeing the surviving gangster pointing his gun at her, Gummer shot the man in his abdomen, knocking him down. Catching the magazine tossed to her, Eda listened to him remind her that he always told her to check the number of bullets she had left. Immediately, more bullets flew through the window, causing Gummer to immediately use his detonator again, blowing up more men outside.

Going to the cabin's second floor, Eda prepared to ambush the next men who entered the house. From three different directions, three men barged in only to see a dead body. When the smoke round attached to the body was activated, Eda hung upside down from the stairs and shot at two of the men, then quickly taking down the third man who almost had her in his sights. As she hung upside down with her flopped skirt exposing her underwear, Gummer complimented her good work. Embarrassed and getting up, she warned him not to look at her crotch. Scoffing at the claim, he responded that he was not like devilish men who have a degrading view of their own daughters. He offered the FN rifle back to her, but she chimed that she would rather have two pistols because the FN FNC was hard to handle. When Eda began walking down the stairs, a thug from outside fired a grenade into the cabin, which started a fire. Though she panicked, Gummer assured her that they could escape, revealing a hidden tunnel beneath the wooden floor. He ordered her to get in quickly, and he headed in first. Eda asked Gummer if he dug the tunnel all by himself, to which he confirmed that it was a joint project with his late wife. She also asked where it led out to. Emerging from the ground, Gummer claimed that they had reached the end. At that spot, Amber and the deputy sheriff Crocker also saw them, mutually surprising each other.

Shocked at seeing Gummer, Crocker tried pulling out his revolver, but Amber pleaded with him to halt since Eda was her friend. Realizing that her friend was wearing a cheerleader uniform, Amber burst into laughter, angering Eda enough to threaten to shoot her. Nonetheless, Amber continued rolling on the ground in laughter, jokingly demanding that Eda stop making her laugh so hard. Pointing her pistol at her, Eda sternly asked if she should make her stop by "taking away [her] ability to breathe." Baffled at seeing Amber laugh so hard, Gummer quietly asked Eda if she was her friend, but the latter denied it. Demanding an explanation, Crocker asked the survivalist what was going on, making Gummer reply that the Enos gangsters were always causing trouble. The deputy sheriff wondered if Angela had truly returned from what he heard, and the ecstatic Gummer confirmed and headlocked Eda, showing her to him. The perplexed Crocker asked him how that happened, to which the prepper explained that Angela was blessed by the angels in heaven. As the struggling Eda pleaded with Crocker to tell Gummer otherwise, they were interrupted by the remaining mercenaries shooting at them. Grabbing the giggling Amber, Eda ran for cover and chastised her for giving away their position. Out of nowhere, behind her, a female assassin attempted to stab her, but Eda dodged her attacked and headlocked her onto the ground. Seeing his supposed daughter in trouble, Gummer shot at the assassin, forcing her back. She yelled to him about how the attacker seemed different from the other gangsters due to her skill, surprising the survivalist.^[45]

Taking cover behind a tree, Eda tossed a pistol to Amber, who caught it and began firing it until she ran out of bullets a second later. The latter took cover when the mercenaries fired back upon hearing her run out, causing Eda to insult her for not hitting a single enemy. She retorted to Eda that she could not be good with a gun in their current situation, but the blond woman warned her to take care of it since it was her last one. Hearing the knife-wielding assassin sneak up behind her, Eda barely dodged her first stab, but the fast assassin moved and swung the knife upward, only cutting Eda's cheerleader skirt and part of her top. Pinned down, Eda used her assault rifle to push back the assassin, whose knife was a millimeter from Eda's face. The female assassin flipped the rifle away from Eda, shocking her. While taking cover from the two gunmen firing at her, Amber suddenly got the idea to trigger one of the tripwires laid down throughout the forest property. Pulling one of the wires, Amber covered her head as one of the bombs exploded beneath the men, with the force of the explosion tossing the assassin off of Eda. Quickly, Eda grabbed her rifle took down the assassin with one quick shot to the heart.

Seeing that the assassin was down for good, she stood up but heard a man speaking, immediately pointing her gun in that direction. Smirking, the lone newsboy-capped gunman remarked that her rifle was out of bullets already. Realizing that he was correct, Eda tossed the rifle onto the ground. The gunman joked that it went against his principles to shoot someone unarmed, so Amber tossed her pistol to her partner. Staring down the gunman, Eda rhetorically asked him if he would regret that principle. In the standoff, whereas Eda showed no expression, the gunman joked that he did not expect that his one-on-one adversary would be a cheerleader. She agreed and called him a John Wayne-esque Western-looking man, to which he clarified that he was actually into spaghetti westerns. Tensely smiling, Eda excused herself and called him a Clint Eastwood man. Claiming that was not the same thing, he brushed it off and spit out his cigarette. Eager to duel, he began to pull out his revolver, but Eda had already aimed her pistol at him and shot him once, felling him before the draw.

Insulting the man as a fool, she nonchalantly assessed that one could shoot faster if they held their gun from the start instead of shooting unannounced. Speaking about the latter, she added that he died because he was trying to look cool and act like a gunfighter. Coming to her, Amber cheered for Eda's win, but the frustrated latter casually pointed her empty pistol at Amber's neck, criticizing her for giving her a gun with only one bullet left. Though Amber tried to explain that it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, Eda angrily asks her how careless she is with guns. Arguing about the blame, the two women rammed heads and growled at each other until Eda suddenly fell to the ground, collapsing on her back. Shocked, Amber asked her if she was okay and if she got shot. Eda only muttered that she was very tired. With an expression of despair, Eda remained silent for a few seconds and claimed that everyone in the Deep South were irredeemable idiots. Thinking that the U.S. was full of such people, she confessed that she could not comprehend why the mother and daughter from Bosnia wanted to come to such a place. Realizing what her friend was experiencing, Amber responded that she was clearly shell-shocked. She specified that it was not because the two women were dead but rather, she witnessed first-hand that there were things that her own organization could not control.

