Cowboy Bebop and all its contents are the copyright of Shinichiro Watanabe and Bandai.
Cowboy Bebop: Live and Learn
Episode 29: Goodnight Julia
"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
Tharsis City, Mars:
Work, on the best of days, was mundane. And that didn't bother Bob too much. It was when work hit him with a curve ball, like in the form of bad news for someone he knows personally, that he hated what he did for a living. And he realized that he probably wouldn't hate his work so much if there was something he could actually do to help. But as he stared at the monitor and watched The Bounty Show… man did he miss Big Shots… he knew that the only help he could provide was to tip off the one person he believed could even have a chance at helping.
Bob made his way past fellow ISSP officers, out of the break room and down the hall to his locker. Making sure no one else was around to listen in on his call Bob was quick to dial.
Jet met the letter carrier and took his mail inside while the carrier took off. " Bill, bill, taxes, and… let's see… something for… Faye?"
Jet turned the large envelope in his hands, searching for a return address and finding none. " Great. What am I suppose to do with this?" Just then his communicator beeped. Dropping the mail on the table of the recreation room he answered the call.
" Hello?"
" Hey Jet. It's Bob. There's something on The Bounty Show you need to see right now."
Jet quickly switched on the monitor and turned the channels until he found the show. He soon found himself staring at a digital snapshot of Faye.
" Wha?" At first he couldn't understand why her face was being displayed for the whole universe to see and then the realization hit him. " Awe crap."
" Yeah." Bob replied. " She's in big trouble Jet. Apparently she's been hiding out in Deimos hoping to make enough woolongs to get off to… who knows where. But she made the mistake of going after a guy who is the son of the chief of ISSP on that satellite. Word is that the ISSP there is corrupt. Now she's the one on the run."
Jet rubbed the back of his neck, already feeling a headache coming on.
" For someone who likes to think of herself as lucky she sure has her share of runnings with bad luck."
" Yeah. But I thought I should let you know. Lots of bounty hunters are going to be after her. And you and I both know that not all of them are very-"
" You don't need to say more." Jet replied a bit more brusquely than he had intended. " Thanks for the heads up."
" Welcome. And now I have to go. Good luck."
Jet stood staring at the monitor for several minutes in fluctuating states of disbelief and frustration. " What mess have you gotten into now, Faye?" And as he formulated a plan he found himself wondering why, after everything she had put him through, he still wanted to help her.
Kyoto City on Deimos, 2nd moon of Mars:
Faye paused in an alley to catch her breath. " I hate this!" She muttered to herself. " I can't even go anywhere to grab a bit to eat without being recognized and chased like a… a criminal!"
The sound of footfalls reached her ears and she took off running again. Having zigzagged in and out of alleys and streets she was certain that her pursuers would have given up by now and waited for another chance on another day. " Would it be too much to ask for something to go my way for once?!" She yelled out to no one in particular. Turning a sharp corner she found a parking garage and double-timed it up to the third level where she called her beloved Red Tail via a secret button on her bracelet.
A rush of wind, too concentrated to be natural, blew her hair into her eyes and rustled the sleeves of her red, tie sweater. A moment later the Red Tail hovered in the air, waiting for her to take control. With a proud smile Faye started for her ship, already dreaming of a warm meal once she was far enough away from her current location. But suddenly the sound of a gun going off startled her and froze.
" Hands in the air, good looking." Called a sly voice from behind.
Faye could hear the man getting closer. She looked up at her ship with a determined gleam. She was so close! Slowly, she risked inching closer.
A bullet hit the ground just beside her foot and she froze, this time putting her hands up in the air. " Okay, okay! Relax, would you?"
" Did you hear that? She wants us to relax." A new voice replied.
" Hm."
Faye felt a sense of dread wash over her. Two men, at least.
" Kind of hard to relax when there's so much loveliness just begging for the right attention."
Faye blanched and was thankful whoever had her in their sights couldn't yet see her face. She looked back at the Red Tail, still hovering, still waiting for her.
