Chapter 2
And Now?......
That was 4 years ago; now it seems that Spike's past has finally caught up with this speeding cowboy. Spike had no regrets, what would be the point? What is done is done. It's just that simple all he can do is fixed what needed fixing.
And Spike did fix his past. As he now staggers down the steps to the crumbling syndicate building of The Red Dragons. The taste of blood reminding him of what had just occurred, metal, running, a gun shot, Vicious. Spike admittedly was sad it was his friend, his brother. He took his life. Another burden he would have to carry. He thought of it as pay back. Since Vicious did kill Julia.
That wasn't the problem he was facing though. His past is now officially in the past, yet he feels something left unfinished. His eyes glazing over, he can feel his vision coming and going. Seeing instances of blonde hair and blue eyes; no green eyes and purple hair. Missing a step, he hears her voice 'Where are you going?'
He stares up, his mind seeing her standing beside him.
'Why are you going?'
he staggers more but some how maintains his balance.
"I….just…need…to…know."
he rasps out to the beautiful figure.
Getting closer to the exit
'It's all a dream, Spike'
once again saw blonde hair and blue eyes stare at him.
"All….ugh…a….dream?"
he was confused.
What was going on? Julia was finally free. But this regret, this guilt that was not letting him forget, his friends, his family. The kid, damn that kid. She was smart and annoying, mostly annoying and mostly smart. He smirked at the thought of her. Not sure he ever met such innocence like Ed. What about that dog? Ein, stupid dog, never knew when to shut up; barking, always encouraging the girl. He was a friend first, dog second. The Black Dog, now there was a man who is the very definition of "Gung Ho" a soldier. He laughed, accidentally spitting out blood, the last thing he remembers of him is the stupid stories they've shared recently. Then there was her, the ice queen bitch, stubborn and feisty. He admired her longing for truth but most of all her longing for love. After all her hardships, she still had hope for love.
He sees the light; all he needs is a few more steps. He sees a few more syndicate members but he couldn't careless he modeled his hand into a gun, smirks and grunts out in one breath
"BANG!"
He fell to his death.
-----
Barren outside of Mars System the Bebop floats aimlessly. The quiet bitter mood is broken none other than Faye Valentine.
"So . . . do you think he made it?"
Faye tried to hide the worry in her voice but she was in such an emotional state, she couldn't care. She was worried not just for him but for everyone else she came to realize was her home and family. This was her home now and she desperately needed it back the way it was.
She wanted to argue with Spike about anything about nothing. She wanted Ein and Ed to keep her company, no matter how annoying she finds them to be. They were entertaining. She wanted Jet to worry and look after her like if he was her father of a sort. She found herself hating everything about Spike's past. She hoped Vicious was dead and in some sick way she was glad that Julia is no longer among the living. She felt horrible about feeling this way toward her, she couldn't help it, she was jealous. She was jealous because she had Spike like no other person could ever have him. Faye couldn't even have a decent conversation with him. She was jealous that the only person that occupied his heart and soul was Julia, not her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff cough
"I . . . I don't know"
Jet found himself looking down, ashamed that he didn't have enough faith in his friends' survival. Faye looked up at him and slowly her anger got the best of her
"But . . . he's your friend, our friend, he was something to us whether we wanted it to happen or not, how can you just ignore what's happening out there! For all we know he can be hurt waiting for us to pick him up!"
Jet glared at Faye
"You think he is . . . de-dead, don't you?"
he didn't want to get her upset but damn it he was not going to put up with her shit.
"Think? DAMN IT FAYE! I KNOW HE'S DEAD! WHETHER YOU OR I LIKE IT OR NOT!"
a sigh was heard
"I said before and I'll say it again Faye and only this once, he was nothing but fucking trouble and nothing more, he was bound to die like this"
Jet saw the tears slip down her eyes
'This is going to be a long night'
With the fatherly caring voice he had told her softly
"Listen Faye, he's gone . . . Vicious would make sure he is dead before he dies . . . there is just no way Spike survived."
Faye was horror struck
"Don't say that!"
she found herself yelling before she can comprehend what she had just said.
"He can't die . . . he couldn't . . . he just has to be alive. I just know it!"
Jet couldn't help but roughly laugh at her absurd behavior.
Faye was running to the hangar she paused when Jet's metallic arm grabbed her shoulder.
