Chapter 2—Deja Vu All Over Again
Jet rubbed his face wearily with his hand. First, he thought he'd been hallucinating—he could have sworn he saw Ed! But in a Gentleman's Club? That had made no sense. He'd rubbed his eyes and when he looked at where she had been, she was gone. He decided that his search for the little girl must have fried his brain. Now he was seeing Ed everywhere!
And second, Faye went off to do who knows what! They told her strictly to stick to the plan, no matter what else cropped up. Despite the fact none of them knew exactly why Mr. X was worth 300 million but decided to go after him anyway, Jet and Spike agreed that only an airtight plan would make the catch as painless as possible—so whatever else Mr. X was into wouldn't get in the way. Faye insisted that that the best course was to be flexible in times like these, but with such a wary bounty and without all the straight facts, it would be stupid to just head into the game without prior thought.
Which was just what Faye seemed to want to do.
The light suddenly went out, and Jet gasped despite himself. Suddenly, there was a spark, and the entire place was lit up in a beautiful nighttime display. Clapping began, which slowly crescendoed to a huge cheer. Jet started as a spotlight came onto the stage. In the middle stood a dazzling woman, with a shock of pink hair.
"Hello, boys," she purred. Her voice was actually perfect, since she was dressed like a sparkling cat: sleek and lithe and glittering all over the place. Yow.
The clapping escalated, punctured with hoots and hollers. A small beeping distracted Jet and he realized his communicator was going off. Jet looked about and moved behind a plant in the shadows to check the message.
"Jet, change of plans," Spike said. "I saw Faye enter one of the private chambers. I think... I hope to hell it's because Mr. X is behind there."
"OK, so what now?"
"Well, we switch rolls. You stay there and make sure everything's all right. Be prepared if we need you for distraction. And I'll carry out what you needed to do and bag the bastard."
Jet sighed with relief. "Well, shit. Faye was right all along."
"Let's not go that far, Jet," Spike returned, dryly. "The shrew just knows how to improvise."
"OK, everything seems fine out here for now," Jet told him, looking back admiringly at the half-woman, half-kitten on the stage singing a sad tune.
"I bet," Spike snorted. "Keep focused, Jet."
Jet rolled his eyes. Spike telling him to keep focused? Now that was a first. "We're wasting time. Get the guy and let's get out."
"Later."
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Faye hastily bent down to retrieve her weapon, but he was already there before her. He raised the weapon up and pointed it at her, and she took a hasty step back with her arms raised. He sighed, cocked a lever, and the bullets of the gun fell to the ground.
"I'm not here to kill you, babe," he went on, then dropped the gun.
"This isn't... this isn't possible!" Faye got out. "Xander—"
"I know it's impossible," the man called Xander agreed. He shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. He was wearing an expensive shirt tucked into his slacks, the same way Spike went about whenever he decided to go casual—except his shirt was a deep, dark blue instead of the yellow Spike wore and Xander was also wearing a black silk tie to complement the shirt. Faye couldn't help but notice he hadn't changed since she had last seen him: still as handsome as ever, with his dirty blonde hair in a general clean-cut manner with some loose bangs brushing against his forehead for fun. This was exactly how she remembered him: smooth and controlled, with an undeniable wild streak.
"But here I am. And here you are, for that matter," he returned. "You shouldn't even be possible. The fact you're walking, alone, is miracle enough." He slowly stepped towards her until they were almost touching. He reached out a hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. "The miracle of modern science." He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "You smell great, doll."
Faye blushed and pushed him away, making him laugh again.
"All right, all right," Xander smirked, charmingly. "You want explanations. You'll get them. But first—a drink."
"I'm not thirsty."
"Sure?" Xander was already hovering over a table arrangement with a champagne basket. "Isn't this cause for celebration? It isn't everyday you re-unite with your high school sweetheart."
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Spike whistled quietly as he walked through the corridors. It was like the hallway of a fancy hotel. Slightly in front of him, he noticed a wealthy-looking man with his arm around a beautiful woman emerging from a room. Spike continued to walk calmly, making mental notes of where the security alarms were as well as the forbidding looking tuxedo-clad guards at the exits.
"Hey, watch it!" the wealthy man cried, when Spike cannoned into him.
"Whoopsie, clumsy of me!" he grinned, apologetically. He winked at the beautiful woman who blushed furiously. After the wealthy man flashed him a dirty look and his escort fussed over him, Spike fingered the bedroom key he'd just filched. They walked away, still fussing, and Spike continued whistling down the corridor.
