Cowboy Bebop-Hunting the Hunter
Faye stepped out of her Redtail, completely exhausted. "All that work..." She cried as she
trudged to the hanagr door. It opened as just as she reached it and Spike walked in, followed by
Jet. "Didn't catch him, did you?" Spike asked, regarding Faye's long face. "Oh, I caught him all
right..." Faye answered, grinning as she poked his stomach. "Unfortunatley, they don't give out
rewards for corpses..."
Jet grumbled, eyeing Faye's ship. A few dents and scratches, nothing too time-consuming. "There,
there Faye." Spike said, "You can't win them all." Faye smiled at him, but she didn't feel any
better about it.
"I wasn't counting on him stealing a car and making a run for it, you know." Faye continued, "It's
not MY fault he couldn't accept defeat." Spike smirked at her, "Most criminals don't wanna be
caught, Faye." he said smartly, as he walked over to the Swordfish. "It's a good thing you weren't
spotted, Faye." Jet told her, "Otherwise we'd get billed for all the damage the explosion caused."
Faye frowned at him, then sighed heavily. "Where's he going?" Faye asked Jet, as she watched
Spike climb into his ship. "He's got a lead on someone, an assassin from the looks of it. " Jet
explained. "Sounds right up his alley...." Faye said jokingly.
"Hey, don't complain." Spike said, walking back towards Faye and Jet. "The bounty's 2 million. That
should keep us going for awhile." "2 million?" Faye asked, frowning again. "Just who is this guy,
Spike?" "I dunno, but he's a heavyweight, might even be challenging." Spike smirked, as he lit a
ciggarette. "Should be fun, at the very least. Wanna come?' Faye gave him a strange look, then
grinned. "You mean, you might have actually found someone you can't take by yourself?" She asked,
still grinning. "Well, I wouldn't say that exactly..." Spike answered, smirking. "But at
least you'd catch someone today." Jet groaned, backing away from the two of them. He knew all too
well what would happen next, and he had no desire to be in the middle of an ego war. "What is THAT
supposed to mean!" Faye shouted at Spike, poking him again.
"Nothing at all..." Spike answered, the smirk never leaving his face. "Ok, cowboy. Now I'm
definetely going,
but don't whine if I catch him first." Faye said, smirking as well. "Deal." Spike said, walking
back to his ship. "Spike, be careful." Jet warned him, as he and Faye got into their ships.
"Don't worry, Jet." Spike answered, "I'll stay out of her way." "I wasn't talking about Faye,
dummy." Jet explained, walking alongside the Swordfish as it prepared to take off. "We know next
to nothing about this guy, he could be too much for you."
Spike frowned at his partner, "Why does this guy bother you so much?" Spike asked, closing the
canopy. Jet stopped walking and turned on his comm. unit, still worried. "It's just that he's a
freelance killer, Spike." Jet continued, "Guys like that always make sure no one knows who they
are. It was just too easy to find info on him." "So you're worried we might finally have some
luck?" Spike asked. Jet could tell his mind was already set."No, it's just...wrong Spike. Something
about it stinks." "I'll tell you what stinks, Jet.." Spike retorted, Jet couldn't see the stubborn
determination on Spike's face, but he knew it was there. "Being broke stinks."
"I'll second that." Faye cut in. Spike watched as her ship roared ahead of his. "Gotta love her
spunk." Spike remarked, smirking again. "Spike..." Jet grumbled, watching the two ships disapear
into the horizon.
Jet decided he'd go try to dig up some more info on this guy, anything he could find. "This one
really stinks..." Jet repeated. He had been a cop for most of his youth, but he'd been catching bad
guys all his life.
And his gut told him that something about this case was very wrong. Jet stormed off to the bridge,
set on finding out all he could about this assassin, this man who was called Duke Togo.
"What was Jet so bent out of shape about?" Faye's voice came over Spike's radio. Spike looked out
at the Redtail, flying just far enough ahead of him to be leading. "Something about this guy isn't
setting right with him." Spike answered, hoping Jet was wrong. "What, because the info was easy to
get? So what?" Faye replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "I guess we'll just have to find out,
won't we Faye?" Spike said, bringing his ship up beside the Redtail. "You're not scared, are you?"
Faye asked him, again pulling slightly ahead of the Swordfish. " I'm just hoping the guy's worth
catching." Spike assured her. But he couldn't help agreeing with Jet. Something about this case was
a little off. It almost smelled like a setup.
"Well, at least I've got you to rescue me." Spike said sarcastically. "Sure." Faye countered,
"After I get the bounty head!" Spike grinned at the Redtail, even if this chase went awry, there
wasn't anything he and Faye couldn't handle together.
The streets of Ganymede were bustling with activity. Hundreds of people went about their daily
routines.
In fact, some people might have thought the activity to be distracting, but for the man walking
past the spaceport, it didn't exist. He stood tall as he opened the door to his car, a worn out
old Lincoln coupe, upgraded only as much as needed, no more. He took a moment to secure his
sunglasses before stepping in. The wind
gave his trenchcoat a flowing look, alomost as if it were alive. He pulled into traffic casually,
naturally, leaving no traces of anything to be suspicious about. Once on the road, he opened the
manilla folder resting on the passenger seat, taking a moment to browse it's contents. He'd been
through the information several times, but had only recently been sent a picture of his mark. That
was sloppy, he thought in disgust. He was a professional, and hated getting his info from anything
less. He stopped his car in front of a bakery, to get a better look at the profile. The man seemed
hardly worthy of his skill, but he had made some impressive catches.
Duke was amused, all things considered. This man was a bounty hunter, much like himself. He would
almost have done the job for the sheer entertainment, but you don't walk away from 2 billion
without at least considering. As it was, he was interested in meeting this man, it was unfortunate
that he had to die.
Duke started his car again, placing all but the picture back into the folder. That he slipped into
his trenchcoat. Anyone with hair like that would be easy to spot. "Spike Spiegel..." Duke went
over the unusual name in his head a few times. As he pulled back out into traffic,
driving back past the spaceport, his emotionless face gave a slight grin. "Be careful, bounty
hunter.." Duke said quietly. " I never miss."
Spike let out a long sigh as he leaned up against the wall, watching the smoke from his cigg swirl
upwards as if it was the physical equivalent of his verbal expression. He gazed across the street,
watching the cars and people pass by. A slight grin formed on his face as he spyed a bar, about a
block away. He dug out his comm. unit, deciding to see if Faye was having better luck. "Hii
there!" Faye
responded, her seductive grin not at all lessened by the bad reception. "You got anything yet,
Faye?" Spike asked her, smirking as he dropped his burned out cigg and reached for a fresh one.
"No..." Faye whined, sounding just as ready to give up as he was. "Nothing, I must have been to
every bar on this planet by now..." Spike lit his smoke as he nodded, looking across the street
again. "Maybe not all of them..." He mused, starting to walk. "How about you, Mr. Perfect?"
Faye inquired, sounding just a little scorned. "Nothing at all." He answered plainly. "I'm going
to...Mike's Tavern." Spike said, reading the sign. "It's about a block from the main bank. Meet me
there as soon as you can, ok?" Faye frowned, not liking the high and mighty attitude at all. "Why,
do you have something or not Spike?" She yelled, sounding a lot more scorned now. "Nope, I'm fresh
out of somethings Faye, I just need a drink." "Ohhhhh!!!!" She growled, disconnecting. Spike
smirked even more, pocketing the comm. unit. Getting on Faye's nerves was one of the things he
lived for. He crossed the street, putting his hands in his pockets
as he neared the tavern. It was true that he did feel the overwhelming need for a stiff drink, but
since Faye had been to all the others, this bar might hold something special for him. Spike wasn't
a genius, not by a long shot, but he knew a hunch when he felt one, and his were never wrong.
