Disclaimer: I don't own Bebop. I wish I did, but I don't. Please don't sue.
Author's note: I wasn't going to make a sequel because I liked the way my one shot ended, but I had requests and I figured out a way to make it happen. So, reviewers on Bang who wanted more… this is for you.
Three years. Three god damn years. It didn't seem like he'd been running the syndicate for that long, but dates didn't lie. Spike heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his dark green hair, much easier to do now that he kept it cropped short. It all just seemed a little unreal. He never thought that he'd still be alive by 30, much less the leader of one of the strongest syndicates on Mars. It was fuckin' weird.
"Sir?" a voice said, interrupting his thoughts. "You wanted us?"
Spike lifted his head from its resting spot on his hand and sat up straight in his chair. Before him stood two of his most promising protégés, the nearly unstoppable duo Tim and Shane.
He'd found Tim within the first year of his newly acquired syndicate position. He was a delinquent living on Morocco Street then. A dark skinned, dark haired delinquent with a deadly temper and a violent streak. Spike saw potential and took the boy under his wing, teaching him to keep his anger under control and to channel it to purposes more suited to the Syndicate's taste. It was then that the boy took on the name Tim and started work as one of the rising assassins in the Syndicate.
Shane on the other hand was discovered only the prior year. His small frame and witty demeanor caught Spike's attention immediately. Shane caught on to things easily and he was damn good at improvising. And because Spike had gotten him off the street, the boy was fiercely loyal. He was perfectly suited for spying. And that's exactly what Spike used him for. Naturally Shane and Tim had ended up working together and Spike soon found that they were most effective at getting the job done. The nature of their rapport seemed a little questionable, but as long as it didn't interfere with the Syndicate, Spike was willing to let it slide.
It was for another job that the two were in front of Spike again. The White Tiger Syndicate, the only real threat to the Red Dragons was restless. They were planning something and Spike knew it. He thought it best to nip the problem in the bud. Shane had been posing as a member of the White Tigers for a while now, relaying information back to Spike while Tim had been accepted in the rival syndicate as a goon, always near Shane just in case something were to go afoul. Shane had gotten in good with the high ranking members of the Syndicate. Spike was well informed of what was happening.
"Today's the day, boys," he said addressing them. "If that info you've been giving me is correct, Shane, he'll be attacking tomorrow. You go in there and act like nothing's out of the ordinary. You make sure you get him alone before Tim makes the hit and then you two run like hell."
It was dangerous and he knew it. It could start a war between the syndicates, the likes of which hadn't been seen since Spike took over. But if he could take Nicolas Valencia out quietly, perhaps the repercussions wouldn't be so bad.
"You sure you can handle that?" he asked.
The two nodded obediently.
"Good," he said. "Now go."
Tim and Shane each gave another nod and a small salute before turning to leave and go to their duties. Spike was appreciative of obedience, but something in the back of his head was nagging him. He knew he shouldn't but in some odd way he missed being talked back to. The two were lacking a certain spunk that he was normally used to dealing with. But that was something he'd have to deal with in his new life. He couldn't expect to leave the past behind and still have parts of it around with him in the present. Things just didn't work that way.
He sighed, pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Three god damn years.
Author's note part 2: Yeah its short, I know. But I want to have a time break, but the website's not letting me have one. So I'll have chapter 2 up soon. As always, critiques are welcome as long as they are constructive and not overly mean.