Chapter Nine
Back at the Bebop
"Jet, calm down," Spike soothed, "At least she's not dead."
"Yeah," Jet shot back, "But we have less than 24 hours to either kill these tree huggin' hippies, or let Faye die! Which do you choose?"
Spike was silent for a moment, signifying that he was formulating a plan of sorts. Jet waited impatiently for his answer.
"Well?!" Jet finally burst after a long minuet or two.
"We can save Faye and not have to kill these guys," Spike indicated Avalanche, who were all restrained as a precautionary measure, so they wouldn't flee.
"And how do you plan we do that?" Jet asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.
"Simple," Spike answered, calmly, "You and I go in and ask to negotiate some sort of truce, until we can come to some sort of agreement. As we go in, Avalanche waits outside, and will back us up if things turn sour."
"Negotiate a truce?! Agreement?! Are you insane?!" Jet was livid, "What kind of goddamned agreement?! If we go in, we'll either be killed or be back at square one!"
Spike, never losing his calm exterior, replied, "We go in, and say we can't do the bounty. Make up an excuse, like Tifa's a long lost cousin or something, and we're to emotionally attached. We say that we can contact better bounty hunters to finish the job. Then, when they agree, we take Faye and leave."
"Long lost cousin?" Jet seethed, "Are you nuts?"
"Can you think of a better idea, Mr. Black Dog?!" Spike, losing his cool, fired back.
Jet thought for a moment, weighing the options. Then, borrowing a phrase he had heard once, he replied, "I don't like the setup, Spike. Don't like it at all."
The next night, in Shin-Ra headquarters, Midgar.
"So, you want to back out?" "Yes, President Shin-Ra," Spike responded, "We feel that, by being emotionally attached, we can't perform the task at hand." Jet was next to him, sullenly silent. Next to Rufus, Faye was tied to a chair. Guarding her was Reno and Rude. Jet couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Well, Reno?" Rufus asked, turning to the red headed assassin, "Does this seem acceptable to you?"
Silently, Reno shook his head, an evil grin forming on his face.
"As I thought," Rufus replied to the gesture. He turned back to the Bebop crew, "I'm sorry, men, but this meeting is running long, and I can't let you two back out into the world to mess things up for us."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Spike, Reno and Rude's face. Jet, silent as a statue seemed lost in thought. Realizing what the president was about to do, both Rude and Spike's guns flashed from their holsters. If only they had done a second sooner.
Rufus's shotgun lay across his lap, and he pulled the trigger before Spike and Rude's guns could clear and draw a bead on the blonde man. Three shots echoed through the silent room. All three blasts found their mark. Two in the presidents chest, and one lodged in a member of the Bebop crew.
Gasping for a last breath, he sighed, "I love you, Faye Valentine."
Back at the Bebop
"Jet, calm down," Spike soothed, "At least she's not dead."
"Yeah," Jet shot back, "But we have less than 24 hours to either kill these tree huggin' hippies, or let Faye die! Which do you choose?"
Spike was silent for a moment, signifying that he was formulating a plan of sorts. Jet waited impatiently for his answer.
"Well?!" Jet finally burst after a long minuet or two.
"We can save Faye and not have to kill these guys," Spike indicated Avalanche, who were all restrained as a precautionary measure, so they wouldn't flee.
"And how do you plan we do that?" Jet asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.
"Simple," Spike answered, calmly, "You and I go in and ask to negotiate some sort of truce, until we can come to some sort of agreement. As we go in, Avalanche waits outside, and will back us up if things turn sour."
"Negotiate a truce?! Agreement?! Are you insane?!" Jet was livid, "What kind of goddamned agreement?! If we go in, we'll either be killed or be back at square one!"
Spike, never losing his calm exterior, replied, "We go in, and say we can't do the bounty. Make up an excuse, like Tifa's a long lost cousin or something, and we're to emotionally attached. We say that we can contact better bounty hunters to finish the job. Then, when they agree, we take Faye and leave."
"Long lost cousin?" Jet seethed, "Are you nuts?"
"Can you think of a better idea, Mr. Black Dog?!" Spike, losing his cool, fired back.
Jet thought for a moment, weighing the options. Then, borrowing a phrase he had heard once, he replied, "I don't like the setup, Spike. Don't like it at all."
The next night, in Shin-Ra headquarters, Midgar.
"So, you want to back out?" "Yes, President Shin-Ra," Spike responded, "We feel that, by being emotionally attached, we can't perform the task at hand." Jet was next to him, sullenly silent. Next to Rufus, Faye was tied to a chair. Guarding her was Reno and Rude. Jet couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Well, Reno?" Rufus asked, turning to the red headed assassin, "Does this seem acceptable to you?"
Silently, Reno shook his head, an evil grin forming on his face.
"As I thought," Rufus replied to the gesture. He turned back to the Bebop crew, "I'm sorry, men, but this meeting is running long, and I can't let you two back out into the world to mess things up for us."
A flicker of surprise flashed across Spike, Reno and Rude's face. Jet, silent as a statue seemed lost in thought. Realizing what the president was about to do, both Rude and Spike's guns flashed from their holsters. If only they had done a second sooner.
Rufus's shotgun lay across his lap, and he pulled the trigger before Spike and Rude's guns could clear and draw a bead on the blonde man. Three shots echoed through the silent room. All three blasts found their mark. Two in the presidents chest, and one lodged in a member of the Bebop crew.
Gasping for a last breath, he sighed, "I love you, Faye Valentine."