-----------------------------
Chapter 3: My Little Valentine
-----------------------------
Julia.
Blood-stained roses and the thick scent of Jasmine. Rain pouring down claustrophobic alleyways and children running in their coats. Umbrellas fumbling in the hands of ordinary people, rushing from the rain.
A bouquet of flowers slowly landing on the ground. Petals scattered throughout the air and cigarette smoke twirling around it. I remember those days.
I remember the fair-haired queen in her black suit and her utterly seductive eyes. Eyes you could drown in, gaze into until you feel like you can never rise to the surface ever again. She was enchanting.
Spike opened his eyes, staring out his window, at the vast infinity of space. There were no lights on in the room, it was utter darkness. But he preferred it that way. No interference, just quiet. Just the sound of his breathing echoing through the room, and his trusty pack of cigarette soothing and numbing all anxietys he had with a single puff of smoke.
Inhale.
Exhale. Let all my worries fade away.
"Why?" He whispered to no one, his eyes bleary and exhausted. His yellow cotton shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and his tie was hanging at a ridiculous angle. Julia was a traitor. She still worked for the Syndicate?
Julia.. what are you doing?
The smell of cake and sweet sugars wafting through a warm and dimly-lit room. A smile. Soft voices. He let them come, all of the memories that persisted every day of his waking life. He could not stop thinking of the enigma that was Julia.
Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead and groaned. This was driving him insane.
I don't understand, Julia. Are you with Vicious again? Why are you doing this? God..Julia..
"It's never going to stop, is it?" he mumbled to himself, "Not until I see her again."
Every day just seems like one big dream.
"Spike!" He heard a woman's voice call out to him from outside the doorway, "Hey, Spike!"
Spike closed his eyes and rested his head on a pillow. He was not in the mood for talking. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Stop moping around and get up, dammit! Do you want to go to Ganymede or what?"
Spike Spiegel was having a nervous breakdown.
"Later, Faye. I need some sleep."
"Oh, come on. We need food. We're broke. I'm starving. I lost the rest of our woolongs gambling. I already stole most of Jet's money and he's running around in his boxers. Uh.. heh. Anyway, you should get up and go after this Julia girl you're obsessing so much about." She continued her conversation, mad at Spike's sudden weakness. It was just so abnormal that it scared her, and now it was making HER act strange too.
Spike jumped up out of bed and slammed open the door. He stared at her with angry eyes, mixed with tears and a rage at the sudden chaotic dischord of everything around him. His whole world was falling apart. Julia, working for the Syndicate? Killing people?
What the hell kind of a soap opera am I in?
She stared into his eyes for a long time, noticing how ferocious and blank they were at the same time, yet emotional and deep.. and, oh God, Spike's eyes were like looking into the core of his being.
"Put yourself together!" She snapped at him suddenly, "It's only been an hour and I don't know what the hell you've turned into!" Faye pouted at him in disgust.
Spike leaned closer to her and she gasped in fright. Suddenly, without even having time to react, he pressed his lips against her mouth. Hard. Her eyes widened in shock and she clenched her fists together in fear. Faye's lips were soft. He wasn't exactly sure why he was doing this again. Maybe because he was so numb he needed to feel something. Needed to feel something real, tangible.
Faye? Why am I kissing Faye?
Faye was overwhelmed by the sudden sensations, and found it very hard to pull away. This was Spike Spiegel, the curly-haired idiot who always got into trouble. The lazy bum. The person she always argued with. And now they were..?
His kiss tasted like cigarettes, mixed with a faint trace of.. Spike. The oddest yet most intoxicating kiss she had ever felt.
Finally, he pulled away from her. Faye was speechless. They both were. It was impossible. Vulnerable woman instantly turned into untouchable shrew woman.
"You lunkhead.." she whispered.
Spike smiled.
-------------
"Oooh! Ed saw Faye-Faye and Spike kissing!" Ed giggled to Ein after she watched the strange spectacle, and waddled off torwards her room. Ein perked his ears up in interest as Ed told the rest of the story.
