CH 2
After the devastating news of last night, Spike had immediately retired to his sleeping quarters. He had desperately wanted to speak with Faye upon his arrival, but he had just assumed that she was grieving and wanted some space and time alone.
Now that it was bright and early, however, Spike decided to pay a visit to his most likely disgruntled lover. Once he entered her sleeping quarters, he instantly knew that something was wrong due to her scattered belongings all about the room and the many items that were left in disarray.
Suddenly, a tiny piece of white paper attached to the back of a chair caught his eye, thus causing him to immediately rush over to it and remove it from the piece of oak furniture. Unfolding the small note in his hand he read:
Dearest Spike,
I've decided to take the cowardly way out of our little mess and just run away from it all to Jupiter, where I will hopefully meet up with some old friends. Please don't come looking for me, fore this decision is mine and mine alone. Don't be mad at me, sweetheart......everything should turn out alright in the end.
Devotedly Yours,
Faye
P.S. Yes, I AM still mad at you.
Spike sighed, dejectedly bowing his head as he crumpled up the tiny note within his fist, the sound of its destruction somehow bringing comfort to his miserable being.
"She hates me," he realized, mournfully shaking his head. "I don't care WHAT she says....I HAVE to get her back if I want for her to remain my lover! I'M GOIN' AFTER HER, GODDAMMIT!!!"
**************************************************************************** **********************
Ayame let out a dismal sigh, puffing on a well-deserved cigarette as she grumbled in disgust to no one in particular, "Well aren't I the procrastinator? Months ago I wouldn't have even TOUCHED this cancerous shit."
"Your man givin' you trouble?," the nosy bartender pried, sending her a brief glance of interest as he continued to wipe away the grimy film from a filthy mug.
Ayame snorted. "No....I don't HAVE a man! M-my friend was murdered."
"Gee, that sucks," the bartender acknowledged softly. "Here, have another drink.....it's on the house."
Ayame stared back at him dully, her warm, chocolate-brown irises blearing over as she murmured a small thank you and lifted the foamy alcohol up to her lips, downing it almost instantly.
"Whoa, lady...be careful with that!," the bartender warned, his eyes widening with concern as the young woman before him gave a hiccup and pushed back her fawn-colored hair over her shoulders with a deep sense of disinterest. "You don't wanna end up gettin' a bad case of alcoholism, now, do ya?"
Ayame shrugged bitterly. "I don't care......I'm not as think as you drunk I am."
The bartender sighed, shaking his head and setting down the now clean mug onto the bar table as he muttered, "If you insist, lady."
"'Course I do....I'm da boss!," Ayame slurred, giving him a small smile. "Thanks a bunch for the free drink, Mac."
"Sure....any time," the bartender replied softly, watching after the tipsy young woman with concern as she gracelessly slipped off of her barstool and stumbled over towards the bar exit.
As Ayame egressed out of the seedy bar and into the cool, crisp night air, neither she nor the bartender noticed a young colored woman with dark sunglasses and a black leather suit nod in acknowledgement towards a muscle- bound blonde, her partner immediately complying to the order and slyly heading over towards the bar exit and out into the baleful depths of the starless night.
**************************************************************************** **********************
Ayame had sobered up a bit and was beginning to feel the unpleasant effects as she continued to woozily pilot her zip craft through the dark and gloomy town of Airesville.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Damn...my fuel's low!," Ayame cursed softly, immediately easing her zip craft down over towards a field beside a road that appeared to be leading to the middle of nowhere.
Lifting up the hatch she hopped out, landing in the grass with a subtle thud as she strode on over to the fuel cell compartment and eased it open, cursing under her breath when she realized that there wasn't near enough fuel to get her back to the Bebop.
"Vould you like some help, madame?"
Ayame gasped, looking up in astonishment to see a young couple in a black car that was pulled up directly beside her zip craft. Upon further examination, she let out a horrified shriek, exclaiming, "Kostian! Veronica!"
"That's right, my dear," Kostian acknowledged, sending her a toothy grin as he and his comrade immediately got out of the car.
"Don't come any closer!," Ayame warned, immediately withdrawing her gun from her hip holster and aiming it firmly at her one adversary and then the other. "I mean it....if you take another step, so help me God, I WILL fire!"
"Such bold and brash words for a young, inexperienced bounty huntress such as yourself," Veronica commented coldly, taking a proud step forward that deeply confused Ayame. "Fire at will, my dear, fore we are not going to back down."
