Chapter 2 - Return to Tharsis

Trudy went to the cluttered dining area. Faye and Jet were just starting their breakfast, though she was a bit hesitant telling them her input. She muttered behind a wall, "What if they don't believe me? Who can I trust to take me to Tharsis, no to Mars, if I have to go on my own? Would my other friends do this?"

To her, Jet Black was a sort of father figure, giving her guidance and security despite the starship's dysfunctional atmosphere, as well as advice on defending herself and listening to each other's hardships. When she first met him and Spike as she witnessed the Bebop crash land on Earth, she was both curious and concerned about his amputated arm. They had grown to like one another rather quickly since then. She also considered Faye to be like a loner, but an older sister nonetheless. She wasn't into gambling nor sex appeal and she wasn't really fond of her like she was with the others, but overtime she was a positive example on showing what a woman is made of, rather than be just a damsel in distress aside from being capture prone or a mere sex symbol like she thought. Trudy regarded the Bebop crew as her own surrogate family; far better than her own back on Earth. She too wishes to see Edward and Ein again someday...

Just then, she heard Jet call for her and said it was time for breakfast; she could actually smell the fried eggs, which turned out to be fresh omelets complete with cheese, peppers, and onions. Her stomach rumbled, and her mind raced as to how and when she should tell the remaining bounty hunters, Jet Black and Faye Valentine, of the theory she got on Spike's fate. She wandered in slowly and then ate her omelet, knowing this may be her last meal within the Bebop ship.

By the time they were done, Jet gave each of them the lowdown; on where Faye and Trudy would be dropped off on Earth. Trudy never had a place to call home since she got estranged from her family. She instead wanted to go to where her friend Mary was, but Kanto was so distant, and she didn't know how to get there nor where it was. But Trudy couldn't resist any longer, and she blurted out the dream she had. Although Faye was returning to the city that was demolished by the meteors and ongoing debris, Trudy would be let off to her friend's location in Kanto; which was a slight relief since it beat being back in the slums.

"Jet, Faye, I need to tell you something." They looked at her in an attentive manner. "I appreciate you dropping me off in Kanto, Jet. But I found out something last night. It's about Spike, I know where he is!" Their expressions were a mix between shock and skepticism.

"We all know where he is, Trudy. He died at the Red Dragons' headquarters." Jet said in his usual gruffy tone. Faye saddened at the thought; she couldn't forget how upset she felt while absently shooting the roof in the hallway as she saw him walk away, never to return.

"No, he was taken away to another place! I saw him get resurrected in some dark chamber. The Red Dragons were there, and they inserted Vicious' blood in him. He's alive, but he may not be himself. And Mary said we should go to Tharsis to find some clues. What do you say?"

Faye's eyes widened, while Jet paused as he tried to process the information. He let out a small chuckle, then his demeanor became stone cold. "Well...that's ridiculous." That caught Trudy and Faye off guard. "This was all from a nightmare you had, and you expect me to believe that Spike is miraculously alive in some desolate place? I can't believe Mary told you into this." he scolded. As the papa wolf, Jet didn't believe the young cadet, and it seemed that her and the Trainer's predictions were true.

"I do." Faye interrupted the pregnant pause. Oddly enough, the unlucky gambler was actually convinced.

"But for crying out loud, Faye, it was only some random nightmare. And dreams are nothing but only random fragments of the mind!" the top dog said with a raised voice.

"I for once actually believe in her. If we could just find some traces of Spike, then he is alive somewhere. If he IS truly alive and well, Jet, we'll find him. And if not...then I guess we'd be wasting our time. But, we won't know until we even try." her voice was casual then booming with determination.

Jet hesitated, and Trudy thanked her for believing in her findings. He took a deep sigh, "Alright. But return home when you guys are done. I want to see Spike for myself if he is ever around. He deserves an ass-whooping for upsetting us."

Trudy couldn't be more ecstatic, and she and Faye headed out to the Bebop's loading dock.

It was very close on its approach to Earth's Hyperspace gate, so they needed to turn back to Mars once more. If Spike wouldn't be found, Jet was planning to scrap the wrecked ship away and may retire in his home planet, the seventh largest moon of Jupiter, Ganymede.

Faye has volunteered to go with her to Tharsis, the major city of Mars. Ever since life was sustained within the red planet during the breakthroughs of the late 21st century, the distant plateau was developed into a metropolis. It was also home to Martians Spike and Julia while also housing a tall stronghold, a skyscraper that housed the lethal Red Dragon Syndicate. As Faye and Trudy looked down, they saw it for themselves, poking through the rising mist like a sharp needle. That sinister 30-story watchtower was the same location where Spike assassinated Vicious. On Faye's starship, the Red Tail, they departed; Jet said he'll meet up with them if anything should go awry, even though he was still skeptical on whether or not Trudy was only leading them on a wild goose chase.

They showed up, and the hideout was demolished and abandoned from the onslaught not long ago. The rooves collapsed in one side, while a huge chunk of the walls were missing by an explosion. Blood stains were everywhere, but there were no corpses. Furniture were tossed asunder and broken, and so were the glass panels in the roof of the topmost floor; at least the elevator was still operational. Faye led Trudy upwards, and there was no sign of Spike, though the room itself was hard for them to see through the darkness.