"Faye-Faye called Spike a lunkhead!" Ein stared at Ed who took amusement out of the ordeal. She thought it was hilarious that the 2 most bickering people in the galaxy could share anything intimate between each other.
Jet walked into Ed's room, clad in only boxers thanks to the bet with Faye. "Thanks for the information, Ed. I'm going to get in touch with the ISSP.. they know enough about the Red Dragon Syndicate. If Spike's not going after the bounty, I at least want to get to the bottom of this."
Ed just bobbled her head up and down and smiled. Ein barked and layed his head on his paws, bored. Ed pet him softly while typing away the keyboard with her toes.
"Yeah, Derion? I want to get in touch with Chief Guyver. Yeah, it's important." He waited as a man's image appeared on his receiver. He was about Jet's age, with a hardened face, a curly shock of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing the ISSP uniform with a badge.
"What do you know about this Julia bounty?" He said suddenly, and Chief Guyver started snickering.
"Jet, first of all, why the hell are you in your boxers?" Jet grumbled in humiliation and continued to press for information.
"Tell me about Julia."
"Everything you've seen on TV is all the information we have." He said plaintively.
"Bullshit." Jet growled, and Guyver raised his eyebrow.
"I suggest you go to Ganymede and check things out for yourself, Black. I'm really busy right now and I have other matters to attend to."
"Tell me something, then!" He continued, and finally Guyver threw up his hands and gave up.
"Alright, you persistent bastard. Julia's involved with Vicious. I'm not sure if she's allied with him again, or if Vicious found her and took her as hostage to carry out his crimes. All I know is that I've seen the two of them together, and I couldn't tell a single bit of their motives."
"Vicious? Sounds like a pleasant guy." Jet said sarcastically, "Thanks Guyver." Guyver nodded somberly and the screen flicked out. He put the receiver back in his pocket. Ed stared up at him, a confused expression on his face.
"So we go to Ganymeeedee?" Ed blinked and Jet sighed, nodding. "Yeah, Ed. We go to Ganymede. But first I need to find some clothing, because it's cold." He shivered and cursed at Faye for cheating him out of his deal. Where was she, anyway?
Chapter 3: My Little Valentine
-----------------------------
Julia.
Blood-stained roses and the thick scent of Jasmine. Rain pouring down claustrophobic alleyways and children running in their coats. Umbrellas fumbling in the hands of ordinary people, rushing from the rain.
A bouquet of flowers slowly landing on the ground. Petals scattered throughout the air and cigarette smoke twirling around it. I remember those days.
I remember the fair-haired queen in her black suit and her utterly seductive eyes. Eyes you could drown in, gaze into until you feel like you can never rise to the surface ever again. She was enchanting.
Spike opened his eyes, staring out his window, at the vast infinity of space. There were no lights on in the room, it was utter darkness. But he preferred it that way. No interference, just quiet. Just the sound of his breathing echoing through the room, and his trusty pack of cigarette soothing and numbing all anxietys he had with a single puff of smoke.
Inhale.
Exhale. Let all my worries fade away.
"Why?" He whispered to no one, his eyes bleary and exhausted. His yellow cotton shirt was unbuttoned halfway, and his tie was hanging at a ridiculous angle. Julia was a traitor. She still worked for the Syndicate?
Julia.. what are you doing?
The smell of cake and sweet sugars wafting through a warm and dimly-lit room. A smile. Soft voices. He let them come, all of the memories that persisted every day of his waking life. He could not stop thinking of the enigma that was Julia.
Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead and groaned. This was driving him insane.
I don't understand, Julia. Are you with Vicious again? Why are you doing this? God..Julia..
"It's never going to stop, is it?" he mumbled to himself, "Not until I see her again."
Every day just seems like one big dream.
"Spike!" He heard a woman's voice call out to him from outside the doorway, "Hey, Spike!"
Spike closed his eyes and rested his head on a pillow. He was not in the mood for talking. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Stop moping around and get up, dammit! Do you want to go to Ganymede or what?"
Spike Spiegel was having a nervous breakdown.
"Later, Faye. I need some sleep."
