I don't own Cowboy Bebop and I don't own the song "Solidify"
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Even the cemetery was beautiful. Guardian angels watched over their charges, trees overhanging, casting smooth shadows over the graves. Birds twittered as they hopped from tree to tree, and the sun was bright.
Spike stood before Estelle's grave. "Beloved friend and mother" was etched on the stone in front of him. Somehow, it all had to be his fault. Everything was his fault. Every person he ever touched met the same fate. Gone...
Spike looked over at Julia who was standing to his left. Even though she had never really known Estelle, Estelle had been a team mate, and Julia grieved for her. If only for Spike's sake. Spike appreciated it.
But, life went on, mercilessly went on, and soon, Estelle's grave was devoid of visitors, only a few white chrysanthemums left mark their passing.
~Pouring in and around the great wellspring~
Session 13: Solidify
~Of simple feeling~
As he and Julia silently walked back to her apartment, Spike's mind began to wander. After he had gotten well enough to walk around, Spike had gone to the main Red Dragon building to confront Mao about being set up. He went into Mao's office expecting to see Mao, but instead saw a different man.
~I need bearing the face of your~
He was tall and thin, much like Spike, but unlike Spike he had a colder presence. His gray hair was slicked back on his head, and he wore somber clothing that emphasized his thinness.
~Cool cool fire~
When Spike stormed into the office without even bothering to knock, and stopped dead at the sight of this unexpected stranger, the man had fixed a steely eye on him and asked, "Who are you?"
Spike regained himself and curtly answered, "Spike Spiegel. Who are you?"
~Walking backwards with the pounding of your voice~
In the same curt manner, the man answered, "Michael Reeds." He sat down in Mao's chair, a gesture that momentarily enraged Spike. " I'm a friend of Mao's. I suppose it is he who you are looking for?" He gestured to the seat in front of Spike. "Please sit." Spike didn't sit down.
~Makes my soul tired~
Reeds began speaking to Spike. "I am from Arsia City. Mao asked me to stand in for him while he was away on business."
~Concrete is~
Spike gave Reeds a steely look, he didn't like this guy too much. "What kind of business?"
~As concrete doesn't~
Reeds reclined in the chair. "That's classified." He sat up and leaned forward slightly. "I've heard of you, Spike Spiegel." He lifted a file from the desk in front of him. "You have an impressive track record." He closed the file. "That is partially the reason that I'm here. I figured you would show up sooner or later, wanting answers."
~And voices can drown~
Spike took a small step toward Reeds, compulsively wanting to reach for his gun. "Do you know why we were set up?"
Reeds chuckled a little. "They wanted to test you. To see how you would react to being in a situation where, success was unlikely. You should be pleased to know that you passed."
~Why should I?~
"A test? A test!? Two people died just so you bastards could see how I would react to your mind games?!" Spike yelled, reaching for the gun in his jacket.
~Why should I?~
Reeds shook his head. "I wouldn't do that," he said, as two armed Red Dragon members that Spike had never seen before stepped out from the shadows. Spike with his prowess, hadn't even noticed them until now.
Spike put his gun away, and sat down in a chair. "So that's why Julia and Vicious weren't along on that mission."
~Why should I?~
Reeds smiled a little bit. "Correct. We couldn't risk such valuable members. However, the others were expendable. Those that survived would be reimbursed quite well."
~Why should I?~
Spike was once again reminded of how much he had already hated that guy. Something about him had just rubbed him the wrong way. Spike glanced over at Julia who was wandering in her own thoughts.
~Solidify~
After the "test" he and Julia had got to become pretty good friends. Spike's status had gone up after his "ordeal" as it was dubbed by some of the mocking older members who had no doubt gone through similar situations on their way to becoming powerful. He now was a free agent, sometimes he worked with a team, sometimes he was a lone assassin. Vicious's status had risen as well; often he could not speak too much about his assignments, saying they were classified. It was weird, but that was just how it went.
~Make me real~
And Julia, well...he felt a kinship with her that he had never felt with really anyone, except maybe Vicious.
"Life is weird," Spike randomly announced as they neared Julia's apartment.
