Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop or "Tommy", an album by The Who (which was my inspiration for this fic).
A/N: This has been my first fic on Fanfiction.net, and I have loved getting so many great reviews! This fic is far from over, but I hope it stays as good as it already is! I also changed my name: Charles Lewis is my dad's penname, but at last he allowed me to use FekketC! So here's the mystical elf-girl, FekketC, saying heeeeeeere's chapter three!
Eyesight to the Blind
By FekketC
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Erika?"
"Are we in space, yet?"
Jonah's hands clutched the wheel nervously. He had taken the required courses in high school, but he had never actually driven a zip craft. This new one was wide and black, with just enough room for him and his daughter. "Not yet. We're still on the runway awaiting clearance."
"Oh." Erika clutched the back of her father's seat. "Are you sure they'll let us through?" she asked suddenly.
Jonah smiled. "I paid the pass and followed all the rules. You see, Erika, when you do things right people will just let you walk past."
Erika sighed, leaning her head against the seat. "How much longer do we have to lie to everyone?"
Jonah winced. "Don't call it that, Erika. It's not lying, it's just... playing pretend. And don't worry, it won't be much longer. We just need to get to Ganymede." He frowned, annoyed, and hit a button on his communicator. "Hey, we've been waiting out here for a half hour!" he said, trying to stay calm.
"We're sorry, sir, but there was a man requesting a delay until he could speak to you."
"Who the heck is he?"
"He said his name is Spike Spiegel."
Jonah gasped and slammed his foot down on the pedal. Bursting out of the hangar he flew to the nearest runway, taking off as fast as he could.
--------
Session 3
Pinball wizard
-------
Spike looked up from the picture on the screen, through the windshield at the black ship taking off hurriedly. With a shrug he started up the Swordfish and took off after it. Punching a few buttons he tried to get a connection with the black ship, but they wouldn't answer. "Oh well," he said, a slight smile crossing his face.
-------
"Daddy, what's going on?!"
Jonah pushed the zip craft as hard as he dared, willing it to go fast enough to escape. Out of the corner of one eye he saw the red ship, out of the other eye he saw the communicator blinking. Ignoring both he gunned the engine, feeling the ship begin to shake as they broke through the atmosphere.
"Daddy, say something!"
"Everything's under control," Jonah cried desperately, as if trying to convince himself. The ship felt ready to shake apart around him.
Then suddenly they were out, in space. Erika pressed a hand against the window, feeling the cold pressing through to her fingers. She grinned, her pale eyes sparkling. "Now we're in space?"
"Yes," Jonah said, half-relieved. Spinning the ship in a U-turn he plotted a bee-line for Ganymede. "We're going to have to go fast to get away," he said.
"Get away from who?" Erika asked, turning her face toward him.
He place a hand on her head comfortingly. "Just some man trying to bother us."
"Oh," she said. "What does he look like? Who is he?"
"A bounty hunter," Jonah said quietly. "I read about him. Don't worry, though, we'll get away from-"
Suddenly the pointed red craft was in front of him, and he could see inside the cockpit. The man was smiling, and gave a friendly wave. He pointed at the communicator in his own cockpit, and reluctantly Jonah picked it up. "Hey," said the voice. "We're from an old friend. We're not going to hurt anyone, we just need to talk-"
"Can it!" Jonah yelled into the communicator, not wanted to say anything stronger in front of the little girl. "If you're from Hope's 'grandmother', then tell her to go boil her head!" He slammed the communicator down, smiling when Erika giggled at his insult.
Spike stared at the communicator. "And now comes the time for decision," he said quietly. He looked up at the black zip craft as its pilot planned a path around him. The money, and a possibly innocent old woman, or was he selling these people to an evil witch? "Either way, I need answers." He made his decision quickly, just then the black zip craft darted to the left. Spike was quick to mimic the action, still in the way.
Jonah frowned in annoyance. He usually liked persistent people, but this wasn't one of those times. He stared long and hard at the Swordfish in front of him, trying to figure out how best to evade it.
"Daddy?"
Jonah glanced down at Erika. "What is it?" he asked distractedly.
"It's unlucky to sail an unnamed ship."
Jonah smiled wryly. "Your mother tell you that?"
"Yup!"
"Well then. How about the Naomi?"
"Why Naomi?"
Jonah slammed his foot down, dodging to the right, but the Swordfish was in front of him in a flash. "We almost named you Naomi, after a friend of your mothers. A friend who... who died before you were born."