"Oh, come on. We need food. We're broke. I'm starving. I lost the rest of our woolongs gambling. I already stole most of Jet's money and he's running around in his boxers. Uh.. heh. Anyway, you should get up and go after this Julia girl you're obsessing so much about." She continued her conversation, mad at Spike's sudden weakness. It was just so abnormal that it scared her, and now it was making HER act strange too.
Spike jumped up out of bed and slammed open the door. He stared at her with angry eyes, mixed with tears and a rage at the sudden chaotic dischord of everything around him. His whole world was falling apart. Julia, working for the Syndicate? Killing people?
What the hell kind of a soap opera am I in?
She stared into his eyes for a long time, noticing how ferocious and blank they were at the same time, yet emotional and deep.. and, oh God, Spike's eyes were like looking into the core of his being.
"Put yourself together!" She snapped at him suddenly, "It's only been an hour and I don't know what the hell you've turned into!" Faye pouted at him in disgust.
Spike leaned closer to her and she gasped in fright. Suddenly, without even having time to react, he pressed his lips against her mouth. Hard. Her eyes widened in shock and she clenched her fists together in fear. Faye's lips were soft. He wasn't exactly sure why he was doing this again. Maybe because he was so numb he needed to feel something. Needed to feel something real, tangible.
Faye? Why am I kissing Faye?
Faye was overwhelmed by the sudden sensations, and found it very hard to pull away. This was Spike Spiegel, the curly-haired idiot who always got into trouble. The lazy bum. The person she always argued with. And now they were..?
His kiss tasted like cigarettes, mixed with a faint trace of.. Spike. The oddest yet most intoxicating kiss she had ever felt.
Finally, he pulled away from her. Faye was speechless. They both were. It was impossible. Vulnerable woman instantly turned into untouchable shrew woman.
"You lunkhead.." she whispered.
Spike smiled.
-------------
"Oooh! Ed saw Faye-Faye and Spike kissing!" Ed giggled to Ein after she watched the strange spectacle, and waddled off torwards her room. Ein perked his ears up in interest as Ed told the rest of the story.
"Faye-Faye called Spike a lunkhead!" Ein stared at Ed who took amusement out of the ordeal. She thought it was hilarious that the 2 most bickering people in the galaxy could share anything intimate between each other.
Jet walked into Ed's room, clad in only boxers thanks to the bet with Faye. "Thanks for the information, Ed. I'm going to get in touch with the ISSP.. they know enough about the Red Dragon Syndicate. If Spike's not going after the bounty, I at least want to get to the bottom of this."
Ed just bobbled her head up and down and smiled. Ein barked and layed his head on his paws, bored. Ed pet him softly while typing away the keyboard with her toes.
"Yeah, Derion? I want to get in touch with Chief Guyver. Yeah, it's important." He waited as a man's image appeared on his receiver. He was about Jet's age, with a hardened face, a curly shock of blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing the ISSP uniform with a badge.
"What do you know about this Julia bounty?" He said suddenly, and Chief Guyver started snickering.
"Jet, first of all, why the hell are you in your boxers?" Jet grumbled in humiliation and continued to press for information.
"Tell me about Julia."
"Everything you've seen on TV is all the information we have." He said plaintively.
"Bullshit." Jet growled, and Guyver raised his eyebrow.
"I suggest you go to Ganymede and check things out for yourself, Black. I'm really busy right now and I have other matters to attend to."
"Tell me something, then!" He continued, and finally Guyver threw up his hands and gave up.
"Alright, you persistent bastard. Julia's involved with Vicious. I'm not sure if she's allied with him again, or if Vicious found her and took her as hostage to carry out his crimes. All I know is that I've seen the two of them together, and I couldn't tell a single bit of their motives."
"Vicious? Sounds like a pleasant guy." Jet said sarcastically, "Thanks Guyver." Guyver nodded somberly and the screen flicked out. He put the receiver back in his pocket. Ed stared up at him, a confused expression on his face.
"So we go to Ganymeeedee?" Ed blinked and Jet sighed, nodding. "Yeah, Ed. We go to Ganymede. But first I need to find some clothing, because it's cold." He shivered and cursed at Faye for cheating him out of his deal. Where was she, anyway?