As Eda looked up at the sky, she was interrupted by Gummer roaring with victorious laughter nearby. Hearing Amber assess that Gummer would not get better, Eda reasoned that he was like that because his daughter was killed, but Amber rejected the story, confusing her. She informed Eda that Angela stole a lot of money from the Enos family and ditched town, deeming it to be a smart move. Baffled, Eda was perplexed, causing Amber to wonder if she genuinely believed him, joking that she pitied her for believing his version of the story. Infuriated, Eda stood up, prompting Amber to warn her not to bother him anymore since they were done. Though her partner warned her again to leave while they still could, Eda walked up to Gummer and demanded to know why he lied to her all along. Happy to see her, the prepper commended her fighting and called her "Angela," causing Eda to deny once again that she was his daughter. She angrily advised him to understand that, but the happy Gummer only replied that her gun skills had improved so much, guessing that it was a gift from God. Irritated, Eda retorted that she did not give a damn.^[46]

The Spy Who Came in from Cold

When an FSB agent, Yevdokiya Skachkova, defected to the United States, the CIA agreed to give her asylum in exchange for her intelligence information. At Johnston Regional Airport, North Carolina, Eda and several agents waited for the Russian woman's arrival, with the former wondering why a Russian would need to defect given that the Cold War was over. Skeptical of the woman's motives, Eda emphasized that she could have come to the U.S. at anytime if she truly had access to important info. Soon, Yevdokiya arrived, so she informed the other agents about the defector's name, birthdate, and how she was the daughter of Vasili Skachkov, himself a Soviet Embassy security guard who defected to the U.S. in 1985 and changed his name to Maynard Sears upon settling down in Baltimore. Another agent requested that Eda take over the identification process, so she brought Yevdokiya to a private room in the airport. Eda nonchalantly told her that she needed to undress as part of verifying her identity, particularly her physical description. Once taking off her jacket and turtleneck dress down to her undergarments, Yevdokiya wondered if the CIA checked on her father, but the American woman clarified that she was only called in to aid in transporting her. Eda then ordered her to raise her hands, and she examined Yevdokiya's body.

When she checked out the back of Yevdokiya's pelvis, she became surprised, so she asked for her hand. Eda put down Yevdokiya's arm, causing the latter to ask what was wrong. Brushing it off, Eda sternly denied any abnormality. Putting her clothes back on, Yevdokiya asked for her name, but Eda in turn rhetorically asked who knew. Being politely prodded, she stated her name, making the Russian woman smile and respond that she would remember it. Preparing to leave the airport, Yevdokiya waited in a car as Eda confirmed to Bill that she had verified the defector's identity, asking him to sign a paper. Handing it to him, she admitted that she had a question, wondering if the defector was truly a desk worker for the FSB. When the transporter answered that she did paperwork at their headquarters, the suspicious Eda noted that the calluses on Yevdokiya's fingers, as well as her muscles' shape, indicated that she was a trained human being and not merely a documenter. Bill rhetorically asked if he should care, causing Eda to warn him to think it through. Sighing, he agreed to keep it in mind and headed to the car.

After Yevdokiya escaped custody and headed to Sears's house, Eda and another agent found Sears, or Vasili Skachkov, as he was heading home in Baltimore, Maryland, asking to speak with him privately. Off the road, she mentioned Yevdokiya's name and mentioned that she escaped in transit, shocking him. Puzzled, he wondered why she would defect, and Eda relayed to him that she had been looking for him since the beginning. She elaborated that the car was found only a further bit away, indicating that she stole another car and lastly noting that Yevdokiya was not willing to kill the men whom she subdued. The astounded Vasili truly wondered if Yevdokiya's purpose was to find him. Remembering the story, Eda asked him if his daughter was approximately 10 when he defected, smirkingly concluding that she probably wanted to see him to get revenge for being left behind. She proclaimed that she would need his help either way, at first calling him Maynard Sears but remembering his real name.^[47]

Arriving at Vasili's house, they found out from his second wife that their daughter Lottie was abducted by a couple of men. As Vasili pleaded with his wife to calm down, Eda coldly replied that the CIA was no longer in a position to help him. When her fellow agent tried to explain that the circumstances had changed, Eda told him that she knew what to say. Announcing her leave, she requested Vasili to call her when his daughter was returned. Later, sitting in her car with the male agent, Eda reminded her colleague that their primary objective was to detain Yevdokiya, not get involved in Vasili's family troubles. Seeing the papers that she had organized, the man asked her if it was the additional FSB information. Confirming, she added that it came through the embassy since they wanted Yevdokiya brought back, assessing that the Russians likely did not want to make a bigger mess. Recapping the files, Eda stated that Vasili's first wife was the daughter of a KGB deputy chairman. Noting that Vasili came from a civilian background, she guessed that his association with the nomenklatura must have been a bone of contention and possibly made him defect. As a result of his exile fiasco, his wife's father was removed from office. Accordingly, the wife and daughter Yevdokiya began to hold a grudge against Vasili, especially the mother.

Her colleague assessed that her revenge guess was right, but he was still baffled as to why Yevdokiya used the CIA because she could have smuggled herself into the country to achieve her goal. Eda posited that time was her primary factor because the Russian woman needed to move fast, even if the CIA knew about and chased her. Hearing her coworker joke that the "rumor" was not as bad as he thought, she asked what he meant. He professed that he heard she was working with "Drunken Amber," but Eda nonchalantly confirmed it as fact and claimed that she had been sober as of late. Smiling, he admitted he was surprised to hear that about Amber, causing Eda to ask if her drunkenness was truly famous. Chuckling, he replied that one could not count the number of mistakes on both hands that Amber had made. He also recalled to Eda that Amber's worst incident took place when their hard-earned puppet government in Central America was on the verge of being overthrown, and he also remembered the incident that led to Amber being placed on administrative leave. Annoyed by his hearsay, Eda insulted him as a gossiper who should not be spreading rumors about coworkers in order to keep his credibility. Soured, the colleague kept silent and heard her sternly ask him about any rumors concerning herself.^[48]

Around the coming night, Eda accompanied Maynard Sears to his business to retrieve the ransom money, with the former tagging along since her objective was to capture Yevdokiya. He opened his safe containing a lot of money, surprising Eda. Hearing her speak about the large quantity he owned, he sternly asked if she was trying to get some. Denying the idea, the field agent remarked that she was never short for money even for work, making Maynard mutter that the CIA was truly a den of the establishment. Eda asked how he could leave such a large amount of money in his office, jokingly asking if he expected his current situation to happen. When she implied that he kept the money at his office instead of home because he planned on leaving his family, Maynard denied it. Disagreeing that he would never want to, Eda reasoned that someone who abandoned their family once could do it again and again. Eda also asked if he even brought close to $100,000 despite his bag of cash. Maynard claimed that Ives and the other two captors knew the amount they asked for would be insufficient. Denying that he was buying time, he clarified that how they proceed would determine the outcome because he still had a reasonable amount of money to make it look convincing enough that Ives would bring Lottie.