Ayame trembled, clicking back the hammer to her firearm as she shifted her feet about in discomfort, her heart pounding like a crazed boxing glove within the cavity of her chest.
Veronica smirked in triumph. "What's the matter, my dear old friend? Can't carry out a simple promise?"
"Don't tempt me," Ayame warned, a sudden hint of rancor developing within the tremors of her resonating voice. "You killed Tracey.....WHY?!!!"
"Because she refused to work with us....THAT'S why!," Veronica hissed simply, acting as if the whole ordeal were completely negligible. "You will end up like Miss Baldwin, as well, if you refuse to go by my proposition of annihilating Spike Spiegel!"
Ayame lowered her gun down by her side, her gaze narrowing as she replied boldly, "My answer is no, Veronica. My heart remains true to my word sworn to my friends. I made an oath to Mr. Spiegel swearing to never betray him for any given reason, no matter WHAT the cost. I am sorry, but I would much rather die than turn my back on my fellow teammates like you are requesting."
Veronica frowned, lifting her gun up before her as she hissed icily, "I'm sorry, too."
BANG!
Ayame gasped, moaning in pain as she crumpled down to her knees and clutched her stomach in sheer agony, her innards retching as she began to cough up copious globules of scarlet onto the grassy plane beneath her.
"Finish the job, Kostian," Veronica ordered, blowing the curling, wispy gray smoke from the nozzle of her firearm as her comrade obediently removed a sharp blade forth from his utility belt and approached their fallen adversary within an aura of sheer truculence.
Seizing her by the hair, Kostian yanked back her head, then placed the silver dagger up against her throat in a formidable fashion.
"I'm coming, my dear sister," Ayame breathed, gazing up towards the stardust heavens through bleary eyes. "At last......I am coming."
SLISH!
Ayame choked, letting out a pained sigh as she collapsed into a heap, the deep incision upon her throat excreting blood like a steadfast river of never-ending scarlet.
Veronica looked away from the body in disgust, muttering, "Come, Kostian......there's nothing more to see here."
"Yes, madame," he acknowledged softly, opening up the car door for her before climbing in, as well; the tiny car speeding away as they left the unforgivable crime scene in the dust.
After the devastating news of last night, Spike had immediately retired to his sleeping quarters. He had desperately wanted to speak with Faye upon his arrival, but he had just assumed that she was grieving and wanted some space and time alone.
Now that it was bright and early, however, Spike decided to pay a visit to his most likely disgruntled lover. Once he entered her sleeping quarters, he instantly knew that something was wrong due to her scattered belongings all about the room and the many items that were left in disarray.
Suddenly, a tiny piece of white paper attached to the back of a chair caught his eye, thus causing him to immediately rush over to it and remove it from the piece of oak furniture. Unfolding the small note in his hand he read:
Dearest Spike,
I've decided to take the cowardly way out of our little mess and just run away from it all to Jupiter, where I will hopefully meet up with some old friends. Please don't come looking for me, fore this decision is mine and mine alone. Don't be mad at me, sweetheart......everything should turn out alright in the end.
Devotedly Yours,
Faye
P.S. Yes, I AM still mad at you.
Spike sighed, dejectedly bowing his head as he crumpled up the tiny note within his fist, the sound of its destruction somehow bringing comfort to his miserable being.
"She hates me," he realized, mournfully shaking his head. "I don't care WHAT she says....I HAVE to get her back if I want for her to remain my lover! I'M GOIN' AFTER HER, GODDAMMIT!!!"
**************************************************************************** **********************
Ayame let out a dismal sigh, puffing on a well-deserved cigarette as she grumbled in disgust to no one in particular, "Well aren't I the procrastinator? Months ago I wouldn't have even TOUCHED this cancerous shit."
"Your man givin' you trouble?," the nosy bartender pried, sending her a brief glance of interest as he continued to wipe away the grimy film from a filthy mug.
Ayame snorted. "No....I don't HAVE a man! M-my friend was murdered."
"Gee, that sucks," the bartender acknowledged softly. "Here, have another drink.....it's on the house."
Ayame stared back at him dully, her warm, chocolate-brown irises blearing over as she murmured a small thank you and lifted the foamy alcohol up to her lips, downing it almost instantly.
"Whoa, lady...be careful with that!," the bartender warned, his eyes widening with concern as the young woman before him gave a hiccup and pushed back her fawn-colored hair over her shoulders with a deep sense of disinterest. "You don't wanna end up gettin' a bad case of alcoholism, now, do ya?"
