Three weeks came and went since Spike's return and revival and "Team Bebop", as Edie childishly referred the group as, received its newest bounty. Edie felt quite giddy at the first bounty with a new, or rather old but new to Edie, colleague. She was nowhere near ready to deem Spike a fellow comrade. He, just like Jet, was relentless in disclosure of anything personal. Spike gave no insight nor recollection as to what happened in the battle to settle the past. Questions like: Is Vicious still alive? How did you survive? Where had you been all this time? went unquestioned and unanswered. Jet felt content with that mystery, and simply assured Edie, when she got curious, that it was Spike's business to tell or not. So she didn't let the whole Spike thing hinder her. Her daily routine resumed until she noticed that it, somehow, coincided with Spike's old routine. She found herself shooing off Spike when it was her normal time to be in the rec room, practicing. He, undoubtedly, would coax her as to who would want to fight her. She brushed off his taunts. He knew very well that she wasn't to be mistaken for a kid again. Though he had seen quite enough to tell him otherwise, he insisted on referring to her as kid.
"Do you mind not waking the whole galaxy with your trash-for-taste music?" Spike tugged at his disheveled suit and rubbed his tiring eyes.
"Trash-for-taste, you say!? You know, you're one to talk, fool!" Bit back Edie as she holstered her magnum and a secondary pistol in the back of her high waist jeans.
"And you also may wanna consider not leaving your ridiculous she-shit everywhere in the bathroom. I'm scared I may turn my hair cotton candy blue too by grabbing your shit."
"Bite me." Edie flicked Spike off as she slipped her hunter's knife into her leather boots.
"Are you guys set for this bounty?" Jet interceded the constant bickering that had ensued nonstop since Spike's arrival.
The useless bicker no longer was deemed a nuisance but rather a routine now.
"Okay. Norman G. Whethers. Wanted for theft of some of the most well known and liked banks in Venus. Last seen in Venus."
"And what's the loot on this bad boy?" Spike peeped in, settling his Jericho in the back of his navy trouser pants, hidden behind his suit jacket.
"2.5 million Woolong."
A light smile formed from Spike's, then, playful features. "Let's rock this joint."
He easily swatted away Edie and her sassy attitude. Spike didn't really work based on preparation and evaluation of the situation. He preferred simply grabbing his gun and flying off in his Swordfish II, sometimes with or without Faye's help, and nabbing the bad guy for the funds and a decent meal. It suited him better. He was a simple guy with simple needs. Edie's voice trailed off as Spike made his way down the main hall and into the ship's hangar where, along with both Jet's and Edie's ship, the Swordfish awaited him.
"Shit," scrambled Edie down the hall to join Spike in the hangar.
Spike hopped into the Swordfish and was already targeting the most fortune islands and areas of Venus. He took off without thought. Edie followed and high tailed in her Aguila.
"We'll split up for a wider spectrum. I'll check out D'Joir and you check out Port Labina." Spike's face blew up on her communications analog in the Aguila.
"Got it, partner." She didn't outwardly admit it, but she admired Spike's style. He was the get up and go type. The just do it type. She was once known for some of the same tenacity and enthusiasm as Spike. But she had grown to value something in this godforsaken world. Found something worth living for. Without a doubt, she was still tenacious, but that raging fire inside her slightly cooled by the fear of endangering her treasure.
...D'Joir, Venus
Spike canvassed the city in search for their bounty, Norman. As a convicted felon and wanted man, Spike initially assumed finding him wouldn't be difficult. He had a mug that few could forget. A massive gash across his left cheek served as a real hallmark for the felon's face. D'Joir was too nice of a place to let a man of his caliber drift free without raising an eyebrow. Yet a refined, well-to-do city was all Spike and Edie had for a lead. Speaking of Edie, Spike was not quite sure of the decision of splitting up. He had no knowledge of her capabilities. He supposed based on the word of Jet.
When searching the sweeter parts of D'Joir proved of no avail, Spike considered questioning D'Joir's slums. He checked in with local dive bars and some proved fruitful. They had, indeed, seen such a man with such a distinctive scar.