Silent in thought, Eda finally realized that Yevdokiya had visited the Sears residence earlier. Additionally, her partner called her and confirmed her suspicion by informing her about what Lottie's mother told him. She relayed this fact to Maynard, making him wonder if "Duša" used the men to get to Lottie. Eda claimed that it was probably a coincidence given that she knew the CIA has been watching her. Guessing that Yevdokiya would use Lottie to meet with him, Eda rhetorically assumed that Maynard would still cooperate with them, explaining that they would use the ransom deal to lure Yevdokiya out. Slightly hesitant, Maynard smiled and said he would not do it totally for free and wanted something in return.^[49] Accordingly, Eda agreed to give Yevdokiya the Barbie doll which he promised to buy for her but never gave her.^[50]

Soon, at night, she sat in the passenger seat of Maynard's car as he drove for them to Patterson Park. Receiving a call from her CIA partner, Eda listened to him say that he was on his way. She specified that she would give him further instructions when they get to Patterson Park, also mentioning that Maynard asked for a favor. Agreeing to the plan, he relayed a brief report from the Russian embassy to her. Finishing the call, Eda then informed Maynard that she would brief him on the news later.^[49] Once they arrived at Patterson Park, Maynard requested that Eda act as a sniper for him. Disgruntled, she responded that using the CIA as a hit squad was not only out of line but brazenly ignorant. Maynard clarified that he was fine if she only acted as a distraction to intimidate the gangsters. Rhetorically asking if she wanted to lure "Duša" out, he claimed that it was probably easier for her to come out if a big fuss was made.

The confused Eda asked if he thought she would expose herself, causing him to state that he already pondered on that question. Smiling, he assured her not to worry about Yevdokiya being a no-show because she was his ex-wife's daughter. Speaking about his old family history, Maynard elaborated that his ex-wife's pride in her nomenklatura family was shattered when he defected. Admitting it was easy to imagine how Yevdokiya was raised to hate him after he left, he joked that he was surprised his wife was not the one who came to hunt him down. Subsequently, Maynard walked into the park and at midnight, he came face-to-face with Ives, his men and Lottie. Hiding in some bushes and keeping her pistol's sights on the men, Eda wondered how precise she could be with her pistol at her concurrent distance, believing that she could get closer if there were more hiding places in the park.

She additionally told herself that she would have an easier time shooting them if time had not hindered her from getting better weapons. Despite thinking she lacked the confidence to avoid hitting Lottie, Eda decided that it might be ideal to aim when the delivery occurred but complained that she lacked a firearm scope. When one of Ives's men examined Maynard's duffel bag of money, he began walking back toward Ives when Eda shot the henchman in the knee, immobilizing him. This allowed Maynard the opportunity to struggle against the men, and though he immobilized the other henchman, Ives shot him in the left shoulder. Seconds later, Yevdokiya finally showed up and shot at Ives, knocking him to the ground.^[51]

At that point, Eda continued observing the situation as Yevdokiya confronted her father and relayed her mother's revenge wish to him. Surviving the gunshot because he wore a bulletproof vest, Ives restrained the Russian woman and demanded the duffel bag be given to him. As he took the duffel bag and ran away, Eda shot him in the head as he turned around, instantly killing him. Grabbing the duffel bag, the CIA agent stated that their mourning period was over and ordered the three to stay down, asserting that Yevdokiya was coming with her. The Russian woman retorted that her business was not finished, prompting the frustrated Eda to warn her and insult her as a nuisance. Without hesitation, Yevdokiya kicked at the left side of her ribcage, but the CIA agent blocked her leg with her arm. The Russian woman recalled that her name was "Eva," causing Eda to angrily correct her own name and insult Yevdokiya's memory and FSB training.

She swung the duffel bag at Yevdokiya, who took the blow and quickly pushed Eda's arm out of the way and grabbed it. The FSB defector slammed her palm into Eda's chest and then elbowed her in the face. Angered and injured, Eda fired a few shots, and the casings flew into Yevdokiya's eyes, so the former grabbed her collar and flipped her onto her back. As Yevdokiya laid on the ground, Eda pointed her pistol at her and ordered her to give up and stop giving her more trouble, joking that she was slammed onto concrete, not a gym mat. To the Russian woman's surprise, her father tossed a pistol to her and told her to shoot Eda so that she could run away and gain her freedom. For a few seconds, the two women shot at each other until Eda managed to shoot and graze the defector's left elbow, disarming her, but not Yevdokiya grazed her in the left shoulder.

Glaring at Maynard, Eda chastised him for interfering instead of going to a hospital to treat his wound. Grasping her own arm, Yevdokiya quietly called out for her "dad," prompting the CIA agent to clarify that she had something to tell her. Elaborating that the information she received earlier that day was from the FSB, Eda informed her that her mother Tatiana passed away three days ago, saddening Yevdokiya. Calmed down, Yevdokiya asked Maynard why he did not take her with him when he left the Soviet Union. Maynard answered that he did not have the courage to bring her with him because she knew nothing about the foreign land. Interrupting them, Eda bluntly opined that Maynard was a selfish man who merely thought of himself and no one else, which Lottie ardently disagreed with.

Some day later, Eda wore an arm cast and went to Dulles International Airport, Virginia to make sure that Yevdokiya went home. Waiting for the Russian woman's flight to arrive, Eda said that her father asked her to give something to her, handing the Russian woman a wrapped present. Opening it and seeing a Barbie doll, Yevdokiya was shocked and briefly imagined a different timeline where she actually received the doll from her father as a child. Getting up, she walked to a trash container and threw the doll away. Stating that was an unnecessary thing to do, Eda claimed she took the effort to bring it to her and asked if she still wanted the gift a decade later. Responding that the item would probably be confiscated anyway before she boarded the plane, Yevdokiya reasoned that it was better that she threw it away herself. Smiling, she additionally affirmed that she was not a kid anymore. Smoking a cigarette, the tired Eda retorted that she still looked like a child with her happy expression. At that point, the Russian agents had arrived to pick Yevdokiya up, and Eda claimed that it would be a thorny road for her. Smiling again, Yevdokiya bid farewell to Eda, departing from the United States and returning to the Russian Federation.^[50]

Little King of The South

Sometime later at the U.S. embassy in Peru, sitting in Alcock's office with Jaden, Eda watched President Duarte on TV speaking to his congress and the opposition members in South America. Addressing the two agents, the elderly ambassador informed them that Duarte was uncooperative with the United States, clarifying that they needed someone else in power who would be easier to handle. Although acknowledging that the parliamentary opposition movement was strong, he pointed out that their claims and objectives were scattered, summarizing the situation as one without a strong leader to unify the various anti-government factions. Accordingly, he requested that the CIA provide internal support for the opposition coalition. Standing up, Eda smugly told Alcock that he had a very passive policy for someone who had been urging them to increase their staff. Before leaving the building, she asserted that she would get the job done.