Room. 237. Perfect. All the rooms must be similar, so he would somehow figure out how to enter the one Faye was in when she finally called him. He'd seen her enter one of the rooms not too far from the key he had now so maybe he could sneak in through the vent? Or was that too old school and obvious...?
He found the room without any trouble, and slipped the key into the lock. As he entered the room, he decided that whoever this Mr.X was, he sure as hell spared no expense to satisfy his guests. Spike had expected something out of a porno catalogue—something loud, red, leather-y and a bit confining. Instead, the room was huge—it resembled more like a swanky apartment than a one-night hotel room. As he entered, he noticed a small kitchen, a living room area with a glass circular dining table to the side and two seats, of course. He inspected the place further and found the luxurious bathroom complete with hot tub. And, of course, everything was done in a contemporary yet welcoming design, in warm, mood-setting colours.
Shit. A guy could live and die in a place like this.
Spike noticed an open bottle of champagne on the side and decided to pour himself a drink. Might as well get something out of this job while he was there. He drank the glass in one gulp and wondered if the place had anything harder... he grabbed a handful of nuts from a crystal bowl and popped some in his mouth.
Well. There was nothing else he could really do except sit here and wait until Faye gave him the get-go. He plopped himself in front of the couch and turned on the flat-screen TV. Just like home.
He frowned. When did he start thinking of the Bebop as home? It disturbed Spike; he'd never considered any place permanent enough to call "home." Just as Spike was turning the thought over his head, his communicator beeped. Spike checked his watch. Geez. Ten minutes. Faye was a fast worker; he'd give her that.
However, the face on the screen wasn't Faye. Jet stared back at him with a nervous expression.
"Spike. We've got trouble."
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Faye drummed her fingers against the glass table as Xander placed a mouth-watering steak dinner in front of her. Neither of them had spoken a word since Xander ordered them dinner. Faye felt a little guilty. The man was worth 300 million woolong, and all she could do was sit there, eat his food and drink his wine.
But it was a damn good steak! Faye thought to herself as she attacked her meal with relish. It was only after she was halfway through her meal that she noticed that Xander had hardly touched his, and was leaning on the table with his elbows and his chin resting against his hands.
"It's rude to put your elbows on the table," Faye said haughtily, grasping for anything to say. Xander smiled faintly.
"You eat like it's your last meal on Earth," Xander said.
"Correction. Venus."
"Right, right," Xander nodded. "Sometimes I forget... this entire galaxy. It takes getting used to. We used to think that Earth was the only habitable place." He took a sip of his red wine. "Ironic that out of all the planets, it's considered the least habitable."
"Things change," Faye shrugged. She gulped the glass of wine greedily.
"So do people, for that matter," Xander said, quietly. Faye slowly lowered her glass.
"By that, I'm guessing you mean you," Faye returned.
"By that, I mean everyone. You, me." He paused. "Didn't one man say change is inevitable? The only thing certain in this world is death and taxes."
Faye buttered her toast as she stared Xander straight in the eye. "Not even that these days."
"Miracle of modern science," Xander repeated for the second time that night. He smiled softly. "I love watching you eat. Very... sensual."
Faye snorted, trying not to succumb to Xander's easy charm. The last time she did that in high school, she'd lost her virginity, and then ended up a dumped, pathetic heap. "Says the man to the woman with gravy on her face."
He reached out before Faye could react and wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb. His hand lingered for a second too long, and Faye sat rooted to her spot. She flashed him an icy look. Men have always tried to smooth talk their way out of a situation with her. Not going to work.
"I'm still turning you in."
"Are you now?" Xander whispered, his face against his hand again.
"You're worth 300 million woolong."
"Hm. That's a lot of money. I feel special."
"You shouldn't. Over the years, the criminals have gotten worse. You're pretty enough that one of them might want to make you their bitch."
Xander barked out a laugh, startling Faye. "God, that's what I missed about you, Faye. You're a one-of-a-kind woman. No one would even have the balls to say something like that to me."
Faye grew serious. "Why are you even here, Xander? You should be dead or at least, geriatric!" She threw her hands in the air and clicked her tongue. "What are you into? How'd you get into so much trouble? The last 300 million bounty was on a guy who tried to destroy the world. Is that what you want to do?"
He laughed again. "Oh, nothing as dramatic." He sighed, reaching into his pocket. Faye stiffened. He looked at her, lifting a brow and shaking his head. "I'm not armed, doll." He raised his hand to reveal a silver-plated cigarette case. He popped it open and presented her with one. Faye narrowed her eyes then shrugged, accepting a drag. He took one himself.