"Your ship is broken . . . don't torture yourself, Faye. He is dead . . . he is not coming back."
Faye turned around and embraced the unexpected Jet and silently cried for Spike's death. Jet heard a transmission coming in from the control room. He gave Faye a stern look before he let her go. He accepted the message.
"Hey Jet well I got some recent news about the syndicate you wanted to know about."
At this Faye shot up and ran to the restroom and locked herself inside, Jet did nothing but give a worry sigh "And? What did you find out, any survivors?"
Jet was now massaging his temples trying to relieve the headache from holding back the tears a man like him will never let drop.
"Well that's what I'm calling you, Jet. There are no survivors, absolutely none, I've never seen so many bodies and blood before in my time, the building is partially collapsed caused by a few explosives so it seems."
"Do you have any of the bodies identified at least, Bob? ...Bob?"
The officer did nothing but look down afraid if he should say anything or not.
"ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER ME?"
"Yea . . . we have a few recovered bodies that are actually in tact for someone to recognize, So far we have a Vicious, does he sound familiar?"
Jet couldn't help but smile triumphantly
'The bastard did it'
"yea he does, he was assuming power over the syndicate for a while, I'm glad he didn't get too far."
"Yo Jet, how is it that you know this? I.S.S.P doesn't even know the main leader of the Red Dragon Syndicate."
He couldn't help but ask.
"Bob that's not for you to worry about, besides they are all . . . dead now, what's the point?"
"Yea . . . you are right, well if you want to come to the Mars Mortuary just ask for Mr. Chaves, well that's it Jet, have a good one."
"Yea . . . right, thanks."
He cut off the comm. link. He started thinking to himself; did he really want to go and try to find Spike, even if he was most likely to be dead?
"Hmm . . . damn he's nothing but trouble."
In the restroom, Faye just looked at herself in the mirror noticing her swollen eyes and tear stained face, she rinsed her face with cold water.
"Why does this hurt . . . why couldn't I stop him?'
She wasn't sure with her emotions but she had an idea.
'He's not coming back . . . he's dead' she heard Jet's voice in her thoughts.
"Hmm . . . What's the point in loving a dead man.?"
If only she could believe such a lie like that. Faye was no fool, she knew she would always remember but ignoring her heart, she will find a way to move on even if it was a bunch of lies.
'Easy come and Easy go'
she wipes her eyes dry and takes a deep breath before she steps out of the restroom. Walking to Jet, she noticed he was still talking to the officer.
"If you want to come to the Mars Mortuary just ask for Mr. Chaves . . ."
'They found his body!'
Faye felt weak.
'I think I'm going to throw up'
She runs but she doesn't get far
"Come on Faye you can do this, if you know he's dead then you can move on."
She found herself saying this in hopes that maybe she will be able to continue with life. She turns back around
"So are we going?"
She walked up to Jet determined to get this over with.
"What? You want to go?"
"Well I think I want to see the building first before we go to that Morgue."
"Faye...what are you planning? There is no point going there? You are not going to find him."
"I just want to see the mess he left behind."
Faye forced herself to smirk
"You know how he is."
Jet a bit surprised about the way Faye was handling herself, if she wanted to see him or the 'mess' he left behind then he'll take her.
'Better now than never, I guess.'
"Only if you are sure;"
"Yea . . . I'll be fine one way or another, let's just go, OK."
She almost sounded desperate but she hid it with another smirk. Jet sighed and got the Bebop headed to Mars docking station.
3 hrs. later . . .
"That was a fun walk to remember."
Faye being her sarcastic self; both ships were broken down for the moment; they didn't want to spend the last of their money on a cab. They had no choice but to walk in this heat.
"Just keep on walking we are almost there, anyway."
Jet and Faye arrived to their destination and to say that they were surprised was an understatement. They were devastatingly shocked. They knew the hot headed bounty hunter for the mess and trouble he caused but this was a disaster. Half of the building collapsed, they weren't even sure if it was safe to walk inside. 'What was he thinking that lunkhead'
Faye couldn't help but admire the damaged he caused, it made her smile. She could already see the argument her and Spike would have if they were working on this together. She knows she would be fighting with him about paying for the damages, how he should pay them since he was the one that did it and Spike would argue about how she should pay for it for being a shrew woman. Since Spike was gone, she has come to realize how selfish she turned out to be. Now that she got her memories back, she had no plans in becoming "The Shrew Woman" or becoming so self-centered.