Afterward, Eda left the embassy and had Jaden drive for her since he was a rookie agent. She hesitantly listened to him assess that as long as the CIA continued to provide financial support to the opposition, they would not have to pull off any "tricks" and the regime would be overthrown. As he continued speaking about the debt-ridden president and how the opposition had been gaining momentum from public support, Jaden wondered if their superiors truly did not trust him enough to fill other positions, asking Eda what she thought. Thinking to herself, she believed that it was Jaden's fault as to why the ambassador was very irritated. Knowing that they were both rookies, Eda guessed that Jaden was sent to her because her higher-ups thought it would be a good opportunity to train new recruits. Addressing their partnership, he asked her why he could not be sent on his own if she wanted him to gain experience. Sighing, Eda responded that he was quite confident despite his shyness, to which Jaden politely joked that she had a big attitude for a rookie.

In a short time, the two agents arrived at a Popular Action (AP) office, where they waited inside. Coming to them, Farias Cordero, a parliamentary representative and member of the opposition, grinned and greeted Jaden. He wondered if Eda was a secretary, prompting her to introduce herself as a case officer. Shaking her hand and joking that he did not meet many beautiful women from the CIA, Cordero introduced himself as the head of the Peruvian opposition coalition, exclaiming that he would be honored to work with them. Jaden confirmed that he was going to brief Eda on their discussion for future plans of cooperation, pleasing Cordero. The representative said that he would be frank on his goal: the assassination of the president. Speechless at what he said, Eda and Jaden asked if he was joking. Realizing that Cordero was serious, the latter emphasized that the CIA was forbidden by executive order from conspiring to plan assassinations.

Undeterred, Cordero told him that the behind-the-scenes loophole would be providing military support and having the Peruvian military stage a coup d'état. Concerned about his idea, Jaden opined that there was no way such a violent method would go unnoticed. Confused, Cordero rhetorically questioned what the CIA's purpose even was in his country. He assured Jaden that the assassination would be carried out by left-wing guerrillas, pleading with him to give financial and weapons support to the opposition. Worried at the revelation, the CIA agent asked what had happened since last time, to which Cordero bluntly elaborated that the change in policy was due to their country reaching bankruptcy if they played it easy any longer. Reasoning that they had to take some risks to prevent it, he asserted that the coalition had made up their minds. Eda stated that she understood his intentions but wondered how they were in contact with the guerrillas. Snapping his fingers, Cordero ordered his associate, Enrique Gasol, to come in, introducing him as the bridge between the coalition and the guerrillas.

Leaving the office and returning to the American embassy, Eda, Jaden and the ambassador discussed Enrique's reliability, with the female agent recalling that he was used by Ruggles, who was killed in the line of duty in Central America. Jaden asked if Enrique was even involved in that since he looked like a child. Eda advised them not to take him lightly since he was more than meets the eye. Brushing off the warning, the ambassador stressed that he was the connection to the guerrillas. In complete disbelief, Jaden warned them that the president was not stupid, opining that he could not imagine the left-wing guerrillas successfully pulling off the assassination. In response, the ambassador retorted that it did not mean they were to do nothing. Finally, he commanded the two agents to negotiate and cooperate with the guerrillas, all the while doing it discreetly and confidently. To Jaden's surprise, Eda agreed to see what she could do.

The frustrated Jaden began to drive and rhetorically asked Eda if they were really heading to the guerrilla stronghold, deriding the mission as absurd. She claimed that the ambassador was an old-fashioned cowboy who would get restless if he did not take the initiative on the situation. Worried again, Jaden suggested that they pretend to listen to him, reasoning that they did not need to prove themselves by crossing a dangerous bridge. Intrigued, Eda confessed that she was curious and wanted to know what else was going on in the South American country. Angered, Jaden muttered that he already wrote a bunch of reports about it. Smoking a cigarette, Eda claimed that she respected his report but asserted that because she was in charge, she needed to be in direct contact with the environment.

About a minute later, Eda spotted Enrique, making Jaden stop the car. Walking up to their car, the boy greeted her and professed that he never thought he would see her again in South America of all places. Reciprocating the acknowledgment of his survival, Eda told him to get in. Relaxing in the backseat, Enrique assumed that she would have lots of questions for him but clarified that he would brief her on everything once they arrived at their destination. She denied that she had anything to say, making him curious. Noting that the opposition had changed course, Eda asked him if he prodded them into the plan. Noticing Enrique's bafflement, she explained that Cordero seemed like a show-off who would not directly step into the fire himself. Feeling lost, Jaden asked where he needs to go, and Enrique excitedly informed him that they would continue following the road straight the entire way for another twenty kilometers.^[52]

Soon, Eda noticed someone spying on them behind them when the three arrived at the town which Enrique claimed was a lifeline for the guerrillas whose stronghold was elsewhere. Bringing Eda and Jaden into a bar, the boy greeted the bartender and rhetorically asked if they should sit in the back. Seeing Enrique interact amicably with the patrons, Eda rhetorically commented that he seemed popular among the townspeople. Enrique agreed and showed them to their table, telling them to have a drink and wait there because he had to contact his headquarters. As he left, he assured them that the drinks were his treat. Jaden admitted that he could not believe the child bought him a drink, whereas Eda joked that she would accept the drinks without a second thought. He complained that he could not drink too much, causing Eda to say he was moody. Soon, after only one drink, the drunk Jaden ranted about how the CIA needed a drastic change in policy, declaring that the era of sabotage and sedition was long over. Asking the baffled Eda if she understood, he yelled that the market economy, not military force, is what ran the world.

