Against the Odds
Chapter One
Spike awoke to find himself on his back. With some irritation, he remembered that a drug addict had nearly strangled him to death. Furthering his irritation was the fact that someone was poking him with a stick.
"Would you quit that already?! I'm not roadkill, you know!" Spike said, as he got up and snatched the stick away from the perpetrator, straightening in surprise when he saw who it was.
"Funny, you sure looked it, Green Hair." The other man said, with a grin.
"Youji Kudou! Where the hell did you come from?!" Spike asked, as the other man shrugged and stood back up.
"I've been wandering around, looking for good bounties. Looks like we're after the same guy." Youji said, as Spike got to his feet and looked around.
"Yeah. But how did you get away from the Syndicate? Where's Hidaka, Fujimiya, and Tsukiyono?" Spike asked, as he and Youji leaned against the Swordfish II and smoked.
"Good question. I haven't seen them since we all made a break for it. We 'died' not too long after you did." Youji said, looking up when he heard footsteps.
"Hey Jet." Spike said, not even looking up when his partner walked up.
"I suppose you don't have anything better to do than stand here smoking all day." Jet grumbled, irritably.
"On the contrary. I'm still working. I know exactly where they're headed. The Red-Eyed Coyote will appear at the Zona Norte at the far end of town." Spike countered.
"Good detective work, Green Hair. Maybe you should have worked for the ISSP instead." Youji teased, earning himself a skeptical look from Spike for his remark.
"I wish you'd call me by name, for once." Spike muttered, as he and Jet prepared to leave.
"Where's the fun in that?" Youji asked, still grinning. Spike sighed.
"Well, are you coming or not?" Spike asked, much to the surprise of Jet.
"Be right behind ya." Youji said, as he headed for his small one-man ship.
"Why're you letting him come along?" Jet asked, confused by his partner's actions.
"He's an old friend. Probably the only one I've got left." Spike murmured, as they all took off from the gas station.
Flashback
Two men sit beside a window, listening to the rainfall. One has shoulder length, dirty blond hair and green eyes, and the other has windblown grass green hair and mismatched mahogany eyes. Silence is thick between them as they sit and smoke, each in his own thoughts. Then the green-haired one breaks the silence.
"Youji, what would you do if you weren't in the Syndicate?" the green-haired one asks, almost curiously. Youji looks up at him.
"Hmm. I'd probably be working for the ISSP as a detective, or something like that. What about you, Spike? What would you do if you weren't in the Syndicate?" Youji in turn asked, as Spike sighed.
"I don't know. Bounty hunting, I suppose." Spike said, with a shrug. Youji gave him a skeptical look.
"You know you wouldn't be able to support a wife and kids with that profession." Youji said, grinning when he saw what reaction he'd gotten from Spike.
"What the hell are you talkin' about?! I don't want a family and I don't need a family!" Spike retorted, heatedly.
"That's not what you told Julia now, is it?" Youji teased, getting up quickly when Spike made a dive at him.
"Get back here, Kudou!" Spike shouted, ready to kill his friend for his comment.
"Not on your life, Green Hair!" Youji taunted, knowing that he was acting childish, but was glad for the distraction from being so serious. They both skidded to a halt when Vicious suddenly appeared in front of them, giving them both an incredulous look.
"What is all the commotion about up here?" Vicious asked, watching with a bemused expression on his face as Youji and Spike exchanged dirty looks.
"Nothing to worry about, Vicious. Just Youji being an ass again." Spike replied, jokingly, but with an undertone of uneasiness and embarrassment. Vicious arched an eyebrow.
"Since when was that news? Anyway, those damned elders have signed us up for another job. Be ready by four-thirty…………….and try to be on time. Both of you." Vicious said, before doing an about face and walking back the way he'd come.
"Damn, this means I can't kill you now. Oh well. I'll just wait until later." Spike said, with a grin, leaving Youji standing where he was, looking a little unnerved.
End Flashback
Spike came to himself just as he and Youji came to their destination. He could remember clearly the time spent with Youji and the rest in the headquarters. They were the only fond memories he had, other than those made with Julia. With an unspoken agreement, Youji and Spike took their positions; Youji sat down at a table and ordered a drink, and Spike donned a disguise and sat down, pulling the sombrero down over his eyes. Then all they could do was wait. They weren't disappointed. Within moments, the drug addict Asimov and his accomplice arrived, and Asimov headed straight for Spike.
"So, have any Bloody Mary?" Asimov asked, unaware that he was talking to the very man he'd tried to kill earlier.
"I only have beer." Spike growled back, earning a smirk from Youji.
"Count on Spike to come back with a smart ass remark!" Youji thought, as he avoided looking directly at the pair, knowing that any undue attention on his part could be fatal. He sees Asimov stand and move to walk away, but Spike stopped him and asked to see the drug for himself. Asimov reached into his pocket, and was shocked to discover that it was gone!
"Lookin' for this?" Spike asked, as he revealed the vial of the drug to the addict, then revealed his identity. Youji tensed, ready to spring into action. He watched as Spike tossed the vial into the air and shot it, sending the contents spraying everywhere. Wisely, Youji averted his eyes, knowing what was in the vial and not wanting to experience the drug himself. The next couple of minutes were filled with fast paced fighting, with Spike knocking Asimov around, enabling Youji to come around from behind.
"I wouldn't move if I were you, Asimov, otherwise, you might lose your head." Youji said, his voice low and threatening, as an almost invisible wire noosed itself around Asimov's neck. The addict froze, snarling as he did so, as Spike gave Youji a smirk. But, before anything could be said, a gunshot rang out, and Youji fell, clutching his stomach as blood spurted from it.
"Damn!" Spike shouted, as Asimov made a break for it, and syndicate thugs arrived on the scene.
"Double damn." Youji gasped, as he shakily got to his feet.
"Youji, get back to your ship and head for the Bebop. Tell Jet to give you the code for opening the door. We'll get you to a doctor as soon as we can." Spike said, with concern for his friend.
"No rush. Take your time." Youji replied, but then limped back to his ship anyway. With fury burning in his eyes, Spike took on the syndicate hit men. It wasn't long before Jet appeared on the scene.
"Yer late, Jet!" Spike shouted, ignoring Jet's casual greeting, then added, "I hope you have the first aid kit stocked."
"Why? Are you hurt?" Jet asked, with skepticism in his voice.
"It's not me this time. Youji took a hit in the stomach. Give 'im the access code to the Bebop." Spike said. This got a grumble of assent from Jet, and he transferred over to Youji. After a long chase, and a sudden and traumatic ending to it, Spike and Jet returned to the Bebop to help Youji tend his wound.
"What kept you?" Youji asked, as he leaned on a doorway for support.
"We didn't get the bounty." Jet said, as Spike listlessly walked past them into the main living area of the ship.
"So that means no doctor. Damn. I hate pulling bullets out myself." Youji muttered, as he wearily and painfully sank back down onto the couch.
"Don't be ridiculous. There's a doctor I know who owes me a favor, so I'll take you to him." Jet said, not willing to see the younger man attempt to pull the bullet out on his own.
"Thanks, I owe you one." Youji said, as he drifted into unconsciousness.
"That's just what Spike had said when I first found him, too." Jet thought, as he let out a resigned sigh and changed course for Mars.