The rain felt surprisingly good against her skin as Coria watched the Bebop sway on the waves. It was an amazing feeling to have put herself back into action. She'd always hated the rain before, but now it felt so good against her skin she found herself relaxing enough to feel around her. In the distance cars rumbled by, a child laughed, dogs snarled at one in a distant alley, and she surprised herself by even hearing the even breathing of the two who stood behind her.

Karin and Telia, two of the most mysterious under her command. Despite her superior hacking skills she failed to dig up anything on them other than what they wanted known, going so far as to burn off their own fingerprints. The thought made her wince lightly as she stepped forward toward the Bebop into the full force of the rain.

Karin chuckled cracking his knuckles, a habit that annoyed her, and Telia loaded her twin guns holding them loosely at her side. "This should be fun." Telia spoke in a harsh whisper hardly audible over the rain.. A scar across her throat gave testimony to the injury that took away her ability to speak much louder. Karin, didn't speak at all, She didn't know if it was because he couldn't or didn't know how, but they all got along just fine with actions.

Raising an umbrella to shield her from being soaked further she stood with the two on either side of her. Half-mad, that was how they'd been described to her when she'd first questioned their files. Raising her hand she signaled Telia and Karin to move ahead of her, and they did so happily.

Raising their loaded weapons they opened fire at the hull of the Bebop with amazing accuracy. Karin traced the outline the ships hastily pained name while, Telia had her own fun making strange designs. The sound was mesmerizing at the two worked away. Coria almost missed noticing the docking bay doors open enough to let two shadowed figures roll out, and return fire.

"That's enough." She shouted stepping in front of the duo again. Quickly summing up the damage done she dismissed them, and watched over her shoulder as they faded away into the shadows.

"What the hell do you want?" She bowed her head lightly at the sound of Spike's voice, and threw open her jacket revealing the large amount of artillery she carried. It didn't matter if they knew, and she actually found herself wanting them to know. "How are you?"

"I'm insulted, Mr. Spiegel. I know so much about you, and you know so very little about me." Coria laughed lifting the umbrella a little higher as flood lights snapped on focusing on her. "Do you recognize me now?"

He stood facing her angrily, and trained the barrel of his gun on her as she gazed back at him keeping her emotionless mask in place. "Yeah, I recognize you. What do you want?"

"What do you want?" She smirked slightly turning from him as a car passed by; its passengers gazed out at them curiously. "The syndicate isn't going to fall so easily. I've united the branches. We won't fall, Vicious wouldn't want it to fall."

"He's dead, why should h care what happens to the syndicate after his passing?" Spike demanded as Faye came to join him at the edge of the Bebop's landing strip.

"It is men like you and he whom destroy the hearts of women like her and I." She nodded up at Faye drawing her own weapon. "Men like you think you are the only ones who suffer through your issues, and if you'd stop to really think you'd realize because you suffer, so do we. Vicious is not dead. Not yet anyways! Did you really think he would go into such a battle unprepared? That he wouldn't leave anyone behind who would do everything possible to see that he survives? Like she did for you."

"What the hell are saying?" He leapt down approaching her with an angry stride. His hand flexed around the handle of his gun as he came close. "I know for a fact he is dead."

"Did you see a body? Can you be so sure? It's not nice to hack one's private files." She ducked with ease beneath his punch, and rolled out of his reach. She'd been too distracted to notice how close he'd gotten. She'd let herself become engrossed with how angry she'd been with Vicious for trying to leave her as he had.

Spike came at her again, and she dodge again a little slower this time. The street was slick, and she was forced to throw the umbrella aside to keep her balance. He was angry and that made him careless, and not entirely in control of his actions. She rushed him, ducking beneath his blow by bending her knees slightly. Her foot caught behind his, and as she slammed her elbow up under his ribs she yanked his feet off from under him.

He hit the ground hard as she spun away, far enough out of reach to safely launch another attack if he got up again. He laid the staring up at the falling rain, and for the first time she saw one of the most powerful men she knew cry. His tears fell silently as he slowly began to move to his feet.

"Vicious is dead damn it! He's gone now, and finally resting!" He wiped at his eyes, and Coria felt a sudden rush of adrenaline run through her body as he looked up at her with the intent to kill in his eyes. "Nothing you say can make me believe otherwise! If you have denied him peace than you are to be blamed for his continued suffering!"

He dropped his gun rushing up at her too quickly for her to dodge. His shoulder slammed hard into stomach and she grunted quietly as the ground rushed up to great her from the corner of her eye. Blow after blow rained down upon her as she grinned up at him carefully blocking his blows to take minimal damage.

As his anger subsided he stood looking down at her before yanking her to her feet. Faye rushed up beside him looking nervously from him to her. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I took more damage than he did." Coria grinned as Faye glared at her angrily. "Course, I'd like to say we're done here, but I'm afraid I'd be lying."

On cue Karin and Telia appeared from the shadows again, the duo before her ablivious to their presence until it was too late. One moment they were standing there, the next struggling, and the unconscious and at her mercy.

"Now what?" Rasped Telia.

"Leave the girl, the poor thing will be making herself suffer enough. I'm sure the other member of their crew will be back sooner or later." She turned to Spike with sudden pang of guilt. "Let's take this one with us. I want him with me when I make my announcement tomorrow."

To be continue. . . .

A/N: I'm terribly sorry this chapter sucks so horribly. Please, I don't know how you can ever forgive me.