Thinking to herself, she wondered how he could get so heated after one drink but believed that his analysis was nonetheless accurate. Continuing to rant, Jaden spoke about the Soviet Union's economic collapse and how the CIA needed to turn to economic intelligence to cement their power in the United States and the world. At that point, Enrique returned and shared Eda's surprise at seeing Jaden drunk. Relieved, she grumpily stated that he certainly kept them waiting. Confirming that they reached an agreement, the boy specified that he would take the agents to his headquarters the next day. Eda asked why they could not go that night, reasoning that she did not see any motels in the small town. Enrique answered that they could stay at his place but requested that they help him carry some luggage there. Going to an apartment, Eda walked with them while Jaden and Enrique rolled a cart with a rocking chair strapped to it.

Before they entered, Enrique spoke with Luciana as she left the house to go to the guerrilla stronghold. Eda deduced that she was a guerrilla, which Enrique confirmed. In the living room, a young girl, Mayte, welcomed him back. As Enrique gave her a gift and told her about the rocking chair that her grandmother Casilda wanted, the girl noticed Eda waiting. Mayte apologized for not attending to her and asked if she wants something to eat. Eda politely declined since she already ate but asked that Jaden be given a place to sleep due to his exhaustion. After Mayte helped him out, Enrique sat down to eat and agreed to tell Eda about what happened since their last encounter. He recalled that he made a deal with human smugglers using Ruggles's money to smuggle him out of his Central American country before the North Gulf Cartel could hunt him down. After he was smuggled to South America, the criminals betrayed him and demanded that he give up the rest of his money. Out of spite, Enrique tossed the duffel bag of money over an adjacent cliff. As a result the men shot at him and hit his abdomen, but the boy escaped.

In the countryside of Peru, Enrique was profusely bleeding and thought he was going to die. After collapsing on the ground, he was found by Mayte and her dog, prompting them to bring him to their house and nurse him back to health. Enrique attributed his life being saved to their care for him, making Eda assess that he had set up shop and helped the guerrillas in the countryside due to his obligation to pay his debt to the two women. Specifying that was not entirely the reason, he mentioned that everyone in Peru had a grudge against the concurrent government. In particular, Mayte and Luciana's older brother, as well as Luciana's boyfriend, were killed by the military. Nonetheless, Eda joked that dying was to be expected if one was a guerrilla, causing Enrique to say that he could not exactly tell that to their faces. Speaking about his own situation, he claimed the guerrillas were his best customers, also stating that it came up during their business dealings that the parliamentary opposition had ties to the CIA. Smoking a cigarette, Eda asked him if he thought the CIA knew what they were doing, to which he reasoned that he sought out their help since they were the most powerful agency that he could contact.

Eda smirked, prompting Enrique to sternly ask what was wrong. Denying she had any thoughts, she replied that it only sounded like a fantasy a kid would have. Speaking directly, Eda admitted that she did not dislike Enrique and, on the contrary, appreciated his help. But because she appreciated him, she claimed that she had some advice for him. Eda opined that the government and the criminal underworld might seem the same at first glance, agreeing with Enrique's sentiment that money is power was true at face value. Concerning power, she emphasized that the power within both worlds was entirely different, especially their respective qualities. Reasoning that power was one thing for protection, Eda retorted that a country was not always his friend in times of trouble, especially not the United States that did not tolerate indiscretions. Grinning, she warned Enrique that if he thought he could use the U.S. that easily, then it would cost him a lot of money. Smirking back at her, he replied that he was content with that, making her smile in amusement.

The next morning, Enrique headed out with Eda and Jaden to bring them to the guerrilla stronghold, but not before accepting a lunchbox from Mayte. When he entered the car, Eda teased him for hiding his feelings for Mayte, angering him. Suddenly, Jaden's face turned pale, gaining Eda's attention. She asked if she should drive so that he could recover from his hangover, but he stopped the car to vomit, irking Eda. Immediately, the three of them heard and saw two military helicopters fly toward the guerrilla stronghold, which the military began to destroy with missiles and gunfire. To Enrique's anger, Eda turned the car around since she believed that they had to flee and negotiate with the guerrillas later. As they returned to Casilda's town, Enrique noticed that the military showed up in the town at the same time.^[53]

Worried about the attack, he pleaded with Eda to let him go to the village. Holding him back, she angrily reminded him that they would be in the middle of the attack if they went forward. Unconcerned, the boy demanded that she let him go because he had people in town, the same place where he would "build [his] kingdom." Eda told him that he needed to think clearly, to which Enrique told her to shut up and claimed that she could not lecture him like she knew what she was talking about. Annoyed with his stubbornness, Eda let him go and said he could die on his own if he wanted. Warning her not to insult him, Enrique shouted that he would not die. Although Jaden called for Enrique to come back, Eda advised him to drop it since it was no longer their business. He tried to dissuade her, but she reasoned that they were not friends with Enrique merely because they ate together, reminding him that his primary allegiance was to the "Stars and Stripes." Jaden asked what they should do, and Eda proposed that they not make any moves until the fighting subsided in order to discover what was happening.

Some minutes later, Eda continued watching the town from a distance and informed Jaden that the fight would likely not stop for a while. He asked what they would do given that they would need to go through the town to get back to the city. Jaden added that they could talk to the soldiers since the two of them were basically diplomats. Rejecting the idea, she responded that it was not a good idea to talk to a soldier focused on battle, saying that it would be too late to regret the idea when the soldiers pull the trigger. Revealing that she had firearms in the car's glove compartment, Eda emphasized that Jaden would need to protect himself when things got tough. Seeing his reluctant face, she asked if he really could not shoot a gun, to which he confessed that he was somewhat trained but did not receive good grades. Jaden clarified that he did not like bloody work, but Eda retorted that preference did not matter in their situation. Hearing a loud noise, the two agents immediately pointed their guns toward the nearby forest.

Yelling that it was only himself, Enrique pleaded with them not to shoot. Nonetheless, Eda commanded him to put his hands up, so Luciana agreed while Mayte helped her grandmother. Enrique pleaded with them to hurry since the soldiers were close by. Behind the surrenderers, Eda spotted two soldiers and quickly took them both down with her pistol. Several more soldiers showed up as reinforcements, creating a firefight. Hearing Eda say that the car doors were bulletproof, Enrique used the driver door as a shield to take Jaden's pistol to give support to Eda and Luciana. Thanks to their efforts, the three gun wielders defeated the soldiers without receiving injuries. Mayte pleaded with them to get Casilda to a hospital, so Enrique asked Eda and Jaden to help him out. Pointing her rifle at Eda, Luciana threatened to kill her if she refused. Explaining that it was an exchange, she claimed to know a detour up the mountain road, demanding that Eda get them out of town without going through the village. Subsequently, Eda begrudgingly agreed.