He pushed open the door, hearing the old fashioned bell as it rung. It wasn't a bad place, Spike
thought. Fairly clean tables, comfy looking seats, the really cheap kind you could lean back in
without ending up on the floor. And the ceiling fans gave it a nice atmosphere. The bartender
looked up at him, pausing to nod before he went back to polishing the glasses. The two other
patrons also looked up, and one of them, an old, frail looking man gave a freindly chuckle and a
wave. He wore a red cap and was missing almost all of his teeth. The other, also old and
frail, had a much darker skin tone, and black hair that was cut short. The two had been involved in
a game of cards, and the darker man took advantage of the distraction, switching a few of his cards
with some from the deck. Spike smirked at that, choosing a table across from them, and sat down
facing the door. A thin, fairly well endowed young woman came over, taking his order for a
screwdriver. After a cute little "thank youuuu!" Spike watched her walk away, then turned
sideways in his chair to watch the geezers play. The one wearing the hat was furious, slamming his
fist down and tossing cards about. "Taking my money again, ya cheatin' dog!!!" He shouted, slapping
his companion with the hat. "Why the minute I turn my back, ya stick a knife in it! Goddamn
sonofabitch!!" Spike had to grin at the scene, in spite of the strange feeling that he'd seen it
all before somewhere...The old bell rang once more, as the tavern door opened. Spike turned,
expecting a huffy Faye to be storming in. But as an uneasy feeling washed over him, he realized
he'd have to wait. The newcomer wasn't Faye, but a tall, strudy-looking asian. His trenchcoat
flowed around his ankles as he stepped inside, one large hand reaching up to right his sunglasses.
Spike eyed the man carefully as he approached the counter, asking for a vodka martini. The man
paused, turning around to regard Spike, and looked him up and down before nodding slightly. Spike
narrowed his eyes as he turned back to the geezers, who were sitting quietly, refusing to talk to
each other. The asian man sat down at Spike's table,folding his hands on top of it. He surveyed the
room slowly, then looked back to Spike, his cold blue eyes peering at him over the sunglasses.
Spike could tell he was being sized up, and realized his hunch had been right. He leaned back in
his chair, putting his feet up on his side of the table.
"A vodka man..." Spike said, smirking as he eyed the man again. "Much like myself." Spike laced his
hands behind his head, keeping an eye on the bulge near the man's ribcage. He knew it was a gun,
and he judged from his experiences with trenchcoats that he probably had more. The man leaned
towards Spike, crossing his arms as he gave him another slight grin. "We are more alike than you
realize, Spike Spiegel." He said darkly, not a trace of emotion in his voice. Spike almost lost his
balance, and leaned forward again, downing half his drink at once. It was definetely him, no doubt
about it. "Guess I must be famous. Or maybe infamous?" Spike posed, tensing his body, ready to
jump up at a moment's notice. "You're neither. I have good sources." The man countered, his voice
still devoid of emotion. Spike's gut got a seriously bad feeling. He was used to being one step
ahead of his prey, but this guy was stopping him at every turn. But that wasn't what was bothering
him, he could easily deal with a simple disadvantage. What had Spike worried, was a feeling he
hadn't felt since the syndicate days. An escapable feeling that he was in deeper than he wanted to
be, and even worse, doubt. He was beginning to wonder if he wasn't the hunted, instead of the
hunter.
The man apparentely could tell he was itching about something, and gave another little smirk as he
downed his martini in one gulp. Spike was really getting annoyed with that smirk, and no matter how
feared this guy was as an assasin, there were no sniper points in here. In a bar such as the one
they were in, the only thing that mattered was hand to hand. And on that front, Spike was king. He
pushed his doubt as far away as he could, and got ready to make his move. The man sensed this, and
tensed himself, ready to pounce on Spike the first chance he got. The bell on the door rang a third
time, as an aggitated Faye eyed Spike from the doorway. Both men shot glances at her, as Faye
looked from Spike to the asian man, and back to Spike. The look in his eyes told her all she needed
to know, as she withdrew her gun, pointing it straight it the asian man. "Nice place you picked
out, Spike." She said, grinning at him. Spike smirked back, relieved that Faye had showed up when
she did, but a bit disapoineted. He had almost found out what Mr. Assassin man really had under the
hood, but oh well. Spike still wasn't comfortable with things, the asian man was just standing
there, nothing suggesting the slightest hesitation or fear. Spike took one step towards Faye, and
the man drew, aimed and fired his revolver, all in one swift motion. A single gunshot rang out, as
a bullet lodged itself in the wall Faye had been in front of. Spike saw that Faye was now behind
the counter, her free hand holding her side where the bullet had grazed her. As the man whirled
around, aiming at Faye, she took aim as well. Two more gunshots rang out as the man grunted in
pain, dropping his gun. The barrel was jammed with a bullet from Faye's gun, Spike realized.
"That's QUITE enough of that, my reluctant little bounty." Faye teased him. Spike half smirked,
half frowned as he looked over at Faye, who gave him an "I'm fine" nod.
Faye's comm. unit buzzed, almost making her all three of them jump. "What is it?" Faye shouted,
needing a distraction about as badly as another wound to match the one she was nursing. "Faye!!
Have you found Spike yet??!!" Jet's distressing tone carried througout the tavern, where everyone
else had either ducked out or taken cover. "Yep, he's here with me now, we caught..." Faye was cut
off by Jet, who wasn't through flipping out yet. "Whatever you do, KEEP HIM AWAY from Togo! He..."
Faye barely heard the rest, as the asian man knew his cover was blown and dove at Spike. Faye
dropped the comm. unit, firing off shots at the man as she vaulted the counter. Spike saw the
clumsy attack coming, and easily ducked, dealing Togo a hard right to the gut as he flew overhead.
One of Faye's shots came a bit close to Spike, as she put her foot on the fallen man's shoulder,
holding him in place. "What's wrong with ya, sonny? Ain't ya got no balls?" One of the geezers
yelled from his hiding place. Spike glared over at him, hating nothing more than feeling like a
coward. "Do I what?!" Spike shouted back, annoyed. "Ain't ya got no balls I sald!" The geezer
repeated, looking like he was serious. "Your ladyfriend already bailed yer ass out, took the
fella's gun! Why don't ya fight him fair and square like a man?!" Faye's face contorted into a
scowl, but she kept her eyes on the assassin. Loving Spike was one thing, but she wasn't anyone's
"lady-friend." The mere sound of it made her cringe. Spike grimaced, looked back at Togo, and gave
him a smirk. "How 'bout it, small fry?" He inquired, staring him down. Faye shot a worried glance
back at Spike, knowing too well what he was thinking. "Spike, don't even...This guy's an assassin,
his name's Duke Togo,
and he's been contracted to kill YOU. So just forget about it and call Jet." Spike's smirk widened
to a grin, the maddened grin of a man who lives for challenge. "Then it's my call, you've got no
say in it Faye." He told her simply, stepping closer and lowering her gun hand. SPIKE!" She
exclaimed, fearing the worst, but Spike wasn't paying any attention. His eyes
were still fixed on Duke, as they stared each other down. Duke reached up, removing his sunglasses
to reveal eyes as lifeless as his voice. Faye thought they were the coldest eyes imaginable, the
last time she'd seen eyes like those, she had been facing Vicious. Spike had saved her then, and
she felt that she had do something, anything to help him now. "Spike...Please.." She tried,
gazing at Spike with concern. "How's that wound?" He replied, his gaze never leaving Duke's. "It's
nothing." She answered, half-lying. It really did hurt, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
"See if you can reach Jet, fill him in." Spike demanded, handing her his comm unit.