" So how are you guys gonna split the reward?" She began in an effort to keep them preoccupied and to keep her nerves steady. " How much am I worth anyway?"
Faye felt a gun press hard against her back, right between the shoulder blades. It stayed that way for a moment before slowly sliding down to her waist. A hand wrapped around her neck while someone else walked around her.
" You!" She gasped in frustrated disbelief. Her previous date now stood before her in a twist of fate that even Faye found pathetic.
" I guess what goes around comes around, hm?" He smirked and took out a pair of handcuffs.
The gun pressed harder against her lower back and Faye grimaced when the hand squeezed a bit too hard around her neck.
" Careful." Her "date" warned. " We don't want to mar that perfect skin. She's worth more if we bring her in unharmed."
And for a brief moment Faye felt a rush of relief. But that was short lived as her captor suddenly brandished a knife. It gleamed and he stepped closer.
" But who says we're after your reward?"
" You wouldn't dare." Faye hissed. " Too many people are after me."
" Yeah. You see the thing is… you seem to forget that my dad is chief of the ISSP here on this satellite. Anything I do can be covered up or erased all together."
Faye felt her heart beating so fast she was certain he could see it trying to pop out of her chest. It was time to try a different tactic. " Oh come on! All this because I turned you in? It wasn't anything personal! A gal's gotta eat, you know?" She was stalling for time. This couldn't be how things ended! Maybe someone else would show up for her reward and stop whatever these guys had planned.
" You know… its girls like you that really make life miserable." He stepped closer and tightened his grip on the knife's handle. " Consider this my way of evening the odds for us loser dates."
Faye realized there was nothing she could do and squealed when he lunged for her, the hand around her neck squeezing so hard she couldn't breathe. Closing her eyes she waited for death and half expected to feel both the blade and the bullet but instead she experienced something quite unexpected.
It was as if time had stopped. Suddenly there was no hand around her neck, no gun pressed against her back, and no floor under feet. She was instantly aware of her body being airborne and the hard drop onto asphalt that soon followed.
Blinking in confusion and dazed she raised her head and noticed a body laying face down a few feet away. After a few moments she slowly sat up and noticed it was her captor. Looking up she could still see the Red Tail hovering for her and debris littered all around her.
" Faye! You okay?"
Faye looked around in surprise. That voice… she knew it! " Jet?!"
The Hammerhead had been hovering just above her and to the left. Faye couldn't remember ever being so happy to see it.
" Quick! Get in your ship! You're not safe yet." He ordered over his mic.
Already on her feet Faye called the Red Tail and ran to meet it. Once safe inside she turned on her communicator. " Is there a plan to this?" She asked, deciding to wait on asking him how he found her until later.
" Yeah. We run. And then we blow up your ship."
" Wh-what!" She shouted as they zoomed out of the city.
" You've got corrupt ISSP after you, Faye. Not to mention every mook who thinks he's a bounty hunter. The only way to be sure they never find you is if they think you're dead."
" But Jet… there has to be another way! I'm not blowing up my own ship!"
" There is no way you can go anywhere unnoticed if you fly it. And if you don't get rid of your ship its just gonna get impounded once discovered."
Faye mulled over his words with rising anguish. The Red Tail was too much to give up. Too many memories and too much freedom had given her a connection with the ship.
" Jet… I can't." She whined, half annoyed and half grieved. " This ship means a lot to me."
Jet was silent for several moments. He understood. Faye had been through a lot and her ship was the one constant in the chaos she had found herself living in. And now… he was telling her to just let it go. No. Not just let it go… destroy it. He wasn't sure if he could do it himself if the tables were turned. The Hammerhead he could live without but the Bebop?
" Faye… I wouldn't suggest this if it wasn't the only way. At this point the only choice you have is to live and trust me to help you or keep the Red Tail and get yourself killed."