As Jaden drove, Enrique had to stay in the trunk and complained about it, to which Eda yelled back that their vehicle was already over seating capacity. Whispering to her, Jaden wondered how Casilda would fare, but Eda silently told him that she probably would not survive. As the grandmother uttered her granddaughters' names, Jaden accidentally hit a bump on the road, causing the elderly woman to cough up blood. Frustrated, Luciana warned the agents to be careful, to which Eda sternly reminded her that they were on a mountainous road. Traveling further, Jaden assured them that they were finally on a paved road, but Casilda soon died from her wounds. The group stopped on the side of the road to quickly bury the elderly woman.

To her protest, Mayte shouted that they could not just bury their grandmother in the ground, with Luciana also opining that she wanted to give Casilda a proper burial. Rhetorically asking if she had a particular place in mind, Eda reasoned that it was better to bury her at that time than to just leave her corpse on the ground. Replying that it would be difficult to find her body, Luciana asked how they would find her later. Exhausted, Eda nonchalantly repeated that she and Jaden had already given them a ride out of the kindness of their hearts. Knocking on the car frame, Enrique pleaded with them to let him out. Climbing out, the boy assured them that he could handle the matter, specifying that there was a safehouse in the area where they could bring Casilda's body and then find a mortician afterward. Accordingly, he asked Eda to help him move Casilda into the car trunk.

As they resumed traveling, Enrique asked Luciana about the state of the fort. Recalling what happened, she told him that it ended badly and the fort was burnt to the ground. Angered, Luciana cursed General Tovar for carrying out his sudden heavy attacks. Unfamiliar with the name, Eda asked who he was. Luciana elaborated that he was a hawkish military general who advocated for crushing the guerrillas at every turn. Enrique additionally stated that Tovar was quiet for a while ever since Duarte took office but he heard rumors that he was approaching the president in recent times. Having a new plan, Jaden drove the car to the city so that he and Eda could report the crackdown to the American embassy as soon as possible in order for a proper response to be formed. To Enrique's chagrin, Eda announced that the plan to leverage with the guerrillas would be put on hold. When they arrived in the city, the five noticed the traffic and were surprised to see a roadblock up ahead, where several soldiers ordered them to stop the car.^[54]

Jaden showed the men his diplomatic papers, so they informed him that the country was under martial law and all foreign diplomats needed to return to their embassies supposedly for their own safety. However, Eda and Luciana prepared their firearms and quickly shot a few soldiers, causing Jaden to slam on the gas pedal to flee the checkpoint. The women took out a pursuing machine-gunner, so they were able to get to Enrique's safehouse. There, Jaden called the U.S. embassy and learned from Alcock that President Duarte was carrying out a self-coup. To aid him, Alcock advised Jaden to meet up with one of his American contacts for further instructions. After the call, however, Luciana and Enrique forced Eda to drive them to a funeral home to arrange for Casilda's burial while Jaden left to meet with the contact. As Enrique secured the burial site, Eda listened to Luciana speak about fate and one's place in the world, a topic which she scoffed at.^[55]

Once everyone gathered their supplies, they departed from the hideout and Luciana drove for them in her van, but she sped past a military vehicle, arousing their suspicion. As a result, Eda had to shoot at the two soldiers, incapacitating them and causing them to crash into a tank truck which exploded. Melgar and his intelligence officers heard about the incident and deduced that it was likely the CIA and the guerrillas' point of contact, so they pursued them. Enrique mentioned that they needed to get as much distance as possible while they had daylight, making the others agree. As the CIA agents were driving up the mountain road, Celino and his partner attacked their van and tipped it over. During the accompanying firefight, the group agreed that they could steal the enemy's vehicle to continue their journey, but Eda shot one of the men as he was deploying a grenade, causing the car to explode.^[56]

Since they could no longer use cars to continue onward, Eda and Jaden helped the others gather the remaining supplies and began their journey up the mountain. On the way, Jaden was the only one who did not feel tired because he enjoyed hiking and the outdoors. Throughout the remainder of the day, Eda became more fond of Luciana, with whom she had argued with earlier. At night, when the group set up camp and ate stew, José, Lobbe and Víbora attacked everyone, with Eda and Jaden having to take cover while Víbora beat up Luciana and Enrique. To everyone's shock, Víbora broke both of Luciana's arms and stabbed her in the chest with her own weapon, fatally wounding her. At that point, Eda killed José as Jaden continued to provide suppressive fire.^[57] On the other hand, the distraught Mayte grabbed a stray pistol and shot Víbora several times as he was beating up Enrique. Because more intelligence officers would arrive, Eda coldly advised that Mayte leave Luciana behind but added that she knew it was a hard decision.

The next day, after they had arrived at a town near Peru's eastern border, Jaden stayed in a forest with Mayte and Enrique while Eda went to the adjacent town, disgusing her appearance and head using clothing from a clothesline. Entering a store, Eda bought a few items and requested to use the payphone.^[58] Calling the CIA, Eda frantically called for backup and reasoned that they could use Enrique's testimony about the military's massacres of civilians as leverage against President Duarte's government. Unknown to her, Ravencroft approved of the request and sent a helicopter to pick her group up.^[59] Before she could leave the store, Melgar and several intelligence officers surrounded the building and ordered her to surrender. As she assessed the number of enemies, Jaden came to her rescue and drove a stolen truck toward the place as Enrique shot at the officers. Acting fast, Eda jumped into the cargo bed. Up ahead, however, the surviving Víbora stood on the road and pushed against the car hood as Jaden attempted to ram him.^[58]