~So you~
Julia glanced at him, momentarily surprised. She then smiled and answered, "Yes it is. Sometimes it doesn't even seem real."
"Yeah," Spike said. "Like a daydream."
"A daydream." She chuckled a little bit. "Well, if life is like a daydream, then love must be like a never ending dream."
~Can see me~
Spike grew a bit solemn. "Death."
Julia was a bit surprised, considering what she had said. "No...not death..." She looked over at Spike. "If love is anything, it's like life."
Spike chuckled, his expression growing lighter. "Then a daydream must be like love."
Julia smiled. " Or maybe like wishing for love."
Spike turned a bit red, realizing what she was talking about. "Hey, I'm not a pervert! I don't think about things like that!"
Julia laughed a little bit. "Yes, you are! I didn't even mean it that way."
"Oh," Spike said, a bit flustered. He looked up at her smiling face and felt himself melting into the depth of her blue eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Julia grew strangely quiet as she let them into the apartment. "I wonder if Estelle's kid knows she's dead," she said after a few minutes of silence.
Spike shrugged. "I doubt it. I don't even think he knows she's his mother. Maybe he thinks he's motherless."
This statement seemed to strike a chord with Julia. "You know, I never knew my parents..." She looked down at her feet and sat on the couch.
After a few moments Spike joined her. "Yeah, me neither..."
Julia gave him a melancholic smile. "I guess we're two of a kind then." She looked down at her feet again. "It's kinda sad..." she began, "I don't even know my real name." She sighed. "I was found by an old man in a dumpster behind a supermarket when I was a little baby. He brought me to a nunnery, and the nuns there looked after me until I could be placed in an orphanage. They called me Jewel because I cried a lot, and my wet eyes sparkled like jewels." She laughed bitterly. "They would come to the orphanage every once in a while to check up on me. I was being called Julie by then. I never really had a last name. I would've gotten one when I was adopted, or when I was old enough to leave. Technically, my name is actually Jane Doe 127854, and I could change it if I wanted to, but I've always kind of wanted to leave it. It gives me an anonymity that makes me feel safe."
~Why should I?~
Julia looked up at the ceiling fan, watching it go round and round. "Life at the orphanage wasn't very pleasant," she continued. "No one really liked me, I was always getting picked on. Eventually I learned to defend myself pretty well; I stopped getting so beat up all the time. Then one day, I decided that I need to leave. I think I was twelve years old at the time. Well, I changed my name to Julia because I liked it better and when I was around fifteen, I met Vicious. He took me into the syndicate and that's where I've been ever since."
~Why should I?~
She looked over at Spike. "You?"
~Why should I?~
Spike looked over at Julia, "Well, even though I never really knew my parents, or at least my father, I got lucky." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "When I was around six years old, my mother died. I wandered the streets for a while, and then somehow I ended up being taken in by Jack. I stayed with Jack until he was shot in the chest by a group of Black Tigers when I was sixteen. I ended up meeting Vicious, and well, you know how it goes from there."
~Why should I?~
Julia nodded. "We really are two of a kind. And somehow Vicious seems to be in the middle of it."
Spike took a drag on his cigarette. "Yeah. I wonder if Vicious ever knew his parents? Maybe we're three of a kind."
~Solidify~
Julia shook her head. "I don't know. He never told me anything about his past. I think that maybe he was raised by Mao. It seems like he's been in the syndicate for a long time."
~Make me real~
Spike nodded. "Yeah, it does. Has he ever mentioned a Phedre to you?"
Julia shook her head. "No. Who is she?"
Spike shrugged. "No clue. I don't even know if it's a person. It could be a place or something for all I know. He just mentioned it to me once."
The phone rings. Julia picks it up. "Hello?"
~So you~
A pause. "Oh, hello Mao, I didn't know you were back."
Another pause. "Oh my God. Is he all right?"
Another pause. "We'll be right over!" Julia hurriedly put the receiver back on it cradle and grabbed her coat out of the closet.
~Can see me~
Spike stood up and put his own coat on. "What happened?" he asked urgently.
Julia opened the door and practically ran out. "It's Vicious," she breathed. "He's been shot."
_____________________________________________________
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy!