Faye frowned. Jet was never one to over exaggerate things but the choice he was giving her almost felt like he was. How could things have gotten so desperate? And while she hesitated the Red Tail's radar suddenly blinked to life. She stared in disbelief for a moment as several red blips made their way steadily to her location.
" Faye…"
" I know, Jet. I see them too." She snapped.
" Faye!" He shouted as several ISSP crafts flew out of the horizon. " They're arming themselves!"
" What?! Why? I thought they wanted me alive!"
" I've told you already! These are corrupt ISSP!"
" Okay, okay! How do we do this?" Faye continued as they flew back towards the city in the hopes of losing a few pursuers amongst the high-rise buildings.
" We're going to have to fake them out. Do you see that apartment building up ahead?"
Their two aircrafts were quickly approaching a large building.
" I think it's a hospital, Jet." Faye corrected.
" Do you think you could get out of the Red Tail and keep it running its course?"
" You mean jump out on the roof or something?"
" Maybe not on the main roof but on a lower level… someplace where you can hide so they don't see you when they pass over."
" Got it." Faye replied.
" I'll make like I'm giving up the pursuit and pick you up on my way back."
Faye was suddenly nervous. Jet, who was flying just beside her, slowed down and fell back. Realizing that she was about to have her final moments with her precious Red Tail Faye felt tears sting her eyes. " I'm sorry baby." She murmured softly. " I couldn't ask for a better ship. I have to go now so… do me proud, okay?"
Setting the Red Tail coordinates Faye turned on the auto-pilot and opened the door to the pilot bubble. And she leaned forward in her seat she looked down with a worried frown. " Hm… this seemed so much easier in theory."
The Red Tail steadily flew towards a lower level and Faye took in a deep breath. It didn't matter that her ship had slowed a bit, the jump down was going to hurt anyways. Faye hoped she didn't break any bone in the process. " Okay, Faye. You can do this. Just… pretend you were Spike or something. Yeah. He wouldn't think twice. So… here goes… everything!"
With a mighty push Faye shoved herself off her seat and jumped, landing on hard gravel a few moments later. She felt her knees, palms, and an elbow burn. There was no doubt she was bleeding but there was no time to check how severe her wounds might be. The sound of aircraft engines filled the air and Faye desperately skidded behind a large air vent, ducking from view just as the pursuing ISSP zoomed by. Once she felt it was safe Faye chanced a peek and watched as they shot up her helpless Red Tail.
The tears were back as Faye stood up on shaky legs. " Bastards." She muttered. " Bastards!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. The Red Tail was falling, smoke and fire erupting from its crumpled form, and still the ISSP were shooting at it. Faye looked on helplessly until the scene fell too low for her to see. She felt so lost and briefly wondered if it would have been better to go down with her ship. But just as her tears started to fall a low hum reached her ears and grew steadily louder. She slowly turned to see the Hammerhead hovering a few feet behind her.
Jet opened a door and motioned for her to hurry up. Faye quickly wiped at her tears and jumped in. " You hurt?" He asked, eyeing her condition.
It wasn't until he asked that Faye realized she was hurting pretty bad. " Uh… I don't know… maybe…" Jet gently led her to a space behind his seat. " Sit down here and hold on to the back of my seat. I'll get us back to the Bebop and take a better look at your injuries there."
Faye nodded mutely and complied. They didn't say a word to each other for the entire trip.
When they finally returned to the Bebop's familiar docking bay Faye felt her tears burning again. Jet led her to the common room and motioned her to the yellow couch.
" Just rest easy. I'll be back." And he hurried down the stairs to get the med kit. Faye leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling fan. She had tried so hard to get away and in the end… she was right back where she had started. All her hopes for reaching Earth and starting a new life with a friend were over. " With my luck she's probably already dead anyway." She muttered to herself.
Faye wasn't sure she was ready for all the memories still alive and well on the Bebop. She wasn't sure she would ever be.
" Okay. Let's take a look at what we've got here." Jet said as he stepped over to her. Faye hadn't even heard him climb the stairs. Maybe she had dozed off for a few moments. That would explain her tired eyes.