"I'm still waiting for an answer, how 'bout it?" Spike addressed Duke, as the man slowly got to his
feet, keeping his eyes on Spike. "I'd enjoy wiping that wise-ass smirk away for good...." Duke
answered him, putting his fists up. "Just what I was thinking myself, Mr. Assassin." Spike
retorted, assuming a stance of his own. The man may have been a good asassin, but his stance was
ancient. Spike actually believed Duke was going to try and box him to death. Faye looked scornfully
at them both, then went to the counter in search of a bandage.
"Here's the deal." Spike stated, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. "You win, you get
your man, I win, I get my man. And no bitching afterwards, alright?" Duke nodded, the slight
smirk returning to his face. Faye popped her head up from behind the counter, finding only an old
cloth. "HEY!!" She exclaimed, still scowling. "If you wanna get yourself killed Spike, that's your
choice! But what about the bounty!!!"
Spike's face contorted as he rolled his eyes. "Rules?" Duke's monotone voice inquired. Spike eyed
him dangerously. "None. First one to stay down loses." Duke nodded, smirking a little bit more.
Spiegel had no idea how much pain he could take, and still keep swinging. "Just get it on with it
already!!" The geezer called to them, eager to watch the fight. "Will you shut UP old man?!!" Spike
shouted back, glaring at him. Duke took advantage of the momentary distraction, and lunged at Spike
with a left hook. Spike looked back just in time to parry it,
and shuffled to the side, letting Duke's momentum carry the man past. "Heh heh, better USE those
killer eyes, pal." Spike teased him, shuffling as Duke regained his balance. He countered the
remark by throwing two quick jabs at Spike, which he dodged easily. Spike stepped in close and
threw a punch flurry into Duke's stomach, ending with a front kick that floored the man. Spike
continued shuffling, flicking his thumb across his nose. Even Bruce would've been proud of that
one, he thought, grinning as Duke got back up, enraged.
"What are you, some kind of chop saki freak?" He asked, stepping closer. Spike rushed him,
dodging a punch and landing a sweet uppercut to Duke's jaw. "Among other things, boxer boy." He
retorted, stepping away. Duke seemed offended by that, and sent a lunging kick at Spike. "You could
benefit from a few movies yourself, slowpoke." Spike teased again, as he caught Duke's leg and
twisted, hearing a faint crack. He stepped in and swept Duke's other foot out from under him. Duke
broke Spike's grip on the leg, catching him across the jaw as he cartwheeled back onto his feet,
and bashed Spike with a shoulder rush as he staggered, pinning his thin frame to the wall. "I may
not worship some kung fu cupcake, but I watch a lot of fights, afro boy." Duke growled, the smirk
coming back to his face.
Spike scowled, infuriated at anyone insulting his idol. His wiry body dropped to the floor, as he
wrapped his legs around Duke's, taking him down. "Oh yeah? Ever seen this?" Spike retorted, rolling
over onto Duke and sinking his fist deep into the man's groin. Duke screamed aloud in pain, as
Spike got up and planted his foot squarely oh Duke's chest. He dug in a bit, then brought his heel
down, using all of his weight.
Duke screamed again, enraged as he grabbed for Spike's foot, much too slow. Two Bruce Lee specials
in one move, I'm on a roll now. Spike thought, stepping back. Duke stood up, grimacing as he held
his chest. "Will you stop being so damn slippery!!!" He bellowed, grabbing a table and hurling it
at Spike. Spike countered with a nearby chair, and threw himself into a twisting aerial kick as the
table crashed against the counter. Duke saw the kick coming, and caught one of Spike's legs, using
it to swing him into a wall.
Spike hit the wall feet first and kicked off, aiming a flying kick at Duke. Faye popped out from
behind the counter again, and saw the table. "Spike! Will you be careful?!" She screamed. "Tell
that to him!!" Spike yelled back, as the kick connected with Duke's head. The force alone sent him
into the back wall as Spike landed, perfectly balanced. Duke bellowed rage again, stumbled after
him, and Spike unleashed the Bruce Lee side kick,
putting him right back against the wall. He shuffled a bit more, sweeping the hair out of his eyes.
Someday, I'll have to get around to trimming that, he thought. Duke started step closer, and
staggered. Spike saw his chance and rushed in, throwing rapid punches to every part of
Duke's body. He ended by spinning around, catching Duke's already reeling head with a crescent
kick. Spike watched as Duke still staggered towards him, and shuffled, awaiting the next move. He
gave a high-pitched yell, as Duke lunged in with a haymaker. Spike ducked it, bending low and
delievering a backfist to his stomach. He shoved Duke's body back, stopping his momentum with a
palm thrust, and channeled the resulting force into a straight jab, giving the high-pitched Bruce
cry again. Duke's heavy body collapsed on the floor, knocking over the few tables that had been
left standing. "Game over, Dukey."
Spike laughed, twitching a bit. Someday he really would have to find out where all his Bruce Lee
movies went to. Faye slowly came out from behind the counter, looking first at the fallen man, then
Spike. That was really something, Spike..." She said slowly, surveying the damage. "But did you
have to do the scream?" Spike frowned at her a bit, "Of course, it's part of the flow." Flow?" Faye
asked, blinking. "Yeah, you gotta be fluid, like water you know?" Spike answered, grinning. Faye
had the distinct feeling she was being made fun of, and decided to drop it. "Just don't scream so
loud next time ok? My ears hurt..." She said, taking a minute to make suer her bandage-cloth was
tight enough. Spike looked down at her bandaged side, then back up. "Oh, don't worry about me, bird
man. I'm alright. It was only a small graze after all." "Bird man?!!" Spike exclaimed, offended at
her apparent slam to the arts.
"Yeah, when you scream like that you sound just like a seagull, you know." Faye continued, smirking
as she walked over to Duke. He groaned in pain as she put the handcuffs on him. "Huh???!!!" Spike
exclaimed again, getting even angrier. "I'll show you a bird Faye!!" Spike shouted, flipping her
off as she tightened the cuffs. She turned to retort, and never got the chance. Duke shot up,
knocking Faye down as he grabbed a bewildered Spike, and threw him over the counter. Spike landed
hard and growled, rubbing his head. "He's getting away! Spike!" Faye screamed, racing after
him as Spike got up. They both sprinted out the door, which gave way silently. The bell had been
broken by one of the tables, and wouldn't be ringing anytime soon. Outside, Spike's eyes darted
from alley to alley, spotting a thin trail of blood. It seemed to lead up a catwalk . As Spike was
about to follow it, he caught a glimmer, just for a second. From a rooftop. "Spike!!" Faye warned,
firing at the roof as a rifle shot sounded. Spike whipped his head around, just in time to see Jet
step in front of him.
The shell lodged into Jet's metallic arm, his first and best defense. "Jet?!" Spike said,
bewildered. "You can handle him fine, nothing to worry about...Hah! I don't know why I ever listen
to you, Spike." Jet grumbled irritably, plucking the bullet from his arm. Spike and Faye drew
their guns, heading for the catwalk while Jet ran back to his ship.
Duke frowned, abandoning the sniper rifle. Never in his whole life, had he missed a shot that
clean.
"Spiegel, you're seriously pissing me off." He grumbled, taking two revolvers from his trench. It
was a game of cat and mouse now, something he was very good at. Duke turned around to find a good
vantage point, intent on killing all three of them. He was shocked to see a small dog, and a
strange, insanely happy littel girl running towards him. "Edward's a cowgirl!!!!!!" She shreiked,
grabbbing one of Duke's legs. Ein grabbed the other, and they both sunk their teeth in. Duke
winced, regained balance and fired at the girl, who was somehow weaving away from his bullets, even
at such close range. Edward let Duke's leg go, and gave his shin a kick. Ein scrambled away,
nipping at Ed's heels as they both ran from the gunfire.
