Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. I'd be filthy stinking rich if I did.
Blues in the Night By roxyravette Chapter 10The Bell Tolls for Everyone
He was falling…falling for what seemed to be such a long time, and then everything went black. Spike drifted in and out of consciousness. He came around suddenly to someone screaming and realized the sound came was from his own voice. He was pinned to the remnants of the ceiling by rods in his shoulder and abdomen. Spike saw the bloody, metal rods that jutted out of his body and promptly passed out. He woke up again; numb, yet vaguely aware that his life was bleeding away. In the back of his mind, he knew he was dying, slowly but surely. Spike eyes wandered up to the night sky through the holes in the ceiling. A shooting star zipped through the sky. Spike's eyes widened as memories from his past flooded his thoughts…
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Spike felt the hardness of the glass pressed up against his back and suddenly it wasn't there anymore. He was falling…
Spike felt rather than saw a distant and dark presence. A cold, calculating smile touched his lips and Spike retuned it. But there was nothing funny about this. Unemotional ice, blue eyes bored into a pair of fiery, garnet ones. He would finish it. One would die…
Glass showered his already injured body and a face smirked down on his falling form…
He was walking out, leaving, never to return when she stopped him, gun pointed at his head. She looked so angry and upset…He turned away, leaving her to shoot five bullets into the air…
More glass descended as he plummeted to the ground, but it all seemed like it was in slow motion. He was aware, but not quite, as his past life flashed before him…
He could experience the large amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he charged into the building like a one-man army. Left and right, things exploded and people died. And he didn't care. Getting there was alive was his first priority and no one would stop him short of blowing him to pieces. Vicious would not live. He would die by his hands alone…
Images flashed briefly: a woman, a gunfight, roses, the rain, Vicious and himself, Julia and his own 'death'…
Spike's eyes widened in horror, as Lin's body lay lifeless on the roof…Gren lay dying in his arms, but he didn't seem to care…he watched in shock as Julia fell, eyes wide with pain…Vicious had had his gun and he had his katana. It was a stand off.
"Julia passed away…Let's end it all."
"If that's your wish." They exchanged weapons and at the same time Spike fired and Vicious slashed. It was done…
The building exploded, sending more debris down as he fell from the church window. He could feel the heat dance across his face and the light from the explosion left him temporarily blinded…not that it really mattered…he was going to die anyway…
"Spike!" Jet yelled. "This is the last time…"
The rosy-cheeked redhead turned around with a big grin on her cherub face, "Spike-person!" she squealed.
Gren looked up at him, "You're Spike, aren't you?"
"Angels that are forced from heaven to become demons," a voice cut through the silence. Vicious stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Isn't that right Spike?"
"You've never listened to what others say, Spike." Annie mumbled.
"Let's just run away somewhere. Truly escape from this world and go where no one else is…just the two of us…" Julia whispered.
"Where are you going?!" Faye cried out in desperation. "Why do you have to go?! Are you telling me you're going to just throw your life away?!" And there was silence…
"I'm not going there to die. I'm going there to see if I really am alive."
"Bang."
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Spike panted heavily as sweat beaded down his forehead. He felt the fog that was in his mind lift and he remembered everything. Vaguely, Spike felt the cold darkness consume his mind and he knew the end was near. He wasn't afraid…he died before…twice. He was about to close his eyes, but a voice in the back of his mind nagged at him, forcing him to remember.
"Faye!" he recalled suddenly. She was still in trouble. Reic had her by now. Spike felt anger replace the pain as he thought of the things Reic might be doing to her. His sense of self-preservation and duty kicked in and he made up his mind. Spike gathered what little strength he had and leaned forward, nearly fainting from the intensity of the pain. He managed to move up the rods before the ache of the injury overwhelmed him completely. Spike slumped against the rods, causing a fresh, new wave of pain to pour over his body. He felt a sudden desire to retch and he tasted blood before he forced the feeling down. Spike closed his eyes and continued to breathe heavily, lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't get to her. She was going to be taken from him like so many others in his life. And he was helpless to stop it. Self-loathing filled him as he thought of all the times he failed the people that knew him. He tried…he really did…but in the end, he couldn't keep her safe. He almost gave over to the numbness when he remembered something.
He…
Made…
A…
Promise…
***
Reic struggled with Faye's dead weight over his shoulder as he carried her to the roof. He was surprised that he even got this far with his amazing luck. Reic had to admit that this had been the hardest week he had ever had. To think that it had only been one week since he first saw Faye in that alley. Reic frowned; it had been a long week indeed. Faye's arm dangled uselessly on his back and Reic permitted himself a smile. He was amazed that the solution worked so well. He half expected her, with his luck tonight, to recover, but in spite of everything she remained still in his arms.
Finally, he made it to his craft. Gently placing Faye on the ground next to it, he opened the ship and put her inside. One she was situated; Faye flopped limply in the seat, tears streaming down her face. Reic frowned and wiped them away. Reic examined her face and stroked her cheek where the knife had slashed her. Reic's eyes softened.
"Of all the things I have done to you, this was the one that I truly did not mean. I would never destroy such…beauty…on purpose."