"Yeah, saw 'im around. If I recall, saw 'im last week. Came here, rambling on how he was gonna make himself notorious after a few swigs. Be the richest sumbitch around these parts." The heavyset bartender laughs and remains wiping down shot glasses.
"Have you seen him around lately?" Spike asks casually as he takes another drink of his beer.
Spike was more of a liquor's man, but the fact that it was 10 in the morning Venus time, and that he was on the job confirmed that a friendly beer would suffice.
"Last I heard bout 'im, that fool knocked up D'Joir's own prized Federal bank. Heard that from his friend, Fannie, who comes in every Thursday for a few."
"Where can I find Fannie?"
"Down the street, hanging out in front of Ben's General Store. He always sporting a raggedy-ass blue baseball cap. Can't miss 'im."
" 'preciate ya." Spike chugged down the last of his beer and paid the bartender, in addition to a generous tip.
He strolled down the street with his hands in his pockets, combing the crowds of people that tottered around the general store.
Found ya. Spike's eyes land on a suspicious looking fellow with a blotchy blue baseball hat smoking a cigarette. Spike crossed the street, looking as if he was going to enter the store.
"Hey, you Fannie?" Spike stuck his head aside to see the guy lounged against the outside wall of the general store, leading toward a solitary alley.
"Who wants to know?" smarted back the alley cat.
"Got a couple of questions for ya. Know any Norman Whethers?" Spike ignored his sass.
"Any Normans, you say? Again who the fuck wants to know?" The man, presumably Fannie, inched away from the wall and stood straight up to eye Spike.
"You know, we can make this easy." Spike smoothly pulled out a cigarette and places it between his lips.
In response to Spike's cool demeanor, Fannie tensed up and figured his best bet to get the upper hand of the matter would be to attack while Spike wasn't paying attention. As Spike fingered his lighter, Fannie attempted to punch Spike in the face but his fist is met up with Spike's other hand. Spike clenched the guy's fist. Spike maintained his composure and even continued to light the cigarette that still lingered in his perched lips.
"Now, I'm going to ask this one more time. Know any Norman Whethers?" Spike went on as if uninterrupted.
Fannie swallowed hard. He ran into show offs all the time. All talk no bite. So it was easy to say that he had expected the same out of Spike. Even more so given his lanky exterior appearance.
"Yeah I know 'im." Fannie shakily regained his senses as Spike released his fist. "Did his job here in D'Joir, headed to his next in Labia."
Great.
...Port Labia, Venus
Edie shared around a photo of Norman around the docks to fishermen and docked vessels hoping for some type of identification. So far, most had never seen the man in a day in their lives let alone in Port Labia. So Edie figured moving farther up the island, into the city, would better benefit her in her search. The inner city limits of Port Labia proved to be quite appealing and influenced despite the harbor's sketchy image. Within the city lights, tons of shops painted the luxuries of the wealthy. Beautiful clothing, beautiful things, beautiful people. As Edie passed by the windows of shops, she observed her own reflection over the hottest trends. She had all those things before, but it was nothing compared to the simple life she lived now. She once adorned herself in the finest and trendiest that money could buy. She once endowed herself with the most expensive jewelry and constantly lathered herself in many creams and lotions. It was all about beauty, her past life. Now she found herself laughing at them, laughing at all of them. Laughing at their subtle misery.