"First that hairy punk and some noisy girl, now kids and dogs..." Duke muttered as he reloaded.
"This is ridiculous." Spike got up to the roof just in time to see Ed running past. "Scary, scary,
SCARY!!!" She shouted, as she and Ein zoomed past him. Faye came up behind him and looked around,
her gun at the ready. 'Where IS he??" Faye shouted, walking around the rooftop. Spike followed,
staying as low as he could. "We're both hunters, Spiegel." Duke's voice boomed. Spike and Faye
whirled around, looking for the source. "But I'm no good to you dead, isn't that right?"
"Come out, you..." Spike growled, pinpointing the voice's location. The next time he spoke,
he'd be finsihed..."AHHHH!!!" Faye screamed, as Duke appearred behind her. She fired once before he
pistol whipped her, knocking her gun away. Spike turned on his heel, training his gun to the sound.
Duke was holding one revolver to Faye's head, wincing at the gunshot wound. Even firing blind, Faye
had gotten him in the chest. "Now we're even." Faye explained. "It's between you and me, you cheap
bastard!" Spike yelled, angry that he was using Faye as a hostage. "It is, but she's after my
bounty as well. It's not too fair, three on one. But I'll admit you're really good for a
beginner." "Shut your face!!" Spike shouted again, trying to decide what to do. He'd been in
this situation before, in the cathedral, with Vicious.
But things had somehow changed. His feelings for Faye had changed, he couldn't take the same chance
he had the last time. "Spike! Shoot him!!" Faye demanded, almost as if she was angry he hadn't
yet. "No, you're not going do that, are you Bird boy? You've got to take me alive, if you want the
money."
Spike growled, irritated at the insult. Faye shot him a glance that told him she didn't approve of
his hesitation. "Click"! Duke's smirk faded as he heard Spike cock the gun's hammer. "If you kill
me.."
Duke started. "Then you'll be dead, and I'll be happy." Spike returned coldly, cutting him off.
"Don't care for money, huh?" Duke inquired. "Fine. I'll kill this bitch and we can settle things.
Just the two of us, how about that punk?" Faye's eyes narrowed at anyone calling her names, and she
thrusted her elbow down to connect with Duke's wounded chest. It was all Spike needed, and he
pulled the trigger as Duke groaned in pain. The gunshot echoed, and as Duke's body fell on top of
Faye, she saw blood trickle down from his head. "No money again!" Faye complained, as she wrigled
out from under the heavy man. "What took you so long Spike? He was right there in front of you!"
Spike gave her a goofy smirk, looking down at Duke. "Had too make sure we got paid, right?"
He explained, as Faye saw Duke's arm twich a bit. It was then that she saw the bullet had just
grazed his temple. He was unconscious, but alive. Faye frowned as she collected her broken
handcuffs from Duke's body, dreading the search for another pair as good as these. "Spike! Faye!
You guys alright?" Jet asked, as the cockpit of the Hammerhead rose into view at the roof's edge.
"Yep! And we're rich too!" Spike shouted back, grinning as he walked over to the ship. Faye dragged
Duke along, glancing down as she heard a noise, sounded almost like a gun?
"Spiegel!!" Duke's voice cried one more time as he broke away and stumbled towards Spike, guns in
hand. Spike exchanged looks with Jet and dove away, as Jet fired the Hammerhead's harpoon. It
connected with Duke's right arm, knocking the gun away as the force spun him like a top. Spike
rushed over, aiming a kick just as Duke stopped spinning. Faye stepped in with a kick as well, as
they both gave the bird-like yell and attacked in near-perfect harmony. Duke toppled over
backwards, his eyes rolled back in his head. Faye turned to Spike, and saw he was staring at her
blankly. "Ummm..you..ah.." Spike stammered, Faye thought he looked as if he'd seen the master
himself. "Well cowboy, I'll try anything once you know." She explained, and lightly slapped his
shoulder as she walked by, smirking at him. Spike slowly followed still amazed. He stopped as Ed
and Ein came out of hiding, peeking out from under a water tower.
"You two tie him up. TIGHTLY, alright?" Spike ordered. "Aye, aye! Captain seagull!" Edward
exclaimed, as Ein barked an affirmitave. "Yeesh, those two.." Spike muttered, wondering how Ed had
managed to hear Faye's joke. He glanced back as he stared down the catwalk, regarding the fallen
man. Ed was trying to tie him up with his own trecncoat, and doing a good job of it. "Bang, Mr.
Assassin." He said, pointing his thumb and forefinger at the body. Togo had been good, better than
Spike had been ready for. It was just his bad luck having an opponent like Spike. And anyone who
couldn't appreciate martial arts deserved whatever they got anyways.
Spike and Faye were sitting in the rec room, regarding an unconcious Duke. Jet
had pumped enough sedatives into him to kill a yak, but he'd at least live long enough for them to
get paid. Spike..." Faye asked cautiously, giving him a curious look. "Yes, my dear?" He answered,
stretching.
"Why DID you take so long to shoot him? Really?" Spike looked at Faye, who was giving him a look
that suggseted she already knew, and just wanted to hear him admit it. "You know why..." He began.
I was afraid...that I.."
"Yes?" Faye persisted, touching his chest. "I was afraid we'd lose the bounty, of course. I didn't
go easy on him for nothing you kn.." Spike was cut off as Faye leaned over, giving him a long,
gentle kiss. "Well thank you anyways." She said, touching his cheek. Spike looked at her, trying to
find something to say that would cover his ass, but some things even he couldn't hide. "If you
want to thank me.." Spike replied, holding her close.
"Yes?" Faye asked, waiting for the rest. "Next time don't be so careless." He said, giving her an
evil smirk.
"Why you! I..." She stammered, giving his chest a hard punch. "If Jet and I hadn't been there he
would have picked you off!" Spike laughed slightly, answering her annoyed glare with a warm smile.
"Hey Spike, what the hell are these things anyway?" Jet asked, realizing he had barged in on yet
another Spike and Faye moment.
Spike turned to see what he was asking about, and saw that he was holding a box labeled
simply "flicks."
"Those are...my Bruce Lee dics!!!" Spike exclaimed, amazed that Jet had found them. "They were in
with the bathroom cleaners, want me to toss 'em?" Jet asked, teasing him. Spike's eyes widened as
he broke Faye's embrace, running over to the box. "No way Jet!" He cried, snatching the box away
and going through it. "Men..." Faye said dryly, watching curiously as Spike took out the discs. His
face lit up like a little boy's on Christmas day. "Hey! They aren't all here!!" Spike protested,
searching through the discs again. "Sorry Spike-o, I didn't touch 'em. They were just like that
when I found them." Jet defended, blinking. Spike looked a bit disapointed, then slightly annoyed,
as all three of them heard strange whooshing sounds and yells from Ed's room. "Yay!! Beat them all
up, Brucey! Give 'em the birdy fist!!!" Spike sighed heavily, shaking his head and walking off
with his discs, as Faye and Jet exchanged looks of confusion. "Well, maybe now she'll be able to
help a bit more." Jet posed, waving it away as he sat down at his computer. Faye started after
Spike, just the slightest bit curious about what made this guy so great....
SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY....................
Ein:Bark!! Bark bark, arf!!
Spike:No Ein, you can't preview the next episode...
Faye:He is just a dog, after all.
Jet: Hey! Ein's a good dog!
Edward: Yeah!! Ein's a good woof woof!!
Spike, Jet and Faye: Edward!!!
Ein: Arf! Bark! Woof Woof! Arf!
Jet:Next time, we'll probably catch someone else...
Spike:Yep, and we'll still be broke...