Jet gingerly turned her hands over and inspected her bleeding palms with a stern frown. " You hurt anywhere else?"
Faye nodded. " My elbow and my knees." And she pointed to the tattered red mess of stockings and skin.
Wordlessly he motioned for her to roll down her stockings and shrug off her sweater. He turned around, supposedly to moisten cotton balls with disinfectant while she did as he asked.
" What if they keep looking for me?" Faye asked sullenly. Jet turned around and carefully began cleaning the wounds on her palms.
" They'll believe you were still in your ship when they shot it down. They'll probably make up some story about you trying to shoot them first. Anyway, your death will be made official in a few days and that will cancel out all your debts."
Faye's mood lightened up a bit at that. " Oh… I never thought about that."
Jet looked up at her for a moment. " But Faye remember that if you're seen running around just as you are someone will recognize you."
" What do you mean? Then what am I suppose to do? Just stay on the Bebop all my life?" She asked with a deepening frown.
" No. You'll have to change your name, your appearance,…and you'll have to try harder at avoiding extra attention."
Faye huffed, crossing her arms and instantly regretting it. " Ow!" She sighed forlornly. " I guess this means no more going to the races, huh?"
Jet smirked. " Well… not by yourself anyways. I don't know Faye… things might not be as bad as you think. You have to give change some time first before making a final decisions about it."
Faye watched Jet closely as he worked on her knees and she marveled at how kind he was. She was suddenly filled with shame and she looked away for a moment.
" Hey Jet?" She started softly.
" Yeah?" He asked, focused on applying anti-bacterial cream on her wounds.
" I'm sorry."
Jet's hands froze for a moment that seemed to Faye more like a small eternity. And then…
" You're welcome."
He hadn't said much. He never needed to. But just those two words made all the difference and Faye took in a deep, relieved breath. Living on the Bebop wouldn't be easy but it would get better… it had to.
Cyrus City on Thebe, 4th moon of Jupiter:
The lock turned and a man stepped into his apartment. Shrugging off his coat he quickly flipped open his wallet and fished a fake ID card with the name Devin Hersk out. Stepping into his office room he casually flicked the card into the trash, pulled out a small can of lighter fluid, sprinkled a little on the card, lit up a cigarette, and after a few drags, tossed it onto the card. As a small fire burned he turned to the computer on his desk and sat down.
Leaning back against his leather seat the agent released a sigh. The address he had checked on Venus was empty. Apparently the patient had left unexpectedly a week prior without leaving any notification of where he was going. " Fruitless." The agent muttered to himself and opened a file he had of his target. But as it opened he blinked in surprise when there was nothing to see. All the data… all the photos… everything was gone!
" What?" He stated in astonishment and leaned forward. Frantically he searched all his files, the hard drive, the trash but to no avail. The information was gone. And as he slowly came to this realization, the flames in the trashcan behind him dying out, he realized that someone had to come in and physically remove the files from his computer. The agent suddenly tensed as he realized that he still smelled smoke.
He looked up and towards the far left corner of the room where, on a corner end table, he spotted a cigarette still smoking in an ashtray. Slowly and carefully he took out his gun. Glancing around suspiciously he quickly stood up and stalked over to the cigarette, switching off the safety of his gun.
He had just snuffed out the cigarette when he heard a rustle behind his back. But he didn't have enough time turn around before something hard suddenly hit his head and efficiently knocked him unconscious.
Tharsis City, Mars:
A young doctor's assistant stood outside a clinic enjoying a cup of coffee. He watched pedestrians as they hurried to cross the street on their way to work while vehicles sped by like busy honeybees. He smiled, soaking in the atmosphere. Just a few years ago things were looking very bleak in Tharsis.
" Morning to you!"
The young assistant turned in surprise. " Hm? Oh! Doc! I didn't see you coming!" He smiled and the two headed back inside.
" I still don't know how you can stand outside in this cold with just your lab coat and a cup of coffee!" The doctor laughed.