The large hunter then wrestled with Enrique and Eda in the backseat, with the latter having difficulty countering Víbora. When he punched her in the abdomen, she managed to punch him a couple of times and ducked, allowing Enrique and Mayte to jointly shoot the hunter out of the van. Once they got further away from the pursuing officers, Jaden's group took a brief break and then utilized a side road to throw off the enemy. On the way to the eastern border, Eda jokingly stated that both children screwed up, causing Enrique to rhetorically ask if she was a horrible person. Chuckling at Mayte's stubborn desire to use firearms, Eda agreed that she could fight. The CIA agent even advised Mayte that her gun was a little big and suggested that she use Enrique's .380 pistol. Feeling skeptical, Mayte asked if the United States was actually siding with the Peruvian people, to which Eda remarked that they were a useful ally. Close to the border,the CIA agents were forced to stop their truck since the military blocked off the border. Mayte initially refused to surrender because she did not want her family members' murders to be in vain, but Eda sternly warned her to follow along since they would not be killed yet.^[60]

To their surprise, several missiles fired from a helicopter hit the military trucks, killing all of the soldiers. Coming to their aid, Amber urged the four of them to climb aboard. Before Mayte could be helped up, Víbora appeared and attempted to drag her down. While the helicopter continued ascending and resuming its flight, Eda shot at him, which forced him to cease his grip on the child. Víbora swiftly moved and punched Amber, who quickly deployed a flashbang to blind him. Immediately, everyone else fired at him and greatly injured him. Nonetheless, Víbora still ran and charged at Mayte, allowing Eda to shoot him in the head, causing him to fall into the canopy below. As the helicopter traveled, Enrique and Jaden were surprised at the real reason the CIA came to their rescue.

Later that day, President Duarte was forced to end his self-coup by the CIA and agreed to listen to the Americans so that he would not be overthrown. At the presidential hall, Eda explained to the president that the U.S. government offered to renormalize relations with his administration and let him keep his presidential position. However, in return, he needed to withdraw all of his troops from the city and end any further repression of the opposition coalition. Furthermore, she threatened to expose the military's slaughter of civilians in the name of counterterrorism if he refused to accept the terms, specifying that the U.S. had witnesses ready to testify against him if he was willing to create a scandal. Angered, General Tovar yelled that they would not accept such demands, urging Duarte to keep the troops stationed since withdrawing would be a disgrace to the military. Smirking, Eda remarked that the opinion of the president was more important than what the military thought.

President Duarte agreed to the deal, pleasing the ambassador. At night, Eda reconvened with her CIA partners, Enrique and Mayte to eat some food. Talking to Enrique, Eda pointed out that he would likely be under scrutiny from both sides and would have to put up with it as the price of life. With a defeated look, Enrique sighed and suddenly wondered where Mayte was. When the adults admitted they thought she was in the bathroom, the boy became worried and ran out of the residence, frantically calling for Mayte. Tailing him, Eda witnessed Mayte chastise Enrique for caring more about his own business than her family's lives. When Eda replied that forcing the government to stand down did not mean disrespect toward her family, Mayte became so infuriated that she pulled out her pistol on the CIA agent. Amused, Eda drew her weapon as well and dared the child to try opposing the United States, making Enrique panic. Lowering her weapon, Mayte thanked Enrique for his help but nonetheless proclaimed that she needed to be on her own to avenge her family.

Afterward, smoked on the balcony with Eda and commented that it could not be helped since they and the children lived in different worlds. Smiling, she also joked she was surprised about Eda's dedication to the children, rhetorically asking if she did not learn her lesson in Bosnia. Comparing the debacle to a car accident, Eda believed that she became involved due to a bad turn of events and happened to be on the same wavelength as the children, thus why she could not get rid of her feelings. As Amber continued resting against the railing, Eda professed that she still had a long way to go.^[59]

Gore Gore Girl history

Volume 2

Although she did not physically appear, Eda helped Rico and other church members fight off some "nonbelievers" in what they euphemistically deemed to be "missionary work."^[61] In another story, Sister Yolanda had to leave the chapel for the night, so she left Eda in charge during her absence. In the evening, a father and child had visited the chapel so that the former could request an exorcism for his allegedly possessed child, but Eda refused. The man then started to speak words that she did not understand and then shot his child, causing Eda to shoot him in turn. Annoyed by the turn of events, Eda ordered Rico to clean up the mess, but as he entered the chapel, the apprentice priest began vomiting and went on a rampage, causing Eda to subdue him and tie him up. Knowing that Yolanda would be furious with the corpses and blood inside the chapel, Eda called Sawyer the Cleaner to come over that night to clean up the mess. As Sawyer arrived and sat in the pews, Eda yelled that Sawyer would normally be forbidden from entering the chapel but she had made a one-time exception.

The nun then showed her the tied-up Rico, yelling at him to ask how he was doing. As Rico turned around, his eyes rolled backward into his head and he began speaking violently toward Eda, repeatedly calling her a "slut" and making sexual comments. Seeing that he had not recovered, Eda kicked him back onto the ground, then explaining the whole story to Sawyer. Once finishing, they heard a knock on the chapel door, so Eda prepared her Glock and opened the door, asking who was there since no one was in her sight. Seeing a huge mass of fog go her way, she again demanded the person to answer themselves.

Sensing someone behind her, Eda pointed the gun at the silhouette behind her, which disappeared before she could see it, angrily confusing her. The fog then surrounded her, scaring her backward and demanding the person to show themselves. Looking around, various human silhouettes with glowing eyes stared at Eda, frightening her. To her relief, Sawyer pulled through the fog with her chainsaw and charged at the group of silhouettes and began swinging at them manically. Eda smiled and clasped her hands, thanking Sawyer for dealing with the shadows. Deciding that Sawyer would deal with the intruders, Eda ran elsewhere in the chapel to retrieve Rico, but she only saw a loosened rope without Rico present.

Sensing someone behind her again, Eda turned around to see an apparition of a grinning Russell, terrifying her since she knew that she killed him a while back. Sawyer suddenly appeared and immediately thrust her chainsaw into Russell's back, and Eda's eyes began to spin, soon falling into unconsciousness after laughing and saying Jesus Christ's name. The next morning, Yolanda returned to the chapel and talked with someone, learning that there was a hallucinogenic gas in the cargo of the boat that crashed at the port the previous night, with the fog drifting up to the chapel. Seeing the tied-up Rico and the unconscious Eda and Sawyer next to the pews, Yolanda yelled at Eda to wake up, wash her face, and slowly explain herself, and the awakened nun pleaded with the elderly nun to grant mercy on her.^[62]

Volume 3

Eda was invited by Dutch to go to a cookout at the beach with the Lagoon Company, so she gladly attended and wore a U.S. flag tank top. Once arriving, she tried a piece of the Kobe beef and commented that the meat's taste burst out when she took a bite. Smiling and showing a thumbs up to Revy, the Lagoon sailor only glared and asked her why she was there, telling her to go back to her bread and wine. Pointing to her own tank top, Eda happily stated that she was dressed up for a barbecue, but Revy berated her, saying that the meat was not for her. Eda defended herself by saying that Dutch invited her, trying another piece of meat and asking who cooked the delicious beef. Dutch chimed in and said that the Yellow Flag cook was responsible, surprising the women. Subsequently, they checked out the brisket and sauce while the broad-shouldered cook, Nhân, introduced himself.