"I'll tell you a secret, Faye," he said, whipping a match from nowhere and lighting it with a flick of his thumb. Damn, the man was smooth, Faye thought as Xander lit her smoke, then his. He inhaled deeply and breathed out to the side. The food, the wine, the smokes... Xander was really pulling out all the big guns tonight, Faye mused.
"Well?" Faye prompted, taking a quick puff herself. Oh, yeah. That was great. They'd ran out of money to buy smokes for the month and Spike wouldn't even give her one of his. The bastard. She shook herself. Don't think about Spike. It'd only upset you.
"What's the big secret?" Faye went on. Xander stared her straight in the eye.
"There is no bounty."
Silence.
"Say again?"
"It was all a set-up. There is no bounty on my head."
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Spike heard a scream and a crash. Voices in the background began to escalate in volume.
"Jet, what the hell is going on!" Spike demanded. Jet's face went back and forth towards the communicator and the chaos behind him.
"There's a fight. Some guy started a fight over Kitty," Jet explained.
"Someone started a fight over a cat?"
"Yes—I mean, no!" Jet cried. "I mean, Kitty's a woman. The one that was on stage a couple of moments ago."
"So what the hell do you want me to do about it?"
"Get Faye and X and get the hell out of here—now! We're wasting time!" Jet lowered his communicator so that Spike could see a bit of Jet's leg and some upside-down fighting in the background.
"Jet? Jet! What are you doing? What's-"
"Gotta go, Spike. Looks like Kitty might need some help."
"JET! Dammit, man, what are-"
The communicator screen turned black. Spike punched the couch in frustration. Well, shit. Why didn't anything ever go as planned? He sighed, smirking to himself. Not that he truly expected anything to, with this bunch of misfits he banded with.
But Spike was a man of action, a man who thought quickly on his feet. Being prepared for the unexpected was what kept him alive all this time.
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Faye took a deep breath. Did he really think she would fall for such an easy lie? Apparently, her disbelief was so blatant on her face that Xander spoke before she could.
"We were both victims, Faye. You and I," he began earnestly.
"What are you talking about?"
"They put me to sleep too, Faye." This time, when he laughed, there was no humour in it. Faye's hand automatically went to her mouth and she felt sick. The time after she'd been "revived" had been the worst in her life.
"A few years after you had your shuttle accident... I got myself into a horrible car accident. Thought it wasn't an accident. Somebody wanted me dead." He took a puff of his smoke. "Bomb in the porsche. Or something." He shrugged. "You remember the porsche, Faye? We used to ride down the road for hours with the top down for no reason at all." He sighed. "Anyway. The next thing I know, I wake up at a hospital with gunk all around me, and those lights buzzing around like...fucking... old robot movies? Star Battle? Galaxy Wars?"
"Star Wars," Faye supplied quietly, reeling over the strange turn of events.
"Yeah, Star Wars." He grinned. "You, too?"
"Something like that." Faye frowned. "Who wanted you dead, Xander?"
"I'll get to that," Xander promised. Abruptly, he placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I wanted to die, you know. When they brought me back. I wished my family had let me die."
Despite herself, tears pricked Faye's eyes. Remembering that time of confusion and doubt, of friendly faces betraying her and taking advantage of her vulnerability, always made Faye angry beyond words. Like Xander had just said, there were times she wished herself dead—a person without an identity might as well be, she had thought.
Xander understood. She stared at him.
"You got your memory back."
"Yeah. A couple of months ago, actually." He snorted. "It only took me around three years to get it to kick in." He placed her hand into his open palm, and his other hand over it, enveloping it with his warmth. "You were one of the things I remembered first and foremost. You know what's funny? I think they started doing a whole bunch of resuscitations the entire week, because... I think. No... I remember that you were in the hospital when I came to. I didn't know who you were then. But... when I got my memory back, I knew. I knew it was you."
"Xander..."
"You're the only one left, Faye," he said, clutching her hand. "You and I. We're the only ones left from our past. Everyone else is dead or dying... we're like—"
"—ghosts." Faye barely whispered the word.
Xander smiled slowly and nodded. "Yes. That's exactly it. In and out of everyday life, barely noticeable but yet still present. Of this world, but not. Existing but not really." He butted his smoke out in the ashtray. "Do you believe in fate, Faye?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... this. Our meeting." He released her hand to take a sip of his drink. "It's obvious you have your memory back. I wasn't sure if you had. But I'm guessing this isn't something that happened instantaneously."
"I just remembered everything... a year ago."
Xander nodded. "But before that... you went under a different name, did you not? Poker Alice?"
Faye straightened her back. "What do you know about that?"