Ayame shrugged bitterly. "I don't care......I'm not as think as you drunk I am."
The bartender sighed, shaking his head and setting down the now clean mug onto the bar table as he muttered, "If you insist, lady."
"'Course I do....I'm da boss!," Ayame slurred, giving him a small smile. "Thanks a bunch for the free drink, Mac."
"Sure....any time," the bartender replied softly, watching after the tipsy young woman with concern as she gracelessly slipped off of her barstool and stumbled over towards the bar exit.
As Ayame egressed out of the seedy bar and into the cool, crisp night air, neither she nor the bartender noticed a young colored woman with dark sunglasses and a black leather suit nod in acknowledgement towards a muscle- bound blonde, her partner immediately complying to the order and slyly heading over towards the bar exit and out into the baleful depths of the starless night.
**************************************************************************** **********************
Ayame had sobered up a bit and was beginning to feel the unpleasant effects as she continued to woozily pilot her zip craft through the dark and gloomy town of Airesville.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Damn...my fuel's low!," Ayame cursed softly, immediately easing her zip craft down over towards a field beside a road that appeared to be leading to the middle of nowhere.
Lifting up the hatch she hopped out, landing in the grass with a subtle thud as she strode on over to the fuel cell compartment and eased it open, cursing under her breath when she realized that there wasn't near enough fuel to get her back to the Bebop.
"Vould you like some help, madame?"
Ayame gasped, looking up in astonishment to see a young couple in a black car that was pulled up directly beside her zip craft. Upon further examination, she let out a horrified shriek, exclaiming, "Kostian! Veronica!"
"That's right, my dear," Kostian acknowledged, sending her a toothy grin as he and his comrade immediately got out of the car.
"Don't come any closer!," Ayame warned, immediately withdrawing her gun from her hip holster and aiming it firmly at her one adversary and then the other. "I mean it....if you take another step, so help me God, I WILL fire!"
"Such bold and brash words for a young, inexperienced bounty huntress such as yourself," Veronica commented coldly, taking a proud step forward that deeply confused Ayame. "Fire at will, my dear, fore we are not going to back down."
Ayame trembled, clicking back the hammer to her firearm as she shifted her feet about in discomfort, her heart pounding like a crazed boxing glove within the cavity of her chest.
Veronica smirked in triumph. "What's the matter, my dear old friend? Can't carry out a simple promise?"
"Don't tempt me," Ayame warned, a sudden hint of rancor developing within the tremors of her resonating voice. "You killed Tracey.....WHY?!!!"
"Because she refused to work with us....THAT'S why!," Veronica hissed simply, acting as if the whole ordeal were completely negligible. "You will end up like Miss Baldwin, as well, if you refuse to go by my proposition of annihilating Spike Spiegel!"
Ayame lowered her gun down by her side, her gaze narrowing as she replied boldly, "My answer is no, Veronica. My heart remains true to my word sworn to my friends. I made an oath to Mr. Spiegel swearing to never betray him for any given reason, no matter WHAT the cost. I am sorry, but I would much rather die than turn my back on my fellow teammates like you are requesting."
Veronica frowned, lifting her gun up before her as she hissed icily, "I'm sorry, too."
BANG!
Ayame gasped, moaning in pain as she crumpled down to her knees and clutched her stomach in sheer agony, her innards retching as she began to cough up copious globules of scarlet onto the grassy plane beneath her.
"Finish the job, Kostian," Veronica ordered, blowing the curling, wispy gray smoke from the nozzle of her firearm as her comrade obediently removed a sharp blade forth from his utility belt and approached their fallen adversary within an aura of sheer truculence.
Seizing her by the hair, Kostian yanked back her head, then placed the silver dagger up against her throat in a formidable fashion.
"I'm coming, my dear sister," Ayame breathed, gazing up towards the stardust heavens through bleary eyes. "At last......I am coming."
SLISH!
Ayame choked, letting out a pained sigh as she collapsed into a heap, the deep incision upon her throat excreting blood like a steadfast river of never-ending scarlet.
Veronica looked away from the body in disgust, muttering, "Come, Kostian......there's nothing more to see here."
"Yes, madame," he acknowledged softly, opening up the car door for her before climbing in, as well; the tiny car speeding away as they left the unforgivable crime scene in the dust.