" Its not so bad. I like doing it because then the coffee feels even better!"
The older man chuckled and shook his head at his assistant.
" Youth!" As he took off his coat and stepped into his office he stopped short. Sitting on his desk was a bottle of wine. " Huh?" He picked up the bottle and looked at the year. * whistle* " Wow. Good year."
" What's that? You say something?" His assistant asked, popping in for a moment. When he saw what the doctor was holding he smiled. " Oh, hey! The delivery man came by earlier with a special package… just a few minutes after I unlocked the clinic actually."
The old doctor turned to him with questioning eyes. " But… who is it from?"
" I don't know. There was no return address… just that envelope." And the young man pointed to a white envelope sitting on the desk.
Turning to his desk again the doctor nodded. " Oh yes. I see it now… didn't notice it earlier…" He muttered as he readjusted his glasses and opened the envelope. Inside was a simple note that read:
I owe you a new bottle of wine. Take this on account of my success. And thanks for everything, Doc.
" So? Does it say who its from?" The assistant asked, stepping closer to read over the doctor's shoulder.
The old man shook his head and looked at the bottle of wine again. Slowly realization dawned on him. " Hey Mike?"
" Yeah?"
" Would you be alright if I left you here for an hour or so?"
" Sure. Something wrong?"
" No. I just remembered there's something I need to check. I'll be back soon." And with no further explanation he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.
Back on the Bebop Faye found life slowly falling into a predictable but comforting routine. She had gotten used to getting up early and eating breakfast with Jet, which normally consisted of toast and coffee. Then it was off to take a shower and get dressed for the day. After Jet finished watering his bonsai trees they would meet up on the navigation deck and double check coordinates for the trip they would take later that day. Sometimes Faye left Jet to do the checking while she wiped the windows clean of handprints and finger smudges. The views were so much nicer when one didn't have to see through gross smudges and oily face prints.
" Ugh! I don't mind people coming up here to get a better look at the sites but do they have to bring their crazy kids who don't know that windows are for seeing through and not smearing up?" She griped as she wiped a particularly stubborn set of hand smudges.
Jet looked up at her and smirked. " As long as they don't break anything I don't have any complaints."
Faye huffed and walked back over to him. " I don't get it." She stated.
" Get what?" He asked returning to the coordinates on his navigation monitor.
" How you can be so patient. I mean… and not just with the tourists. With everything!" And Faye made a grand swooping motion with her arms to emphasize her point.
Jet paused and looked back up at her. At his questioning gaze Faye attempted to clarify her meaning. " I guess what I really mean is… how can you be so happy living here on the Bebop after everything that's happened?"
" Oh, back to that again, huh?" He replied and turned all his attention to her. Faye would never admit it but she secretly enjoyed having his full attention. No one ever gave that to her without expecting something sexual in return. Jet was just a pure, no-nonsense, I-care-for-you-with-no-strings attached, kind of guy. A friend.
" Life can be tough to deal with sometimes." Jet began, his voice gentle but not patronizing. " And I can't say that I don't have my moments of loneliness and remembering past times. But, Faye… grief isn't something that goes away all by itself. You have to fight to be happy. You have to fight to believe that even thought things are bad they won't always be. But most importantly…" And he paused to step closer and lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. He waited until she looked back up at him, having looked down at her feet while he talked. " You have to learn to face your problems in a constructive way and not run away every time life hurts."
Faye was quiet for a long moment and finally nodded. Jet gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
" Have you figured out how to do that?" She asked him.
" Sometimes I do… sometimes I don't. But you know, I don't think anyone is meant to figure things that tough all by themselves."
Faye smiled and went back to wiping down windows and railings.
" You know, I was thinking about something else too." She started after a while.
" Oh yeah?" Jet replied as he finished his daily navigation check. He folded his arms and looked up at her.
" Yeah. I was wondering why Laughing Bull gave you and Spike such weird names. I mean… was there a reason for doing it?"
