Ringing Like A Bell

Five minutes after Johnson's call

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Faye asked, shouting her question from the door of the hangar.

"Maybe," Spike said sarcastically.

"What, do you get your kicks going on suicide attempts?" Faye shouted again, walking back towards Spike and Swordfish.

"Maybe," Spike said again, smiling at Faye's obvious frustration.

Faye, noting Spike's love of her anger, began beating on Swordfish. Maybe this will get his attention, she thought.

Spike couldn't take another moment of the beating. Jumping out of the ship, Spike jumped next to Faye and grabbed her by the wrists.

"Let me go, you jerk!" Faye shouted, her wrists turning a dark shade of red.

Spike looked at the woman before him. "You done banging on my ship?" he asked.

"Fuck you, Spike!" Faye spat back.

"I don't know where you've been!" Spike said sarcastically.

Faye looked at him for a second, dumbfounded. "Even if I thought you were serious," Faye began, "you're nowhere near man enough for me!"

"You know you want me," Spike said, shrugging his shoulders and taking the comment in stride. He somehow held his tongue, though he was tempted to mention the bounty that turned out to be Faye's ex-boyfriend.

"Damn lunkhead," Faye muttered, rolling her eyes.

Spike looked down at her and smiled. "You might want to back up," he said. "I do still plan on going to see that guy."

Faye stormed off, wondering why she bothered to care so much about what Spike does.

Five minutes later…

"He's going WHERE?" Jet asked, thrown off guard.

"To Mars City," Faye replied, leaning against a wall. "He got a tip from that weirdo cop from old New York City about the Martian vigilante group."

Jet sighed, grinding his teeth. It's just like that damn kid to run off like that without telling us what's going on! he mused. "When did he leave?"

"Not even five minutes ago," Faye replied, looking down at her nails.

Jet brushed his right hand across his head. "Follow him," he told Faye. "I smell a trap and that crazy kid's gonna need all the help he can get, like it or not."

Nearly two hours later…

Spike smiled as he landed his plane. There was always something about visiting Doohan that put him in a good mood. Looking behind him, he noticed Faye landing the Red Tail. Now that I think about it, she's the first person who has ever come here with me, Spike thought, smiling.

Faye looked around. In every direction except for her left, there was nothing but desert. Things have changed since I was last in the United States, she thought to herself. Finally, movement in her periphery snatched her from comparing the past to the present.

"You can come in with me if you want," Spike told her. Faye nodded, accepting Spike's invitation.

As the two reached the shop's entrance, Faye looked in every direction possible. Spike, meanwhile, watched Faye's reaction. "It reminds me of my grandfather's shop," Faye finally said.

Spike looked at Faye funny for a moment, wondering if she was pulling his leg. "You're related to someone who owned a repair shop?" Spike asked.

"It was nothing like what your friend does, but yeah," Faye replied. "His passion was torturing Japanese cars. He was one of many guys that people respected for their work on cars."

Spike nodded, letting the tiny bit of Faye's past sink into his memory. Before he could say anything, however, Doohan approached. "I see you brought company this time around," Doohan said. Finally believing he'd sized Faye up enough, he reached out his hand. "Name's Doohan."

"Faye," she replied, returning the handshake.

A few minutes later…

While Spike was in Doohan's office fixing a pot of coffee, Doohan and Faye exchanged pleasantries and the like.

"You must be some woman to watch out for a guy like Spike," Doohan said.

"It ends up being a mutual thing," Faye replied. "Spike will never admit it, though."

Doohan turned to look toward his office. "You'd be surprised," Doohan finally said, smiling.

"What has he said about me?" Faye asked, curious.

"Well," Doohan began, "I guess his first impression was something like 'beautiful cheater' or something along that line. Then he said you could be very high maintenance." Doohan looked at Faye, who was somewhere between curious and slightly frustrated. "But he has always said he respected you. More than anything, he says you act like you don't care, but you manage to stand by people when they need you."