Nearing Port Labia's Reserve Bank, she spotted a quaint cafe. She needed to scope out the area and what better way would there be to scope out than with a cup of tea while doing it. After ordering a green tea, she sat outside of the cafe along with many other patrons on such a sunny day. Edie mostly focused on the in and out traffic surrounding the bank. No one in particular peeked her interest. On the other hand, the patrons of the cafe seemed to consume most of the interest. She sipped her tea and observed the body language of a couple having, what appeared to be, a bit of a lover's quarrel. Edie smirked to herself. At the neighboring table, sat an elderly man with his nose deep into a novel. His posture affirmed his interest in what the novel contained. Across from him, sat two large built gentlemen. Their posture, too, spoke volumes about them. One of the gentleman had on shades and a baseball cap and the other wore a bright flowery button up, shades and a fedora. Their dress deemed them visitors or even, tourists. Edie got a good look at the face of the man with the baseball cap as she took another sip of her steaming tea. Though his face was rugged, his features were somewhat decent. He could even be passed as attractive. Edie shooed away that line of thinking. She couldn't, however, get a good look at the flowery guy's face. So out of pure curiosity, she made it an excuse to throw something away into a nearby trashcan. Lucky, lucky she. The man could cover his eyes with shades but he could not hide the large scar plastered on the left side of his face. Bulls-eye. The guy was hiding in plain sight under a flamboyant shirt. The irony. Just as she had thought to phone Spike on the discovery, she struggled to find her communications device as she fished within her pockets.
Wonderful. Just simply delightful. Edie thought to herself.
Spike was gonna give her hell once he found out she accidentally left her communicator back on the ship. What added further stress was the fact that the communicator also housed a tracking device as to notify the team of her whereabouts. Well, she was going to have to complete the job solo. Edie continued reconnaissance on the two men as she returned to her seat. She could, just then and there, slap Norman in handcuffs and hail him off to the police but she doubted that the other man was unequipped and unprepared. So she allotted time to pass by.
Twenty minutes later, following a bunch of eye movement towards the bank between the two men, the two arose and parted ways. Edie tailed Norman as he roamed the busy streets of the city and noted when he ceased in front of a rundown motel. Instead of entering the motel, he dug in his shirt pocket for his pack of cigarettes and slipped one out.
"Need a light, big boy?" Edie ignited her lighter to let out a flame for Norman.
He bent forward toward the small fire to light his cigarette and stood up to see a cigarette in Edie's lips too.
"Thanks, baby." Norman's gruff voice befitted his large stature. "What can I do ya for?" He inquired, noticing she still lingered by.
"Why you sure can," Edie prowled with an alluring pitch. "You could put these on for me" Her right hand held her smoke, the other dangled a pair of handcuffs.
Norman clicked his tongue and held out his hand for the handcuffs. As she reached out to place them on his hands, Norman quickly affirmed a tight grab of her dainty wrist.
"I ain't going nowhere, baby." He growled as he squeezed her wrist harder. But Norman underestimated Edie.
After his tight squeeze, he'd unconsciously loosened his grip on her which she took advantage of. Within the loosened grip, she slipped and twisted her own hand to grab a hold of his wrist as well. Once she got a firm grip on Norman's wrist, she put all her weight in twisting his arm in the opposite direction. His arm gave way and Edie used his bent arm to push him against the wall. Norman roared in anguish and rising anger, aiming his free hand for Edie's neck. Edie's small and light body made it easy to dodge the flying arm and using her force, projecting herself away from Norman.
"You're one tough bitch, I'll give you that." Norman shook away the pain of his arm and laughed in enjoyment.
He positioned his fists upward, near his face, and was properly ready to fight her.
Boxer stance. She let him take a few jabs at her, each missing their target. In order to watch his form and study his movements she had to play it defensive. She observed his oncoming punches and noted the arms that heavily guarded his upper body and face. Typical spots for boxers. But in boxing, it was illegal to hit below the waist. Mental note. As he kept attacking, he only used his arms, his legs were for footing and balance.
"Come on sweetheart, you're boring me." Norman sighed and put in less power and precision in his punches.
She snickered, "Going easy on me, ay?"
Using precaution, she targeted his lower extremities and waist. Rolling herself underneath his punches, Edie threw out her legs mid-roll to kick Norman's gonads. Norman squealed and no longer stood towering over Edie, but knelt on his knees and blocked any further damage to his pelvic region. Edie took the opportunity to punch Norman straight in the face and using his shoulders as leverage, flipped above him and wrapped her leg around his neck. She tighten her leg's grip around Norman's wide neck more and more until he fell limp. She handcuffed him and breathed in deeply. Edie knew she had to mentally prepare herself to drag this big lug all the way to where she parked her Aguila. Luckily, her prayers had been answered. The Swordfish hovered by.