'It's never too late for a change'
that was one thing she wasn't comfortable with. It was easy not caring about others and taking care of only yourself.
'Ha! If it was so easy, I wouldn't have come back to the ship, I wouldn't have fallen for a dead man'
She knew she needed to be back at the Bebop with everyone who once inhabited the ship, but now it was just her and Jet. There is going to be some absolute changes happening around here and it's going to start with her personality and her view of things.
Faye would just have to worry about that later, since Jet has been talking to her for the past few minutes. "Faye are you even listening to me?"
he waited patiently.
'Maybe it wasn't a good idea to come here'
Jet couldn't help but worry for her, she was all he had for company, he didn't want to spend the rest of his life alone. He needed someone to keep him from fading from reality.
'Man . . . I just need to get laid'
He coughed to erase that thought from his head and deciding to say anything before his brain concocts another thought about sex.
"Faye if you are not ready . . . or if you don't want to go in that's fine, I'll just go to the morgue while you wait in the ship"
Faye looked up glad he was worried about her; she just smiled back with sad eyes.
She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but better to find out the truth now than later.
"Jet, though I am appreciating this new side of concern you have for me, give me some space, I want to do this . . . I need to know."
making sure she made her point she moved into the fallen building.
"Hey Jet,, after this trip. Let's take you to the doctors"
Jet looked up perplexed
"Why the hell for? I don't need no doctor."
Faye smiled
"Yea, you do. Where did you get that metal arm of yours? Maybe you should think about upgrading it, have it look more human or at least have the gears and screws changed, I'm surprised you haven't started squeaking."
Faye couldn't help but laugh at her own joke. Jet glared at her for laughing, his arm was no laughing matter to him.
"There is nothing wrong with my arm, Faye. If it bothers you so much all you have to do is leave, I'm not going change it."
Jet didn't mean to sound harsh but he was a stubborn old man and took things personal when it came to his metallic arm.
"Don't need to get your underwear in bunch, I was just showing some concern about your well being, I don't have a problem with your arm, Jet. I was just suggesting getting your arm fixed so you won't have a problem with your reflexes, besides it's not just the arm, but you also got shot in the leg. I'm surprised it's not infected. At least go to the doctors for your leg, Jet, before we leave this god forsaken planet."
Faye was annoyed about his attitude.
'So much for trying to show that I'm concerned, damn old man'
she decided to ignore it for now.
"I'll think about it."
Jet walked in to the entrance.
Faye followed after looking all around her. What once was a lobby was now in shambles, bullet holes and blood decorated the walls and floor. The smell was unbearable from the scent of old blood mixed with the dust flowing around the building.
"Spike . . . what did you do?"
Faye said to herself.
"You think he went a little happy with the bombs?" He couldn't help but laugh. "Just a little, that lunkhead."
They looked up the stairs and found there was just enough room for one person to go in at a time. They climbed up the broken pieces of cement; along the way up they found a severed arm.
"Aghh! What is that thing! ...EW! That's gross" Jet rolled his eyes.
"Don't start Faye, you wanted to come to this place so deal with it."
Faye bit her lip in hopes she won't throw up.
"Yea . . . yea I know"
She tried to ignore the bits and pieces of flesh that once were attached to a body, somewhere. They reached to the top, they couldn't get any further, the second floor and up was completely closed off. Faye searched all around, after all she came here for a reason and hidden between two big pieces of cement was the one and only Israeli Jericho 941
'I know you are going to be pissed once you find out it was I who took it, but I have my reasons.' The gun was a bit damaged but after a good bounty. She will have it repaired. She goes in the little crevice and reaches for the gun.
"Hey! What do you have there?"
Faye comes out, gun in hand and smirking
"Just getting myself a souvenir."
Jet looked worried for a moment.
"Is that his?"
"Yea."
She cut in before he said a word.
"Let's go"
Jet shrugged and made it back downstairs.
"Spike I hope you put your past to rest and move on, if you are fighting your way to the pearly gates, I got your back."
Jet said as he glanced at Faye who was twirling Spike's gun as if it was hers all the while. He knew as well as she they're going to change after this, he just hope it's for the best. Leaving the building, they silently said their farewell.
'If only I told you, Spike, maybe things would have turned out different, See ya...Lunkhead...don't forget us Spike Spiegel.'