Jet: Quiet you!
Faye stepped out of her Redtail, completely exhausted. "All that work..." She cried as she
trudged to the hanagr door. It opened as just as she reached it and Spike walked in, followed by
Jet. "Didn't catch him, did you?" Spike asked, regarding Faye's long face. "Oh, I caught him all
right..." Faye answered, grinning as she poked his stomach. "Unfortunatley, they don't give out
rewards for corpses..."
Jet grumbled, eyeing Faye's ship. A few dents and scratches, nothing too time-consuming. "There,
there Faye." Spike said, "You can't win them all." Faye smiled at him, but she didn't feel any
better about it.
"I wasn't counting on him stealing a car and making a run for it, you know." Faye continued, "It's
not MY fault he couldn't accept defeat." Spike smirked at her, "Most criminals don't wanna be
caught, Faye." he said smartly, as he walked over to the Swordfish. "It's a good thing you weren't
spotted, Faye." Jet told her, "Otherwise we'd get billed for all the damage the explosion caused."
Faye frowned at him, then sighed heavily. "Where's he going?" Faye asked Jet, as she watched
Spike climb into his ship. "He's got a lead on someone, an assassin from the looks of it. " Jet
explained. "Sounds right up his alley...." Faye said jokingly.
"Hey, don't complain." Spike said, walking back towards Faye and Jet. "The bounty's 2 million. That
should keep us going for awhile." "2 million?" Faye asked, frowning again. "Just who is this guy,
Spike?" "I dunno, but he's a heavyweight, might even be challenging." Spike smirked, as he lit a
ciggarette. "Should be fun, at the very least. Wanna come?' Faye gave him a strange look, then
grinned. "You mean, you might have actually found someone you can't take by yourself?" She asked,
still grinning. "Well, I wouldn't say that exactly..." Spike answered, smirking. "But at
least you'd catch someone today." Jet groaned, backing away from the two of them. He knew all too
well what would happen next, and he had no desire to be in the middle of an ego war. "What is THAT
supposed to mean!" Faye shouted at Spike, poking him again.
"Nothing at all..." Spike answered, the smirk never leaving his face. "Ok, cowboy. Now I'm
definetely going,
but don't whine if I catch him first." Faye said, smirking as well. "Deal." Spike said, walking
back to his ship. "Spike, be careful." Jet warned him, as he and Faye got into their ships.
"Don't worry, Jet." Spike answered, "I'll stay out of her way." "I wasn't talking about Faye,
dummy." Jet explained, walking alongside the Swordfish as it prepared to take off. "We know next
to nothing about this guy, he could be too much for you."
Spike frowned at his partner, "Why does this guy bother you so much?" Spike asked, closing the
canopy. Jet stopped walking and turned on his comm. unit, still worried. "It's just that he's a
freelance killer, Spike." Jet continued, "Guys like that always make sure no one knows who they
are. It was just too easy to find info on him." "So you're worried we might finally have some
luck?" Spike asked. Jet could tell his mind was already set."No, it's just...wrong Spike. Something
about it stinks." "I'll tell you what stinks, Jet.." Spike retorted, Jet couldn't see the stubborn
determination on Spike's face, but he knew it was there. "Being broke stinks."
"I'll second that." Faye cut in. Spike watched as her ship roared ahead of his. "Gotta love her
spunk." Spike remarked, smirking again. "Spike..." Jet grumbled, watching the two ships disapear
into the horizon.
Jet decided he'd go try to dig up some more info on this guy, anything he could find. "This one
really stinks..." Jet repeated. He had been a cop for most of his youth, but he'd been catching bad
guys all his life.
And his gut told him that something about this case was very wrong. Jet stormed off to the bridge,
set on finding out all he could about this assassin, this man who was called Duke Togo.
"What was Jet so bent out of shape about?" Faye's voice came over Spike's radio. Spike looked out
at the Redtail, flying just far enough ahead of him to be leading. "Something about this guy isn't
setting right with him." Spike answered, hoping Jet was wrong. "What, because the info was easy to
get? So what?" Faye replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "I guess we'll just have to find out,
won't we Faye?" Spike said, bringing his ship up beside the Redtail. "You're not scared, are you?"
Faye asked him, again pulling slightly ahead of the Swordfish. " I'm just hoping the guy's worth
catching." Spike assured her. But he couldn't help agreeing with Jet. Something about this case was
a little off. It almost smelled like a setup.
"Well, at least I've got you to rescue me." Spike said sarcastically. "Sure." Faye countered,
"After I get the bounty head!" Spike grinned at the Redtail, even if this chase went awry, there
wasn't anything he and Faye couldn't handle together.
The streets of Ganymede were bustling with activity. Hundreds of people went about their daily
routines.
In fact, some people might have thought the activity to be distracting, but for the man walking
past the spaceport, it didn't exist. He stood tall as he opened the door to his car, a worn out
old Lincoln coupe, upgraded only as much as needed, no more. He took a moment to secure his
sunglasses before stepping in. The wind
gave his trenchcoat a flowing look, alomost as if it were alive. He pulled into traffic casually,
naturally, leaving no traces of anything to be suspicious about. Once on the road, he opened the
manilla folder resting on the passenger seat, taking a moment to browse it's contents. He'd been
through the information several times, but had only recently been sent a picture of his mark. That
was sloppy, he thought in disgust. He was a professional, and hated getting his info from anything
less. He stopped his car in front of a bakery, to get a better look at the profile. The man seemed
hardly worthy of his skill, but he had made some impressive catches.
Duke was amused, all things considered. This man was a bounty hunter, much like himself. He would
almost have done the job for the sheer entertainment, but you don't walk away from 2 billion
without at least considering. As it was, he was interested in meeting this man, it was unfortunate
that he had to die.
Duke started his car again, placing all but the picture back into the folder. That he slipped into
his trenchcoat. Anyone with hair like that would be easy to spot. "Spike Spiegel..." Duke went
over the unusual name in his head a few times. As he pulled back out into traffic,
driving back past the spaceport, his emotionless face gave a slight grin. "Be careful, bounty
hunter.." Duke said quietly. " I never miss."
Spike let out a long sigh as he leaned up against the wall, watching the smoke from his cigg swirl
upwards as if it was the physical equivalent of his verbal expression. He gazed across the street,
watching the cars and people pass by. A slight grin formed on his face as he spyed a bar, about a
block away. He dug out his comm. unit, deciding to see if Faye was having better luck. "Hii
there!" Faye
responded, her seductive grin not at all lessened by the bad reception. "You got anything yet,
Faye?" Spike asked her, smirking as he dropped his burned out cigg and reached for a fresh one.
"No..." Faye whined, sounding just as ready to give up as he was. "Nothing, I must have been to
every bar on this planet by now..." Spike lit his smoke as he nodded, looking across the street
again. "Maybe not all of them..." He mused, starting to walk. "How about you, Mr. Perfect?"
Faye inquired, sounding just a little scorned. "Nothing at all." He answered plainly. "I'm going
to...Mike's Tavern." Spike said, reading the sign. "It's about a block from the main bank. Meet me
there as soon as you can, ok?" Faye frowned, not liking the high and mighty attitude at all. "Why,
do you have something or not Spike?" She yelled, sounding a lot more scorned now. "Nope, I'm fresh
out of somethings Faye, I just need a drink." "Ohhhhh!!!!" She growled, disconnecting. Spike
smirked even more, pocketing the comm. unit. Getting on Faye's nerves was one of the things he
lived for. He crossed the street, putting his hands in his pockets
as he neared the tavern. It was true that he did feel the overwhelming need for a stiff drink, but
since Faye had been to all the others, this bar might hold something special for him. Spike wasn't
a genius, not by a long shot, but he knew a hunch when he felt one, and his were never wrong.