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Even the cemetery was beautiful. Guardian angels watched over their charges, trees overhanging, casting smooth shadows over the graves. Birds twittered as they hopped from tree to tree, and the sun was bright.
Spike stood before Estelle's grave. "Beloved friend and mother" was etched on the stone in front of him. Somehow, it all had to be his fault. Everything was his fault. Every person he ever touched met the same fate. Gone...
Spike looked over at Julia who was standing to his left. Even though she had never really known Estelle, Estelle had been a team mate, and Julia grieved for her. If only for Spike's sake. Spike appreciated it.
But, life went on, mercilessly went on, and soon, Estelle's grave was devoid of visitors, only a few white chrysanthemums left mark their passing.
~Pouring in and around the great wellspring~
Session 13: Solidify
~Of simple feeling~
As he and Julia silently walked back to her apartment, Spike's mind began to wander. After he had gotten well enough to walk around, Spike had gone to the main Red Dragon building to confront Mao about being set up. He went into Mao's office expecting to see Mao, but instead saw a different man.
~I need bearing the face of your~
He was tall and thin, much like Spike, but unlike Spike he had a colder presence. His gray hair was slicked back on his head, and he wore somber clothing that emphasized his thinness.
~Cool cool fire~
When Spike stormed into the office without even bothering to knock, and stopped dead at the sight of this unexpected stranger, the man had fixed a steely eye on him and asked, "Who are you?"
Spike regained himself and curtly answered, "Spike Spiegel. Who are you?"
~Walking backwards with the pounding of your voice~
In the same curt manner, the man answered, "Michael Reeds." He sat down in Mao's chair, a gesture that momentarily enraged Spike. " I'm a friend of Mao's. I suppose it is he who you are looking for?" He gestured to the seat in front of Spike. "Please sit." Spike didn't sit down.
~Makes my soul tired~
Reeds began speaking to Spike. "I am from Arsia City. Mao asked me to stand in for him while he was away on business."
~Concrete is~
Spike gave Reeds a steely look, he didn't like this guy too much. "What kind of business?"
~As concrete doesn't~
Reeds reclined in the chair. "That's classified." He sat up and leaned forward slightly. "I've heard of you, Spike Spiegel." He lifted a file from the desk in front of him. "You have an impressive track record." He closed the file. "That is partially the reason that I'm here. I figured you would show up sooner or later, wanting answers."
~And voices can drown~
Spike took a small step toward Reeds, compulsively wanting to reach for his gun. "Do you know why we were set up?"
Reeds chuckled a little. "They wanted to test you. To see how you would react to being in a situation where, success was unlikely. You should be pleased to know that you passed."
~Why should I?~
"A test? A test!? Two people died just so you bastards could see how I would react to your mind games?!" Spike yelled, reaching for the gun in his jacket.
~Why should I?~
Reeds shook his head. "I wouldn't do that," he said, as two armed Red Dragon members that Spike had never seen before stepped out from the shadows. Spike with his prowess, hadn't even noticed them until now.
Spike put his gun away, and sat down in a chair. "So that's why Julia and Vicious weren't along on that mission."
~Why should I?~
Reeds smiled a little bit. "Correct. We couldn't risk such valuable members. However, the others were expendable. Those that survived would be reimbursed quite well."
~Why should I?~
Spike was once again reminded of how much he had already hated that guy. Something about him had just rubbed him the wrong way. Spike glanced over at Julia who was wandering in her own thoughts.
~Solidify~
After the "test" he and Julia had got to become pretty good friends. Spike's status had gone up after his "ordeal" as it was dubbed by some of the mocking older members who had no doubt gone through similar situations on their way to becoming powerful. He now was a free agent, sometimes he worked with a team, sometimes he was a lone assassin. Vicious's status had risen as well; often he could not speak too much about his assignments, saying they were classified. It was weird, but that was just how it went.
~Make me real~
And Julia, well...he felt a kinship with her that he had never felt with really anyone, except maybe Vicious.
"Life is weird," Spike randomly announced as they neared Julia's apartment.
~So you~
Julia glanced at him, momentarily surprised. She then smiled and answered, "Yes it is. Sometimes it doesn't even seem real."
"Yeah," Spike said. "Like a daydream."