"You asked me what do I get out of this," he said softly. "I get a quarter of your debt and the respect of my fellow men. You were the only bounty that ever got away from me. Wouldn't want to hurt my reputation, now would we?" Faye made no move, nor responded, but two tears streaked down her face.
"Are you still crying for that fool?" he demanded. Faye, of course, couldn't answer, but her tears we enough for Reic. He smacked her across her face. "When I get you to the Boss, he'll give you something to cry about." Reic closed the door to the cockpit angrily and turned around to spy a figure limping toward the ship. Reic watched as the figure came closer at a painstaking rate. When it finally became came clear, Reic frowned and drew his knife from its sheath.
"You're still alive?" he asked in disbelief.
Spike stood on shaky legs before them, clutching his abdomen with one hand and his other in his pocket. He tried not to look like he felt. His jacket was in ruins now and drenched in his blood. He was tired and he could almost feel his body wanting to give up, yet he pushed on. Spike winced as he drew each breath and regretted it when he coughed up blood. Reic looked smug and made no move to close what little distance there was between them. Spike glared at him the best he could, but already his vision was becoming blurred.
"I," he said, gathering strength to speak. "I don't die easily. It'll take more than a fall and getting skewered to kill me." Spike lifted his hand out of his pocket, raising the sub machine gun at Reic. Reic appeared surprised but it quickly died. He smiled mockingly.
"If you fire, the spray of bullets will not only hit me, but the tank for this craft. We will all be blown to hell." Spike kept his eyes and gun on Reic.
"You first." He said short and simply. Reic narrowed his eyes.
"You can't even hold the gun steady." Spike did not answer but tightened his grip on the gun.
"You must know that I will not give her up without a fight." Spike just nodded.
***
Faye felt her heart leap for joy when she saw Spike stagger towards them. Then she felt that joy die and something inside of her broke. She couldn't hear what was going on but she hoped to God that it would end soon. She couldn't bear to see Spike standing there in so much obvious pain and with absolutely no hope of winning. Of course he had the gun, but he was seriously injured. And she couldn't help him. Whatever Reic did to her, it left her immobile totally. She was going to let him die again. Faye shed tears on her blank face. She was so much trouble to everyone around her. Maybe it would be best if she just faded away completely. She thought back to the days of the Bebop and oddly enough, remembered the day she saw the first glimpse of her past.
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Faye snuck back into the main room of the Bebop and watched the tape. A young girl came on the screen and her face sent shivers down Faye's spine. After a failed attempt to record something the girl came back on screen, this time in her room.
"Good morning, me. Did you sleep well? And did you wake up well? Does the light; the wind, the air and the smell all feel brand new? Is each and every cell in your body awake now? Today, you are who you are today. You are a newer version of me. Myself ten years from now...That's so far away that I can't even begin to imagine. Am I alone? Or is there a wonderful person next to me? Well, knowing me, I'm sure I am troubling a lot of different people. But that's all right. There's no problem. I will always be cheering you on." The screen switched to her in a cheerleader outfit.
"And now, for a big cheer... from the bottom of my heart. Go, Go, ME! Do your best; Do your best, ME! Don't Lose, Don't Lose, ME!" The screen froze and the girl, who she now recognized as herself, spoke.
"I am no longer here. But I'm here today, and I'll always be cheering for you right here... Cheering for you, my only self."
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Faye gasped and would have sat up if she could.
"I will not give up." She thought firmly to herself. Faye felt new energy but she still could do nothing. She nearly cried out in frustration. She could sense that the feeling had come back to her fingers, but they were of no use to her broken.
"I will never give up."
***
Spike knew his situation was not good, but he refused to let it end this way. Reic's gray eyes bored into his and his long dark hair whipped in his face. Spike almost backed up as Reic's hair faded to silver and his eyes turned to an ice blue. Spike shook his head mentally to clear his thoughts.
"Vicious is dead." He told himself. His mind was going now. He had to stop this. Suddenly the sky broke out and thunder rolled in the sky. It began to rain, but neither men took notice of it.
"This rain is a perfect backdrop for your final death." Reic suddenly spoke. Suddenly lightning flashed and there was movement. Spike threw the machine gun at Reic. Seeing the gun flying in his direction, Reic caught it, dropping the long blade in the process. Spike ducked and grabbed the knife, knocking the gun out of Reic's surprised hands. Reic, forever quick on his feet, wrestled Spike to the ground. They rolled around and over to the edge of the building with Spike nearly falling off the edge. Lightning flashed and suddenly Reic's ship came alive. Reic rose up to look and using his moment of distraction, Spike shoved the blade into Reic's unprotected throat. Reic tried to cry out as blood welled up in his open throat. Reic reached out for Spike, and he nimbly dodged out of the way, causing Reic to lose his balance and fall off the edge of the building. There was a sickening thud and that was it. Spike stood up unsteadily and looked over the edge. Reic lay dead on the ground, having fallen from three stories. Blood and thicker things spread out onto the sidewalk. Spike turned away and looked over to the ship. The door burst open and Faye fell out onto the roof. She looked up at Spike with tears mingling with the rain. He gave a small smile and fell to the ground. It was over.
To be continued…