He pushed open the door, hearing the old fashioned bell as it rung. It wasn't a bad place, Spike
thought. Fairly clean tables, comfy looking seats, the really cheap kind you could lean back in
without ending up on the floor. And the ceiling fans gave it a nice atmosphere. The bartender
looked up at him, pausing to nod before he went back to polishing the glasses. The two other
patrons also looked up, and one of them, an old, frail looking man gave a freindly chuckle and a
wave. He wore a red cap and was missing almost all of his teeth. The other, also old and
frail, had a much darker skin tone, and black hair that was cut short. The two had been involved in
a game of cards, and the darker man took advantage of the distraction, switching a few of his cards
with some from the deck. Spike smirked at that, choosing a table across from them, and sat down
facing the door. A thin, fairly well endowed young woman came over, taking his order for a
screwdriver. After a cute little "thank youuuu!" Spike watched her walk away, then turned
sideways in his chair to watch the geezers play. The one wearing the hat was furious, slamming his
fist down and tossing cards about. "Taking my money again, ya cheatin' dog!!!" He shouted, slapping
his companion with the hat. "Why the minute I turn my back, ya stick a knife in it! Goddamn
sonofabitch!!" Spike had to grin at the scene, in spite of the strange feeling that he'd seen it
all before somewhere...The old bell rang once more, as the tavern door opened. Spike turned,
expecting a huffy Faye to be storming in. But as an uneasy feeling washed over him, he realized
he'd have to wait. The newcomer wasn't Faye, but a tall, strudy-looking asian. His trenchcoat
flowed around his ankles as he stepped inside, one large hand reaching up to right his sunglasses.
Spike eyed the man carefully as he approached the counter, asking for a vodka martini. The man
paused, turning around to regard Spike, and looked him up and down before nodding slightly. Spike
narrowed his eyes as he turned back to the geezers, who were sitting quietly, refusing to talk to
each other. The asian man sat down at Spike's table,folding his hands on top of it. He surveyed the
room slowly, then looked back to Spike, his cold blue eyes peering at him over the sunglasses.
Spike could tell he was being sized up, and realized his hunch had been right. He leaned back in
his chair, putting his feet up on his side of the table.
"A vodka man..." Spike said, smirking as he eyed the man again. "Much like myself." Spike laced his
hands behind his head, keeping an eye on the bulge near the man's ribcage. He knew it was a gun,
and he judged from his experiences with trenchcoats that he probably had more. The man leaned
towards Spike, crossing his arms as he gave him another slight grin. "We are more alike than you
realize, Spike Spiegel." He said darkly, not a trace of emotion in his voice. Spike almost lost his
balance, and leaned forward again, downing half his drink at once. It was definetely him, no doubt
about it. "Guess I must be famous. Or maybe infamous?" Spike posed, tensing his body, ready to
jump up at a moment's notice. "You're neither. I have good sources." The man countered, his voice
still devoid of emotion. Spike's gut got a seriously bad feeling. He was used to being one step
ahead of his prey, but this guy was stopping him at every turn. But that wasn't what was bothering
him, he could easily deal with a simple disadvantage. What had Spike worried, was a feeling he
hadn't felt since the syndicate days. An escapable feeling that he was in deeper than he wanted to
be, and even worse, doubt. He was beginning to wonder if he wasn't the hunted, instead of the
hunter.
The man apparentely could tell he was itching about something, and gave another little smirk as he
downed his martini in one gulp. Spike was really getting annoyed with that smirk, and no matter how
feared this guy was as an assasin, there were no sniper points in here. In a bar such as the one
they were in, the only thing that mattered was hand to hand. And on that front, Spike was king. He
pushed his doubt as far away as he could, and got ready to make his move. The man sensed this, and
tensed himself, ready to pounce on Spike the first chance he got. The bell on the door rang a third
time, as an aggitated Faye eyed Spike from the doorway. Both men shot glances at her, as Faye
looked from Spike to the asian man, and back to Spike. The look in his eyes told her all she needed
to know, as she withdrew her gun, pointing it straight it the asian man. "Nice place you picked
out, Spike." She said, grinning at him. Spike smirked back, relieved that Faye had showed up when
she did, but a bit disapoineted. He had almost found out what Mr. Assassin man really had under the
hood, but oh well. Spike still wasn't comfortable with things, the asian man was just standing
there, nothing suggesting the slightest hesitation or fear. Spike took one step towards Faye, and
the man drew, aimed and fired his revolver, all in one swift motion. A single gunshot rang out, as
a bullet lodged itself in the wall Faye had been in front of. Spike saw that Faye was now behind
the counter, her free hand holding her side where the bullet had grazed her. As the man whirled
around, aiming at Faye, she took aim as well. Two more gunshots rang out as the man grunted in
pain, dropping his gun. The barrel was jammed with a bullet from Faye's gun, Spike realized.
"That's QUITE enough of that, my reluctant little bounty." Faye teased him. Spike half smirked,
half frowned as he looked over at Faye, who gave him an "I'm fine" nod.
Faye's comm. unit buzzed, almost making her all three of them jump. "What is it?" Faye shouted,
needing a distraction about as badly as another wound to match the one she was nursing. "Faye!!
Have you found Spike yet??!!" Jet's distressing tone carried througout the tavern, where everyone
else had either ducked out or taken cover. "Yep, he's here with me now, we caught..." Faye was cut
off by Jet, who wasn't through flipping out yet. "Whatever you do, KEEP HIM AWAY from Togo! He..."
Faye barely heard the rest, as the asian man knew his cover was blown and dove at Spike. Faye
dropped the comm. unit, firing off shots at the man as she vaulted the counter. Spike saw the
clumsy attack coming, and easily ducked, dealing Togo a hard right to the gut as he flew overhead.
One of Faye's shots came a bit close to Spike, as she put her foot on the fallen man's shoulder,
holding him in place. "What's wrong with ya, sonny? Ain't ya got no balls?" One of the geezers
yelled from his hiding place. Spike glared over at him, hating nothing more than feeling like a
coward. "Do I what?!" Spike shouted back, annoyed. "Ain't ya got no balls I sald!" The geezer
repeated, looking like he was serious. "Your ladyfriend already bailed yer ass out, took the
fella's gun! Why don't ya fight him fair and square like a man?!" Faye's face contorted into a
scowl, but she kept her eyes on the assassin. Loving Spike was one thing, but she wasn't anyone's
"lady-friend." The mere sound of it made her cringe. Spike grimaced, looked back at Togo, and gave
him a smirk. "How 'bout it, small fry?" He inquired, staring him down. Faye shot a worried glance
back at Spike, knowing too well what he was thinking. "Spike, don't even...This guy's an assassin,
his name's Duke Togo,
and he's been contracted to kill YOU. So just forget about it and call Jet." Spike's smirk widened
to a grin, the maddened grin of a man who lives for challenge. "Then it's my call, you've got no
say in it Faye." He told her simply, stepping closer and lowering her gun hand. SPIKE!" She
exclaimed, fearing the worst, but Spike wasn't paying any attention. His eyes
were still fixed on Duke, as they stared each other down. Duke reached up, removing his sunglasses
to reveal eyes as lifeless as his voice. Faye thought they were the coldest eyes imaginable, the
last time she'd seen eyes like those, she had been facing Vicious. Spike had saved her then, and
she felt that she had do something, anything to help him now. "Spike...Please.." She tried,
gazing at Spike with concern. "How's that wound?" He replied, his gaze never leaving Duke's. "It's
nothing." She answered, half-lying. It really did hurt, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
"See if you can reach Jet, fill him in." Spike demanded, handing her his comm unit.