"A daydream." She chuckled a little bit. "Well, if life is like a daydream, then love must be like a never ending dream."
~Can see me~
Spike grew a bit solemn. "Death."
Julia was a bit surprised, considering what she had said. "No...not death..." She looked over at Spike. "If love is anything, it's like life."
Spike chuckled, his expression growing lighter. "Then a daydream must be like love."
Julia smiled. " Or maybe like wishing for love."
Spike turned a bit red, realizing what she was talking about. "Hey, I'm not a pervert! I don't think about things like that!"
Julia laughed a little bit. "Yes, you are! I didn't even mean it that way."
"Oh," Spike said, a bit flustered. He looked up at her smiling face and felt himself melting into the depth of her blue eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Julia grew strangely quiet as she let them into the apartment. "I wonder if Estelle's kid knows she's dead," she said after a few minutes of silence.
Spike shrugged. "I doubt it. I don't even think he knows she's his mother. Maybe he thinks he's motherless."
This statement seemed to strike a chord with Julia. "You know, I never knew my parents..." She looked down at her feet and sat on the couch.
After a few moments Spike joined her. "Yeah, me neither..."
Julia gave him a melancholic smile. "I guess we're two of a kind then." She looked down at her feet again. "It's kinda sad..." she began, "I don't even know my real name." She sighed. "I was found by an old man in a dumpster behind a supermarket when I was a little baby. He brought me to a nunnery, and the nuns there looked after me until I could be placed in an orphanage. They called me Jewel because I cried a lot, and my wet eyes sparkled like jewels." She laughed bitterly. "They would come to the orphanage every once in a while to check up on me. I was being called Julie by then. I never really had a last name. I would've gotten one when I was adopted, or when I was old enough to leave. Technically, my name is actually Jane Doe 127854, and I could change it if I wanted to, but I've always kind of wanted to leave it. It gives me an anonymity that makes me feel safe."
~Why should I?~
Julia looked up at the ceiling fan, watching it go round and round. "Life at the orphanage wasn't very pleasant," she continued. "No one really liked me, I was always getting picked on. Eventually I learned to defend myself pretty well; I stopped getting so beat up all the time. Then one day, I decided that I need to leave. I think I was twelve years old at the time. Well, I changed my name to Julia because I liked it better and when I was around fifteen, I met Vicious. He took me into the syndicate and that's where I've been ever since."
~Why should I?~
She looked over at Spike. "You?"
~Why should I?~
Spike looked over at Julia, "Well, even though I never really knew my parents, or at least my father, I got lucky." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "When I was around six years old, my mother died. I wandered the streets for a while, and then somehow I ended up being taken in by Jack. I stayed with Jack until he was shot in the chest by a group of Black Tigers when I was sixteen. I ended up meeting Vicious, and well, you know how it goes from there."
~Why should I?~
Julia nodded. "We really are two of a kind. And somehow Vicious seems to be in the middle of it."
Spike took a drag on his cigarette. "Yeah. I wonder if Vicious ever knew his parents? Maybe we're three of a kind."
~Solidify~
Julia shook her head. "I don't know. He never told me anything about his past. I think that maybe he was raised by Mao. It seems like he's been in the syndicate for a long time."
~Make me real~
Spike nodded. "Yeah, it does. Has he ever mentioned a Phedre to you?"
Julia shook her head. "No. Who is she?"
Spike shrugged. "No clue. I don't even know if it's a person. It could be a place or something for all I know. He just mentioned it to me once."
The phone rings. Julia picks it up. "Hello?"
~So you~
A pause. "Oh, hello Mao, I didn't know you were back."
Another pause. "Oh my God. Is he all right?"
Another pause. "We'll be right over!" Julia hurriedly put the receiver back on it cradle and grabbed her coat out of the closet.
~Can see me~
Spike stood up and put his own coat on. "What happened?" he asked urgently.
Julia opened the door and practically ran out. "It's Vicious," she breathed. "He's been shot."
_____________________________________________________
Oh, by the way. If you liked this story, go check out Blessings of a Beast (affectionately called BOB) by ScarletStarlet. It's a sister story to this one told from Vicious's point of view. Enjoy!
