Cowboy Bebop Session 29: Dark Memory Alley
A/N: I'm glad someone remembered Faye was still here. She's in this episode, so not to worry. I'm thinking she may not be a major plot person until later, though. You should at least know where she is, though. BTW, Thanks for the reviews!
"Say, there, partner. You ever hear of a guy named Spike Spiegel?"
The old bartender was trying to strike up conversation, even though he could plainly see Jet in deep thought.
"Hmm? Yeah, I knew him. How do you know him?"
"See those thugs you just wiped out? They were in the Red Dragon Syndicate at the same time Spike was. He came in here a couple of times, but not on business. He said my vodkas were amazing pieces of shit, and so he ordered one every time he came in."
::Spike and vodkas? That seems a little odd... of course, I don't exactly thing that joy ride to the past I just took was very ordinary either.::
"So, partner, how'd you know Spike? I hear he died a few years back."
"How I knew Spike is not for you to know. But he was right: these vodkas are amazing pieces of sh-"
But at that, Jet was cut off, because his videophone was ringing. Sighing, he picked it up and answered. It was Faye, and she looked distraught.
"Jet, they took the Bebop off to some planet on these weird coordinates. You gotta help me..."
Then she fainted, just like that. The connection ran dead, and Jet jumped up and ran out of the bar. Before he left, he said one thing to the bartender:
"I'll be back. If any men with guns come in, hide in the back."
::Dammit! Knew I shouldn't have left the Bebop alone with her!::
Dashing down the streets, Jet tried to follow Faye's communication signal, but it only led him down a rotten, dirty alley with a dead end in the shape of a wall. Suddenly, like an echo from space, a familiar voice came raining down into Jet's head.
"I don't like this set-up, Jet. Don't like it at all."
"Spike..."
Jet's head was suddenly pounding, like it usually does during a hangover. The only thing that didn't make sense was the fact that he'd just had his vodka, and alcohol usually takes a lot longer than 15 minutes to process through the body. But then, he could see his 15-year-old self again, and this time there were three other kids with him. Jet noticed a pack of cigarettes in one of the thug's hands.
"Come on, Jet. Don't you want to be cool? This stuff is, like, the best!"
"No, Jet! Don't do it!"
For some strange reason, Jet was screaming at his younger self, and, amazingly, it was working. The thugs had just noticed the older Jet, and were running like crazy to get out of the way.
"Hey! Get back here, kids! Underage smoking is illegal! GET BACK HERE!!"
Enraged, Jet chased the three thugs down to the end of the darkened alley. The only things here were trashcans and dead fish bones, probably from the cats that came to eat them. Panting the kids gave themselves in.
"Ok! Ok! We'll stop smoking! To be honest, we've wanted to stop for so long, it was insane. But we just couldn't do it. We just couldn't!"
Then, all three of them just started crying. Even Jet felt a tear coming along.
"Alright. I'll let you go. But, if I see you with another box of cigarettes again, I'll personally rip your arms
out. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
Then, it was over. Jet was standing in the alley, head no longer throbbing, and voice extremely hoarse. But something was different about Jet now - he no longer felt a craving to smoke.
::That can't have been a dream... but then, why do I suddenly despise this pack of cigarettes in my pocket? I must've... no, that's impossible! Snap out of it, Jet, your ship and crewmember have just been stolen! You gotta go find them!::
Beating his head with his hand, Jet ran out of the alley and continued to track down Faye. But again, a familiar voice stopped him for a brief moment on the sidewalk:
"...ever since that day, I've been seeing the past through one eye, and the present through the other."
NEXT SESSION: The hunt for the truth is on. Somehow, the bar, the alley, and the gang that's taken Faye and the Bebop are all... no, dammit Jet! Stop thinking like this! You're just going insane! That's probably why Spike keeps haunting you! Right? Next episode: Dead Cowboy Walking (like that could ever happen).
A/N: Sorry about the alley not being too descriptive. Don't worry, though. Something similar happens later.