"I'm still waiting for an answer, how 'bout it?" Spike addressed Duke, as the man slowly got to his
feet, keeping his eyes on Spike. "I'd enjoy wiping that wise-ass smirk away for good...." Duke
answered him, putting his fists up. "Just what I was thinking myself, Mr. Assassin." Spike
retorted, assuming a stance of his own. The man may have been a good asassin, but his stance was
ancient. Spike actually believed Duke was going to try and box him to death. Faye looked scornfully
at them both, then went to the counter in search of a bandage.
"Here's the deal." Spike stated, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins. "You win, you get
your man, I win, I get my man. And no bitching afterwards, alright?" Duke nodded, the slight
smirk returning to his face. Faye popped her head up from behind the counter, finding only an old
cloth. "HEY!!" She exclaimed, still scowling. "If you wanna get yourself killed Spike, that's your
choice! But what about the bounty!!!"
Spike's face contorted as he rolled his eyes. "Rules?" Duke's monotone voice inquired. Spike eyed
him dangerously. "None. First one to stay down loses." Duke nodded, smirking a little bit more.
Spiegel had no idea how much pain he could take, and still keep swinging. "Just get it on with it
already!!" The geezer called to them, eager to watch the fight. "Will you shut UP old man?!!" Spike
shouted back, glaring at him. Duke took advantage of the momentary distraction, and lunged at Spike
with a left hook. Spike looked back just in time to parry it,
and shuffled to the side, letting Duke's momentum carry the man past. "Heh heh, better USE those
killer eyes, pal." Spike teased him, shuffling as Duke regained his balance. He countered the
remark by throwing two quick jabs at Spike, which he dodged easily. Spike stepped in close and
threw a punch flurry into Duke's stomach, ending with a front kick that floored the man. Spike
continued shuffling, flicking his thumb across his nose. Even Bruce would've been proud of that
one, he thought, grinning as Duke got back up, enraged.
"What are you, some kind of chop saki freak?" He asked, stepping closer. Spike rushed him,
dodging a punch and landing a sweet uppercut to Duke's jaw. "Among other things, boxer boy." He
retorted, stepping away. Duke seemed offended by that, and sent a lunging kick at Spike. "You could
benefit from a few movies yourself, slowpoke." Spike teased again, as he caught Duke's leg and
twisted, hearing a faint crack. He stepped in and swept Duke's other foot out from under him. Duke
broke Spike's grip on the leg, catching him across the jaw as he cartwheeled back onto his feet,
and bashed Spike with a shoulder rush as he staggered, pinning his thin frame to the wall. "I may
not worship some kung fu cupcake, but I watch a lot of fights, afro boy." Duke growled, the smirk
coming back to his face.
Spike scowled, infuriated at anyone insulting his idol. His wiry body dropped to the floor, as he
wrapped his legs around Duke's, taking him down. "Oh yeah? Ever seen this?" Spike retorted, rolling
over onto Duke and sinking his fist deep into the man's groin. Duke screamed aloud in pain, as
Spike got up and planted his foot squarely oh Duke's chest. He dug in a bit, then brought his heel
down, using all of his weight.
Duke screamed again, enraged as he grabbed for Spike's foot, much too slow. Two Bruce Lee specials
in one move, I'm on a roll now. Spike thought, stepping back. Duke stood up, grimacing as he held
his chest. "Will you stop being so damn slippery!!!" He bellowed, grabbing a table and hurling it
at Spike. Spike countered with a nearby chair, and threw himself into a twisting aerial kick as the
table crashed against the counter. Duke saw the kick coming, and caught one of Spike's legs, using
it to swing him into a wall.
Spike hit the wall feet first and kicked off, aiming a flying kick at Duke. Faye popped out from
behind the counter again, and saw the table. "Spike! Will you be careful?!" She screamed. "Tell
that to him!!" Spike yelled back, as the kick connected with Duke's head. The force alone sent him
into the back wall as Spike landed, perfectly balanced. Duke bellowed rage again, stumbled after
him, and Spike unleashed the Bruce Lee side kick,
putting him right back against the wall. He shuffled a bit more, sweeping the hair out of his eyes.
Someday, I'll have to get around to trimming that, he thought. Duke started step closer, and
staggered. Spike saw his chance and rushed in, throwing rapid punches to every part of
Duke's body. He ended by spinning around, catching Duke's already reeling head with a crescent
kick. Spike watched as Duke still staggered towards him, and shuffled, awaiting the next move. He
gave a high-pitched yell, as Duke lunged in with a haymaker. Spike ducked it, bending low and
delievering a backfist to his stomach. He shoved Duke's body back, stopping his momentum with a
palm thrust, and channeled the resulting force into a straight jab, giving the high-pitched Bruce
cry again. Duke's heavy body collapsed on the floor, knocking over the few tables that had been
left standing. "Game over, Dukey."
Spike laughed, twitching a bit. Someday he really would have to find out where all his Bruce Lee
movies went to. Faye slowly came out from behind the counter, looking first at the fallen man, then
Spike. That was really something, Spike..." She said slowly, surveying the damage. "But did you
have to do the scream?" Spike frowned at her a bit, "Of course, it's part of the flow." Flow?" Faye
asked, blinking. "Yeah, you gotta be fluid, like water you know?" Spike answered, grinning. Faye
had the distinct feeling she was being made fun of, and decided to drop it. "Just don't scream so
loud next time ok? My ears hurt..." She said, taking a minute to make suer her bandage-cloth was
tight enough. Spike looked down at her bandaged side, then back up. "Oh, don't worry about me, bird
man. I'm alright. It was only a small graze after all." "Bird man?!!" Spike exclaimed, offended at
her apparent slam to the arts.
"Yeah, when you scream like that you sound just like a seagull, you know." Faye continued, smirking
as she walked over to Duke. He groaned in pain as she put the handcuffs on him. "Huh???!!!" Spike
exclaimed again, getting even angrier. "I'll show you a bird Faye!!" Spike shouted, flipping her
off as she tightened the cuffs. She turned to retort, and never got the chance. Duke shot up,
knocking Faye down as he grabbed a bewildered Spike, and threw him over the counter. Spike landed
hard and growled, rubbing his head. "He's getting away! Spike!" Faye screamed, racing after
him as Spike got up. They both sprinted out the door, which gave way silently. The bell had been
broken by one of the tables, and wouldn't be ringing anytime soon. Outside, Spike's eyes darted
from alley to alley, spotting a thin trail of blood. It seemed to lead up a catwalk . As Spike was
about to follow it, he caught a glimmer, just for a second. From a rooftop. "Spike!!" Faye warned,
firing at the roof as a rifle shot sounded. Spike whipped his head around, just in time to see Jet
step in front of him.
The shell lodged into Jet's metallic arm, his first and best defense. "Jet?!" Spike said,
bewildered. "You can handle him fine, nothing to worry about...Hah! I don't know why I ever listen
to you, Spike." Jet grumbled irritably, plucking the bullet from his arm. Spike and Faye drew
their guns, heading for the catwalk while Jet ran back to his ship.
Duke frowned, abandoning the sniper rifle. Never in his whole life, had he missed a shot that
clean.
"Spiegel, you're seriously pissing me off." He grumbled, taking two revolvers from his trench. It
was a game of cat and mouse now, something he was very good at. Duke turned around to find a good
vantage point, intent on killing all three of them. He was shocked to see a small dog, and a
strange, insanely happy littel girl running towards him. "Edward's a cowgirl!!!!!!" She shreiked,
grabbbing one of Duke's legs. Ein grabbed the other, and they both sunk their teeth in. Duke
winced, regained balance and fired at the girl, who was somehow weaving away from his bullets, even
at such close range. Edward let Duke's leg go, and gave his shin a kick. Ein scrambled away,
nipping at Ed's heels as they both ran from the gunfire.
