A Mad Tea-Party is the twenty-third chapter of the Black Lagoon spinoff series Dismemberment Galore! The Gore Gore Girl. It was originally released on July 19, 2021.
Plot[]
Talking to her mother Baba Yaga, Jessica tells her that she is going out for a while. In response, Baba Yaga asks if the "child" she brought yesterday is all right, and Jessica coldly replies that the "friend" did not even make for a good pet. Looking at her bloodied hammer, Jessica laments that she did not expect her friend to cry so awkwardly. After talking with her and throwing the bloodied hammer onto the floor, Jessica leaves the abandoned resort and maliciously smiles and remarks that she almost forgot to buy a souvenir. At the Roanapur Public Cemetery, Sawyer the Cleaner and Bunny the Undertaker have a tea party as The Undertaker No. 2 serves them tea. Thanking Sawyer for coming to her party, Bunny enthusiastically tells her that she got the tea from a British guy whom she buried but she unfortunately forgot to bake cookies.
Behind Bunny, a woman suddenly appears and comments that she has brought some sweets. Reflexively swinging her shovel behind her, Bunny misses hitting Jessica, whose face lights up upon seeing Bunny's mask. Suddenly hugging Bunny tightly, Jessica introduces herself and asks Bunny her name. Jessica asks Bunny if she wants to be her pet, causing Bunny to shove her away and ask Sawyer if she knows Jessica. When Sawyer tilts her head as a mixed signal, Jessica smiles and chimes that friends are friends. Bunny looks at Sawyer again for approval, but Sawyer tilts her head again in ambiguity. Jessica asks to join the party, but Bunny refuses, so Jessica shows her sweets and innocently states that it is a shame that such treats will go to waste. Bunny's jaw drops in awe, and likewise No. 2 wonders if there is a patisserie in Roanapur.
Bunny sweats and hesitates, saying that the tea party was originally supposed to be only her and Sawyer, but she drops her head on the table and tells Jessica that she is welcome to serve herself. Jessica smiles and excuses herself, and No. 2 offers her some tea. Thanking No. 2, Jessica suddenly but calmly jabs a syringe into No. 2's right arm. Baffled for a moment, No. 2 sweats and wonders what just happened, but the three women casually begin eating Jessica's delicious sweets and ignore her. Asking again, the panicked No. 2 asks Jessica what she injected her with, asking if it is a joke. Not noticing No. 2's concern, Bunny requests No. 2 to pour her another cup of tea, but the shocked No. 2 asks that she thought they were all family. Conversing with the others, Bunny remembers that she buried a poisoned corpse the other day that created a weird smell. Jessica asks if it could be a chemical smell, recommending that she apply a good deodorant next time, with Bunny appreciating her insight.
The confused No. 2 asks about the topic, but Bunny tells her to eat soon since the food will go bad. As No. 2 pleads with Bunny to hear her out, Jessica turns her head and smilingly informs No. 2 that she has 2 hours left before she dies, scaring No. 2. Jessica tells her that if she finds the antidote, it will make the poison harmless in an hour. Although No. 2 is slightly relieved, Jessica goes back to ignoring her, happily complimenting the lemon-flavored cheesecake. No. 2 kneels down and reflects that her time may truly end. As Sawyer continues eating her food, Jessica asks Sawyer and Bunny if they want to come to her abandoned hotel, but Bunny replies that she cannot leave the graveyard. Curious, Jessica asks to at least see Bunny's face before leaving, but Bunny turns her head away and responds that she will have to kill anyone around her who sees her face except for her "family."
Piqued even more, Jessica gets up and casually removes Bunny's mask, causing her to grab her shovel. Sawyer then stands in front of Jessica with her arms extended out as a barrier. Jessica asks her if she is mocking her, but Bunny only coldly replies that Jessica has not seen her face yet and will let her live if she returns her mask immediately. Trying to provoke Bunny, Jessica chimes that they should play, gaining Sawyer's glare. Bunny agrees to the "game," so Jessica accordingly pulls out three syringes and says that one is an antidote while the other two are instant-killing poisons. If they choose the one that makes No. 2 survive, Jessica will return her bunny mask. Sweating anxiously, No. 2 wonders if the three women will kill each other if she dies.
As the assistant undertaker reasons that she should choose the syringe herself so that everyone will be on good terms, Sawyer notices her despair. No. 2 then slowly and nervously reaches for a syringe, but Sawyer has already grabbed one and sticks the needle into her arm, making No. 2 scream in agony. Because No. 2 lives, Jessica returns the mask and happily bids goodbye to the three women, saying that they should drink tea again sometime. Bunny congratulates No. 2, who kneels painfully from her temporary sickness.
Notes[]
- The chapter title is a reference to the title of chapter 7 in Lewis Carroll's famous novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.