While Rock was in town with Sawyer, Eda and Revy watched Nhân put the meat through a mincer, and Eda joked that Rock would faint if he saw the meat being ground, with Revy agreeing and both women not knowing that Rock at the same time had watched parts of a corpse be put into a mincer. Nhân prepared the remaining ingredients for the burgers, with Eda and Revy complimenting the buns, special sauce, and triple cheese. Immediately, the two women, Dutch and Benny began to try the human burgers thinking they had real beef. Rock subsequently arrived and saw Eda and the others munching on the burgers. Biting his lip in anguish, Rock screamed and vomited, making Revy ask what was wrong and berate him for throwing up in front of them.^[63]

Volume 4

While Rock accompanied Sawyer the Cleaner at a small storehouse for a job, Eda drank at the Yellow Flag counter with Revy. Eda looked at her and teasingly asked if Rock needed help, but Revy rebuffed her, responding that she already took care of the thugs who vandalized their products. Smiling, Eda teased her by asking if she even knew how to clean up the mess, also asking her if Rock would be all right being alone with another woman. Although confused for a second, Revy remembered and moved her head back in laughter, saying that Rock and the "goth girl" would be an interesting couple. Eda then teased her that it could happen since Rock's former country, Japan, was the home of hentai and they had "many fun toys." Revy remained silent and drank her glass, hitting back by passive-aggressively telling Eda to try one of those "toys" herself.^[64]

Volume 6

When a murderer called Wraith had a $50,000 bounty put on him, Eda was one of many who wanted the bounty, but everyone could not find the man since his appearance and real name were unknown. At the Yellow Flag, Eda drank at the counter with Revy as the latter lamented that she and Eda could not do anything and must leave the work to an informant. Interested, Eda lifted her glass and asked about the information, and Revy stated that a share of the bounty would be taken by the informant after tracking down the killer's appearance and whereabouts, adding that they would have to wait and see how the hunt turned out. Just then, several men entered the bar with one yelling that Wraith killed the informant who was searching for him, surprising the two women.^[65]

Volume 8

Nhân was cooking lobster and tuna at the beach for the Lagoon Company, so Eda dropped by to have some of the food. She tried some of the seared ahi tuna and complimented the food when Revy suddenly kicked her in the buttocks. Being asked why she was eating their food like she deserved a piece, Eda retorted that she was around whenever there was a barbecue. Frustrated, the pirate threatened to "feed [her] to the fish," but Nhân interrupted to announce that the lobster was ready to grill, exciting the women. Eventually, the lobster became cooked and they began eating the seafood. When Rock returned, Eda was eating as Revy reminded him that he forgot the beer but nonetheless offered the lobster to Rock. Disheartened because he learned the lobster and other seafood ate humans for fish feed, he still tried a piece with a glum face.^[66]

Volume 9

During a fight against a crowd of "nonbelievers" at night, Eda and Rico believed they saw Elvis Presley among the people, surprising them. However, as the fight ended, the Elvis lookalike disappeared without a trace. Afterward around dawn, the two of them went to an outdoor dining place to order some food, with Eda buying eggs over medium, bacon, cornbread and orange juice. As they walked to the eating area, they agreed with each other that the person had to be Elvis. Overhearing them, Rock and Shenhua asked them about the encounter and admitted that they too witnessed Elvis while carrying out their respective jobs. Eda wondered if the urban legend about Elvis still being alive was true, prompting Rock to explain the origin of Elvis sightings to Shenhua. Amused at the last account of Elvis being a secret U.S. agent, Eda laughed and scoffed at the idea of Elvis being spotted in Roanapur of all places.

Before Rock could describe the ingredients in an Elvis sandwich, they heard someone order a sandwich matching the description. At first, Eda and the others were surprised but disappointed upon seeing that the person was merely Lotton. To her amazement, Eda saw the Elvis lookalike standing behind Lotton, listening to the man state that he befriended Lotton at a bar. He offered to buy them Elvis sandwiches, but before they could try the meal, several gangsters interrupted them and demanded that "Elvis" come with them because he cut ties with them. Surprising Eda yet again, the Elvis lookalike exclaimed that he was a proud freelancer and dispatched of all of the men except for his former leader, who swore revenge on him and fled. Right after the costumed Elvis left in his pink Cadillac, Eda was left infatuated with him.^[67]

Trivia

• Eda is only one of two Black Lagoon characters, the other being Sawyer the Cleaner, to receive her own official spinoff manga series.
• Eda is also only one of three Black Lagoon characters, the other two being Rico and Russell, to appear in both spinoff series.
• In the First Popularity Poll released during the May/June 2008 issue of Monthly Sunday Gene-X, Eda ranked 4th place with 403 votes.^[68]
• In a popularity contest during the 10th manga collection release, Eda ranked 8th with 535 votes.^[69]
• In a popularity contest during the 12th manga collection release, Eda ranked 3rd with 1,588 votes.^[70]
• In a best couples contest, with Eda as the passive partner, she and Revy ranked 7th with 77 votes, and she and Rock ranked 20th. Irrespective of partner order, Eda and Revy ranked 6th.^[71]
• As seen on the anime character settei, Eda is the same height as Revy.
• According to Omake 7, Eda used to be a cheerleader in high school when she was 17 years old.
• Bible verses that Eda has cited throughout the series include Psalm 23:4, the Book of John chapter 5, Luke 16:9,^[13] Matthew 7:7,^[14] 2 Corinthians 9:7,^[17] Zephaniah 3:17, and Hebrews 4:13.^[22]
• In Black Lagoon, Eda has flirted with Rock on a total of three occasions: first at the Yellow Flag in "Bloodsport Fairy tale," second in "Greenback Jane" while sitting behind Rock in the car, and third in "The Wired Red Wild Card" when she teased Rock about Revy being in jail.

References