"Did he really say all that or is that what you think?" Faye asked.

Doohan smiled as Spike walked over with the coffee pot and three cups. "Now that's something you have to figure out," he said.

Four hours later…

"I still think we're walking into some sort of trap," Faye said to Spike via her ship's COM.

"Then go back to the Bebop," Spike replied. "No one said you had to come." He thought about that and shook his head. "Make that…I didn't say you had to come."

Faye closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "I'm not going back," she said. "So what are we gonna do if we get there and at least 300 guns are pointing at us?"

Spike smiled mischievously. "Think about it, Faye," he said. "That bounty was a sealed invitation to come visit these guys. Now why would they point guns at us when we first get there? They obviously want something from me if they went through all the trouble of getting my attention and making sure I knew where to find them."

"Good point," Faye said. "What do you think they want?"

"No clue," Spike replied. "I haven't really given it much thought."

Faye smiled. Some things never changed, she thought. "So how much longer, you think?" she asked Spike.

"Probably another couple hours or so," Spike replied. "We're meeting them at their place."

"Figures," Faye said, rolling her eyes.

Two and a half hours later…

Spike and Faye landed near Lake Hermesia. "You can still turn back, you know," Spike told Faye.

"No way," Faye replied, looking at Spike suspiciously. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"You said yourself that the situation was suspicious," Spike replied.

"It's a little late to turn back now," Faye replied. "I've already come this far."

Spike nodded, once again feeling both pride and slight annoyance in Faye's determination. "I see," he finally said.

Faye looked around the city, sighing slightly. What the hell have we just walked into, she asked herself. After a few moments, she looked over at Spike and hopped out of her ship. "Might as well get this show on the road!"

Two hours later…

The cowboys came across a glass and white brick building overlooking downtown Mars City. The structure towered over many buildings near it. The approximately fifty story building, understandably, was very difficult to miss.

"So," Faye began, "do you think this guy is old school with his office on the top floor or is he one of those guys who needs to see every person who comes in?"

"Since he's part of a newer group, it's hard to tell," Spike replied. "Either way, I have a feeling he'll be the last person we meet."

As soon as the two opened the door, about nine people walked briskly toward the door. "Can we help you?" one of them asked.

Spike smiled mischievously. "We're here to see Alesandre, your leader," he said. "Any idea where he is?"

Eight guns were pointed in his direction moments later.

"Who the hell are you?" the man standing in front of Spike asked.

"Just a harmless cowboy," Spike replied. "Alesandre sent me a personal invitation to show up here. I'm just seeing why I was asked to come."

The man nodded, escorting Spike and Faye to a room in the center of the building. "Wait here," the man said, closing the door as he walked out.

"Is this a normal syndicate move?" Faye asked Spike.

"Wasn't our style," Spike replied. "But every group is different and has its own quirk."

Five minutes later, the cowboys became increasingly agitated. "I doubt that guy even knows we're here," Faye muttered, standing up to leave.

As soon as she approached the door, it opened. "Good afternoon," Alesandre said, walking into the room. "I apologize for the wait." He approached Spike and shook his hand. He didn't notice Faye, who was now standing behind him. "Please, Mr. Spiegel, have a seat."

Faye leaned against the wall, mildly amused that she had gone unnoticed by Alesandre. "You think we could get something to drink," she said, smirking.

Alesandre looked up at Faye, finally. "I take it you came with Mr. Spiegel," he said.

"Who else would I come with?" Faye asked sarcastically, sitting between the two men.

Alesandre looked at Faye strangely. There's something all too familiar about her, he said to himself. That hair…those eyes… they remind me of somebody.He dug deep into every corner of his mind, attempting to figure out who the woman beside him was.

Faye stared at Alesandre. "Can I help you?" she asked. "Take a picture if I'm that damn interesting! It'll last longer!"

Alesandre stared back at Faye, stunned. "Faye?" he asked, somewhere between confused and shocked. "Is that really you?"