Xander laughed. "Nothing. Except that you bet your stakes just a couple of buildings away from The Garden. I even browsed through the place a few times before. Imagine. Both of us were just inches away from each other and not knowing."
"And that's what you call fate?"
"Isn't it?" He started ticking things off with his fingers. "We were both awoken the same week. We both 'worked' on the same strip. All of which leads to this point. With you. In my room."
"One of the many rooms in The Garden," Faye was quick to amend. She was uncomfortable with Xander's insistent personal tone. "I came here because of a bounty, not because of fate."
"Ah. But see, the bounty is fake. And it was just a lark I did after I figured out that Poker Alice was Faye Valentine. And that Faye Valentine was a bounty hunter." He shrugged. "I just thought, perhaps, it would be easier for you to find me."
"Oh, for God's sake. I don't believe you."
Xander shook his head. "Faye. Think about it. A 300 million woolong bounty? And it didn't even get shown on Big Shot?"
"Big Shot doesn't know every huge bounty that goes around," Faye returned, remembering what Spike had told them. "Sometimes the bigger fish are supposedly left to the authorities, but a bounty is set on them—unofficially—just in case the ISSP screws up. Which they do and will."
"A fine story. I'm sorry, doll, but it's all false," Xander returned. "That was just a rumour I started up. A plausible rumour, but a rumour nonetheless. Big Shot is not at all affiliated with the authorities—the show prides itself in being an independent crime-fighting information entity. Big Shot always does a background check on every suspicious bounty that comes their way. Sometimes, people phone in with fake bounties. Somehow, my little rumour spread all the way to Big Shot and they had our story investigated and found it false." He smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, babe, but I'm just your every-day entrepreneur."
Faye stood up from her chair. "B-but that's- that's-" It couldn't be true! Three weeks, three weeks -wasted!
"You just put out a fake bounty on your head on the off-chance that I would catch wind on it?"
"Worked like a charm, I see."
"No. You're lying," Faye insisted. "Why all the secrecy then, huh? What's up with all this 'Mr. X' crap and-and- Shit, Xander, it took us three weeks to get this far!"
"Three weeks? I do cover my tracks well, I suppose," he said, unapologetically. "You understand, Faye. You ran off, too."
"You didn't pay off your bill to the hospital?" Faye gasped.
"Why do you sound so surprised? You didn't, either."
"But—"
"I was a rich man the last time you knew me, Faye. Or rather, my family was rich. But, since I had no recollection of my past, I couldn't reconcile with my previous accounts. I had to start from scratch. I didn't have around 300 million woolong to spare." He shrugged. "Even if I do now, I wouldn't give those heartless bastards one cent." He stood up as well, coming closer to Faye. "And, despite the technical legalities of my venture, it still isn't 100% reputable." He winked. "Which is another reason why we get business."
"So you mean... three weeks..." Faye murmured weakly. "But Spike said..."
"Spike?"
Faye clenched a fist and punched a palm. "That... that... idiot! He was the one who came to us with the bounty in the first place! He said it was legit and under control... He pretty much came back from the dead for this bounty!"
Xander's voice was wary. "You didn't act alone..."
"DAMMIT!" Faye screamed. At the same moment, a loud beeping noise rang in the air. Faye automatically reached for her communicator, but Xander already had his flipped open.
"Yes, what? I'm busy," Xander snapped.
A voice came through the communicator. It sounded like Stan. "Sorry, boss. But we have a little... problem. Miss Kitty—"
All of a sudden, Xander's demeanour changed. He was all business. "What happened?"
"I think you should get to the stage immediately, sir," Stan continued.
"All right." He closed the communicator and put it in his pocket.
"What's going on?" Faye demanded. Xander sighed.
"Faye, we'll continue talking. Stay here, I need to deal with business right now." Xander stalked towards the door. Faye trotted after him, grasping his arm.
"Hey hey! Oh, no you don't! You can't get away from me!" Faye exclaimed.
"I'll be back, Faye, I promise," he said, and caressed her cheek. Faye blinked, unsure of what else to do or say. Xander turned to leave and reached the door. He put his hand to the knob and turned it slightly. He paused.
"Oh, what the hell," he said loudly, and Faye wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or speaking to Faye, but the next thing she knew, Xander had stalked back towards her.
"Huh?" Faye squeaked as Xander took her face into his hands, and then pressed his lips against hers.
What happened next was almost too strange to recount. Faye was too shocked at Xander's actions to make any other move, so when she heard a gun shot, she was still in Xander's embrace. To her amazement, the door of the room was kicked open, the hanging doorknob revealing that it had been shot —
— And on the other side of the door was Spike, his gun pointed straight at them.