A/N: I'm glad someone remembered Faye was still here. She's in this episode, so not to worry. I'm thinking she may not be a major plot person until later, though. You should at least know where she is, though. BTW, Thanks for the reviews!
"Say, there, partner. You ever hear of a guy named Spike Spiegel?"
The old bartender was trying to strike up conversation, even though he could plainly see Jet in deep thought.
"Hmm? Yeah, I knew him. How do you know him?"
"See those thugs you just wiped out? They were in the Red Dragon Syndicate at the same time Spike was. He came in here a couple of times, but not on business. He said my vodkas were amazing pieces of shit, and so he ordered one every time he came in."
::Spike and vodkas? That seems a little odd... of course, I don't exactly thing that joy ride to the past I just took was very ordinary either.::
"So, partner, how'd you know Spike? I hear he died a few years back."
"How I knew Spike is not for you to know. But he was right: these vodkas are amazing pieces of sh-"
But at that, Jet was cut off, because his videophone was ringing. Sighing, he picked it up and answered. It was Faye, and she looked distraught.
"Jet, they took the Bebop off to some planet on these weird coordinates. You gotta help me..."
Then she fainted, just like that. The connection ran dead, and Jet jumped up and ran out of the bar. Before he left, he said one thing to the bartender:
"I'll be back. If any men with guns come in, hide in the back."
::Dammit! Knew I shouldn't have left the Bebop alone with her!::
Dashing down the streets, Jet tried to follow Faye's communication signal, but it only led him down a rotten, dirty alley with a dead end in the shape of a wall. Suddenly, like an echo from space, a familiar voice came raining down into Jet's head.
"I don't like this set-up, Jet. Don't like it at all."
"Spike..."
Jet's head was suddenly pounding, like it usually does during a hangover. The only thing that didn't make sense was the fact that he'd just had his vodka, and alcohol usually takes a lot longer than 15 minutes to process through the body. But then, he could see his 15-year-old self again, and this time there were three other kids with him. Jet noticed a pack of cigarettes in one of the thug's hands.
"Come on, Jet. Don't you want to be cool? This stuff is, like, the best!"
"No, Jet! Don't do it!"
For some strange reason, Jet was screaming at his younger self, and, amazingly, it was working. The thugs had just noticed the older Jet, and were running like crazy to get out of the way.
"Hey! Get back here, kids! Underage smoking is illegal! GET BACK HERE!!"
Enraged, Jet chased the three thugs down to the end of the darkened alley. The only things here were trashcans and dead fish bones, probably from the cats that came to eat them. Panting the kids gave themselves in.
"Ok! Ok! We'll stop smoking! To be honest, we've wanted to stop for so long, it was insane. But we just couldn't do it. We just couldn't!"
Then, all three of them just started crying. Even Jet felt a tear coming along.
"Alright. I'll let you go. But, if I see you with another box of cigarettes again, I'll personally rip your arms
out. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
Then, it was over. Jet was standing in the alley, head no longer throbbing, and voice extremely hoarse. But something was different about Jet now - he no longer felt a craving to smoke.
::That can't have been a dream... but then, why do I suddenly despise this pack of cigarettes in my pocket? I must've... no, that's impossible! Snap out of it, Jet, your ship and crewmember have just been stolen! You gotta go find them!::
Beating his head with his hand, Jet ran out of the alley and continued to track down Faye. But again, a familiar voice stopped him for a brief moment on the sidewalk:
"...ever since that day, I've been seeing the past through one eye, and the present through the other."
NEXT SESSION: The hunt for the truth is on. Somehow, the bar, the alley, and the gang that's taken Faye and the Bebop are all... no, dammit Jet! Stop thinking like this! You're just going insane! That's probably why Spike keeps haunting you! Right? Next episode: Dead Cowboy Walking (like that could ever happen).
A/N: Sorry about the alley not being too descriptive. Don't worry, though. Something similar happens later.