"First that hairy punk and some noisy girl, now kids and dogs..." Duke muttered as he reloaded.
"This is ridiculous." Spike got up to the roof just in time to see Ed running past. "Scary, scary,
SCARY!!!" She shouted, as she and Ein zoomed past him. Faye came up behind him and looked around,
her gun at the ready. 'Where IS he??" Faye shouted, walking around the rooftop. Spike followed,
staying as low as he could. "We're both hunters, Spiegel." Duke's voice boomed. Spike and Faye
whirled around, looking for the source. "But I'm no good to you dead, isn't that right?"
"Come out, you..." Spike growled, pinpointing the voice's location. The next time he spoke,
he'd be finsihed..."AHHHH!!!" Faye screamed, as Duke appearred behind her. She fired once before he
pistol whipped her, knocking her gun away. Spike turned on his heel, training his gun to the sound.
Duke was holding one revolver to Faye's head, wincing at the gunshot wound. Even firing blind, Faye
had gotten him in the chest. "Now we're even." Faye explained. "It's between you and me, you cheap
bastard!" Spike yelled, angry that he was using Faye as a hostage. "It is, but she's after my
bounty as well. It's not too fair, three on one. But I'll admit you're really good for a
beginner." "Shut your face!!" Spike shouted again, trying to decide what to do. He'd been in
this situation before, in the cathedral, with Vicious.
But things had somehow changed. His feelings for Faye had changed, he couldn't take the same chance
he had the last time. "Spike! Shoot him!!" Faye demanded, almost as if she was angry he hadn't
yet. "No, you're not going do that, are you Bird boy? You've got to take me alive, if you want the
money."
Spike growled, irritated at the insult. Faye shot him a glance that told him she didn't approve of
his hesitation. "Click"! Duke's smirk faded as he heard Spike cock the gun's hammer. "If you kill
me.."
Duke started. "Then you'll be dead, and I'll be happy." Spike returned coldly, cutting him off.
"Don't care for money, huh?" Duke inquired. "Fine. I'll kill this bitch and we can settle things.
Just the two of us, how about that punk?" Faye's eyes narrowed at anyone calling her names, and she
thrusted her elbow down to connect with Duke's wounded chest. It was all Spike needed, and he
pulled the trigger as Duke groaned in pain. The gunshot echoed, and as Duke's body fell on top of
Faye, she saw blood trickle down from his head. "No money again!" Faye complained, as she wrigled
out from under the heavy man. "What took you so long Spike? He was right there in front of you!"
Spike gave her a goofy smirk, looking down at Duke. "Had too make sure we got paid, right?"
He explained, as Faye saw Duke's arm twich a bit. It was then that she saw the bullet had just
grazed his temple. He was unconscious, but alive. Faye frowned as she collected her broken
handcuffs from Duke's body, dreading the search for another pair as good as these. "Spike! Faye!
You guys alright?" Jet asked, as the cockpit of the Hammerhead rose into view at the roof's edge.
"Yep! And we're rich too!" Spike shouted back, grinning as he walked over to the ship. Faye dragged
Duke along, glancing down as she heard a noise, sounded almost like a gun?
"Spiegel!!" Duke's voice cried one more time as he broke away and stumbled towards Spike, guns in
hand. Spike exchanged looks with Jet and dove away, as Jet fired the Hammerhead's harpoon. It
connected with Duke's right arm, knocking the gun away as the force spun him like a top. Spike
rushed over, aiming a kick just as Duke stopped spinning. Faye stepped in with a kick as well, as
they both gave the bird-like yell and attacked in near-perfect harmony. Duke toppled over
backwards, his eyes rolled back in his head. Faye turned to Spike, and saw he was staring at her
blankly. "Ummm..you..ah.." Spike stammered, Faye thought he looked as if he'd seen the master
himself. "Well cowboy, I'll try anything once you know." She explained, and lightly slapped his
shoulder as she walked by, smirking at him. Spike slowly followed still amazed. He stopped as Ed
and Ein came out of hiding, peeking out from under a water tower.
"You two tie him up. TIGHTLY, alright?" Spike ordered. "Aye, aye! Captain seagull!" Edward
exclaimed, as Ein barked an affirmitave. "Yeesh, those two.." Spike muttered, wondering how Ed had
managed to hear Faye's joke. He glanced back as he stared down the catwalk, regarding the fallen
man. Ed was trying to tie him up with his own trecncoat, and doing a good job of it. "Bang, Mr.
Assassin." He said, pointing his thumb and forefinger at the body. Togo had been good, better than
Spike had been ready for. It was just his bad luck having an opponent like Spike. And anyone who
couldn't appreciate martial arts deserved whatever they got anyways.
Spike and Faye were sitting in the rec room, regarding an unconcious Duke. Jet
had pumped enough sedatives into him to kill a yak, but he'd at least live long enough for them to
get paid. Spike..." Faye asked cautiously, giving him a curious look. "Yes, my dear?" He answered,
stretching.
"Why DID you take so long to shoot him? Really?" Spike looked at Faye, who was giving him a look
that suggseted she already knew, and just wanted to hear him admit it. "You know why..." He began.
I was afraid...that I.."
"Yes?" Faye persisted, touching his chest. "I was afraid we'd lose the bounty, of course. I didn't
go easy on him for nothing you kn.." Spike was cut off as Faye leaned over, giving him a long,
gentle kiss. "Well thank you anyways." She said, touching his cheek. Spike looked at her, trying to
find something to say that would cover his ass, but some things even he couldn't hide. "If you
want to thank me.." Spike replied, holding her close.
"Yes?" Faye asked, waiting for the rest. "Next time don't be so careless." He said, giving her an
evil smirk.
"Why you! I..." She stammered, giving his chest a hard punch. "If Jet and I hadn't been there he
would have picked you off!" Spike laughed slightly, answering her annoyed glare with a warm smile.
"Hey Spike, what the hell are these things anyway?" Jet asked, realizing he had barged in on yet
another Spike and Faye moment.
Spike turned to see what he was asking about, and saw that he was holding a box labeled
simply "flicks."
"Those are...my Bruce Lee dics!!!" Spike exclaimed, amazed that Jet had found them. "They were in
with the bathroom cleaners, want me to toss 'em?" Jet asked, teasing him. Spike's eyes widened as
he broke Faye's embrace, running over to the box. "No way Jet!" He cried, snatching the box away
and going through it. "Men..." Faye said dryly, watching curiously as Spike took out the discs. His
face lit up like a little boy's on Christmas day. "Hey! They aren't all here!!" Spike protested,
searching through the discs again. "Sorry Spike-o, I didn't touch 'em. They were just like that
when I found them." Jet defended, blinking. Spike looked a bit disapointed, then slightly annoyed,
as all three of them heard strange whooshing sounds and yells from Ed's room. "Yay!! Beat them all
up, Brucey! Give 'em the birdy fist!!!" Spike sighed heavily, shaking his head and walking off
with his discs, as Faye and Jet exchanged looks of confusion. "Well, maybe now she'll be able to
help a bit more." Jet posed, waving it away as he sat down at his computer. Faye started after
Spike, just the slightest bit curious about what made this guy so great....
SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY....................
Ein:Bark!! Bark bark, arf!!
Spike:No Ein, you can't preview the next episode...
Faye:He is just a dog, after all.
Jet: Hey! Ein's a good dog!
Edward: Yeah!! Ein's a good woof woof!!
Spike, Jet and Faye: Edward!!!
Ein: Arf! Bark! Woof Woof! Arf!
Jet:Next time, we'll probably catch someone else...
Spike:Yep, and we'll still be broke...
Jet: Quiet you!