They finally noticed him, scuffing his feet from behind a wall. The startled women eventually took a glance at his opaque face which was completely free from injury. Spike then smiled wryly at them as he pointed his fingers out like a gun.

"Bang."

"S-S-Spike!?" Trudy cried out. Faye couldn't believe he was here; she thought he could be like a Draugr of sorts.

He then strutted up to them, with his body as straight as a pencil. "It's been awhile. Faye and Trudy."

"Spike!" Faye ran in front of her partner. "You're alive!"

"I am." he responded in a coy expression.

Trudy could hardly stop her heart and mind from racing. "Spike, it-it's so good to see you! I guess my dream was true after all. Wait till Jet hears about this!" She grabbed and pulled him by the arm. "Come on. He's in the Bebop waiting for us! It should be here any second." She was quite relieved since she would be able to prove the Black Dog wrong for once.

Spike had a surprised expression as Trudy demanded. But his face shortly became stoic again, holding himself back as she was tugging him. "Certainly, I'd be glad to board it again and meet the old bag. But..." he paused and hung his head.

"What is it, Spike?" Faye queried with concern.

"You'll still be with us, right?" Trudy added, her heart still beating rampant, her throat tight.

"Absolutely. That's why I'm here. To meet your acquaintance first." He dug into his overcoat for something. "But the main reason why I came here-" He then drew his signature golden pistol, the Jericho 941, directly toward them! "Is to exterminate you!"

That put both Faye and Trudy on edge. "Ugh-Spike?!" the young bounty hunter backed away.

"What're you doing!?" Faye screeched at the sight of him, wanting to blow their brains out!

"A duel, Faye." he responded in a menacing tone.

"You can't be serious!" Trudy refused to believe he was doing this. Still, Spike never backed down.

"Draw out your weapon." he commanded. But both of them were too stunned, like deer in headlights. Just then, Spike clicked the back of his Glock, aimed, and fired in between their foreheads! The shot caused the two women to scatter, Trudy dived to the right while Faye fell to the left covering herself beside some boxes. He shot wildly, letting out a few stray bullets with that one deadly objective in mind.

"You cannot hide forever." With a snarl, Spike fixed his eyes on his prey. He first spotted Faye who was about to make her move on him. He dove in and tackled her down. She struggled to get him off her, but his body was too heavy. She wanted to kick his crotch while he was beginning to crush her airwaves and gaze wildly into her dwindling eyes.

Trudy ambushed from behind, putting Spike in a stranglehold. When he noticed her, he stopped suffocating Faye and smacked Trudy off with a strong backhand. Her face began to swell as she fell, but she never gave up. She retaliated when he threw her backward as he was lunging toward her. They both stood up and he aimed for Trudy's stomach with a kick, but she managed to hold his leg, twist it, and tossed it and his body. Spike wound up on his side. Trudy actually used this move before with several thugs, and Spike was impressed as he remembered that stunt. He gave her a proud look, "Not bad. Space cadet." This was a nickname he gave her days before since she was known to zone out a lot; while also referring to the fact she was only a low-class bounty hunter.

He then gave her a very strong punch to her right cheek soon after the compliment. Her vision was very faint upon impact, and she felt her body shutting down. She sunk onto her knees, and later collapsed to the cold, hard floor. Faye was startled by the sight of her fallen comrade. Spike just stood and admired the damage he'd done. He clearly had an appetite for killing and destruction, but he never made a move on the hapless diva.

Instead, he just gave out a warning. "I am sparing your life for the moment, Faye." He pointed out his Jericho again. "You'd better not notify Jet on my whereabouts. It's best you keep your slutty mouth shut." She was terrified to hear him say that. He continued, "The Red Dragons will soon rule the world over. There would be a war to determine our fate. It is something that Vicious wished he had done, and I am fulfilling his promise. We, too, have the same blood. We will reign supreme and triumph over the ISSP first. So if I were you, I'd run." His eyes gleamed at the thought. "If you dare tell Jet any of this, I will kill you personally. You have been warned."

He withdrew his weapon into his right pocket and walked off, leaving both a stupefied Faye and an unconscious Trudy behind.

Moments later, his Swordfish II landed near the summit of a very tall, steep mountain at a great distance. He returned to the same location where he was reawakened and bowed down to the mysterious leader of the syndicate. "Master, I have completed the mission. I have spread the word to my enemies of the oncoming war. Is it time?"

The great oriental stood from his elaborate throne, and his men were facing him. He replied, "Yes. We let these puny citizens wait enough." He faced toward his followers, "Within seventy-two hours we shall strike. Prepare for the battle of the new century."

"Yes sir!" They all chorused.

Spike let out a huge grin as he exclaimed, "At last!"

A/N: Finally! After several months of planning, I finally brought the second chapter into fruition. I actually wrote this out in an old notebook once over five years ago, but unfortunately I lost all my work shortly after. Hopefully I'd make up for lost time.

So Spike has officially been brainwashed by the Red Dragons, and it almost made sense since Vicious said that he and Spike have the same blood in them. They, too, are the most volatile men and the highest ranks within the Syndicate, so it's no doubt he'd be a killing machine, much like his former enemy. So the galaxy's fate hangs in the balance of the impending war. Let's hope the surviving Bebop crew would do something about this.