Jet chuckled and shook his head. " Everything Laughing Bull does has a reason, Faye. You would know if you ever visited him."
" Yeah, but I already told you that's not going to happen. He's too weird for me."
" Well, Faye… Laughing Bull believes that the names folks give each other are not necessarily a reflection of the inner spirit, the part inside each of us that makes us unique. The names he gives are, according to him, a true reflection of what we are inside."
" So…" Faye turned around slowly, looking at Jet thoughtfully. " Running Rock would mean that you are strong and always restless?"
Jet shrugged.
" And… what was Spike's name again?"
" Swimming bird."
" Yeah." Faye smiled. " It's a good thing he wasn't called a cat or something. He hated cats." She smiled.
Jet chuckled, nodding emphatically.
" Swimming bird… swimming bird… maybe his name had something to do with how he always beat the odds. I mean… he had one too many close calls, you know? It almost seemed unnatural the way he could walk away from such impossible circumstances…"
Jet nodded slowly. " Yeah… it sure did."
" Hey Jet?" Faye started again, almost timidly. " What do you think happens to us after we die?"
Jet was silent for a long moment. " I don't know. But whatever does happen I would hope it's better than what we go through in this existence, you know?"
" Yeah." Faye replied.
" Come on, Faye." Jet continued and motioned for her to follow him.
" We've got a long day ahead of us. Today we're giving discounts for families with more than three kids."
" Great." Faye sighed as Jet smiled at her forlorn expression.
" Just remember, Faye. Tomorrow might be a lot better!"
" Yeah. You can count on me hoping for that!"
Tharsis City Cemetery, Mars:
The old doctor slowly drove up the narrow road through the cemetery entrance and parked. Wrapping his scarf about his neck more securely he stepped out of the car and made his way up a small hill as the wind blew calmed down a bit. Taking a moment to gain his bearings he walked down an aisle between tombstones and paused. Stooping down he squinted to make sure he had the right marker.
" Julia. No dream can describe how beautiful, strong, and loved you were." He read to himself and looked down at a fresh bouquet of red roses.
" Well I'll be damned." He smiled and stood up. Still feeling a need for undeniable proof he looked around and made his way to another headstone. Stooping down again he double-checked the relief.
" Anastasia. Beloved wife and cherished friend." His eyes fell on another bouquet of red roses.
" Ha, Ha! I'll be damned! You crazy idiot, you did it!" And he stood up, feeling warm inside even when the temperature outside was cold.
" They would be proud of you. Just like me." He smiled affectionately and continued smiling all the way back to his car.
Cyrus City, Thebe:
Slowly consciousness returned to him and the agent found himself tied to his office chair. After a few moments of struggling against his binds with no success he stopped with a frustrated huff and looked up when he heard someone walk into the office. The only light in the room was from a small writing lamp on his desk and he squinted in an effort to make out any features of the trespasser. A brief glow of red and yellow flame informed him that whoever was in the room was smoking. Aggravated the agent tried to wiggle out of his binds again.
" Keep that up and you might cut off the circulation to your arms."
The agent recognized the voice belonged to a man. " Who are you?"
He demanded.
" Are the Red Dragon's planning an uprising?" Came the even reply.
The agent frowned and remained silent.
Another flash of red and yellow flame alerted him that his visitor had moved from the door to a foot or two away.
" I asked you a question."
" The only way you're getting an answer is if you show me your face you pathetic coward."
The cigarette fell to the floor and was snuffed out with heel of a boot. And in the blink of an eye the agent was punched in the face so hard that he fell over, chair and all. When he looked back up the lamp had fallen on its side and the light was shining on a face he could never forget.
" Spiegel." He breathed in astonishment. " I should have known." He continued in a harsher tone.
Spike heaved him back up to a more comfortable sitting position and held a gun up to his head.
" You've been searching for me. I want to know why." He demanded in a no-nonsense tone and leaned closer, a dangerous glint sparkling in his right eye.
Face Your Fate
Opening Quote: Unknown