Erika grinned. "Then that's a perfect name. Now come on, Naomi, get us out of here!"
Jonah nodded, and with a roar slammed the zip craft to one side and over the Swordfish before Spike had time to react. Then it was off, dodging around other ships and space debris. Spike glanced over his shoulder, still smiling. "Okay, if that's how you want to play."
/Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball/
Slamming the pedal, Spike did an upside-down U-turn and sped after his quarry. Looking over his shoulder, Jonah noticed, and rolled his eyes.
/From Soho down to Brighton, I must've played 'em all/
"Hey, Erika?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you make of this guy?"
Erika closed her eyes for a moment. "He's..." She searched for the right word.
/I ain't seen nothin' like him in any amusement hall/
"Is he mean, or greedy?" Jonah asked, dodging around a fat tanker. He was really starting to get the hang of this.
"No, in fact, he's... nice."
/That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball/
Spike sped up, the nose of his ship clipping the left wing of the Naomi. "Come on, you don't want to play?" he called.
Jonah couldn't hear him, but swerved away and circled a trucker ten cars long. "Nice or not," he said ruefully, "he's good."
Erika squeezed her father's hand. "You can outrun him," she said confidently. Jonah looked down at her, smiling, and broke away from the trucker. Throwing himself into the mad dash he jumped into a crowd of minis and hid there for a moment before dodging out and behind another tanker. Looking all around he couldn't see the Swordfish anywhere. He sat back, heaving a sigh of relief. "We're home free," he said, patting his daughter on the head.
The ship shook suddenly, coming to a stop. Jonah looked back and saw the Hammerhead, its grappling hook latched on to the Naomi's damaged wing. "This is the Bebop," Jet's voice said over the communicator. "You are under arrest."
"Um, Jet," Spike said on a private connection. "There's no real bounty on them, so isn't this kidnapping?"
Jet scratched his head. "Uh, well... they don't know that."
-------
The woman looked up as she came out of the bathroom, saw the man standing in the shadows and started to scream, but then there were hands over her mouth, a finger prodding a nerve in her neck and knocking her off into unconsciousness.
------
Jonah kept his arms firmly around Erika, carrying her out of the cockpit. He looked around at the inside of the Bebop's docking bay, shivering in the chill air. He looked over at Spike, who had just parked the Swordfish and gotten out. "Alright, we're here, what do you want?"
Spike's voice was level, his eyes calm. "Hope Johnson isn't dead, is she?"
Jonah struggled to keep his face calm. "She is."
Spike raised an eyebrow, closing his eyes. "No body. No witnesses. A bloodstain that tastes suspiciously like ketchup and tobassco sauce. And two separate testimonies of her death that don't match up."
Jonah took a step back, his eye on the door to the cockpit of the Naomi. Erika was silent, listening to Spike's voice.
"One stated that a burglar came and killed her. The other states that she fell out a window. Neither sounds like Hope. From what I hear she was very agile for a blind person, and could have defended herself even in the dark."
Jonah whirled around suddenly, trying to leap up into the cockpit, but Spike grabbed his leg and held him back. "I just want some answers," Spike said quietly. "That's all, I swear."
Jonah stayed frozen in that position for a long while. He felt the bounty hunter's grip on his leg, knew he wouldn't let go until he got what he wanted. He looked down into his little daughter's unseeing eyes, and sighed very slowly. "I'll tell you," he said, "but you won't believe me."
-------------------------------
thaaaaaat's chapter 3! well, coming up next is the story of Jonah and Hope, and maybe a few answers to the questions you've all been wondering!
1. Who is creepy snack-aisle lady?
2. What was/is this strange power of Hope's?
3. What does evil "starts with b, rhymes with witch" lady want with Hope and her daughter?
4. Does Jet's arm ever rust?
Okay, three out of four ain't bad. It's all next time, in Session 4, Cousin Kevin. Appropriate name, if you've ever heard the song.
A/N: This has been my first fic on Fanfiction.net, and I have loved getting so many great reviews! This fic is far from over, but I hope it stays as good as it already is! I also changed my name: Charles Lewis is my dad's penname, but at last he allowed me to use FekketC! So here's the mystical elf-girl, FekketC, saying heeeeeeere's chapter three!
Eyesight to the Blind
By FekketC
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Erika?"
"Are we in space, yet?"
Jonah's hands clutched the wheel nervously. He had taken the required courses in high school, but he had never actually driven a zip craft. This new one was wide and black, with just enough room for him and his daughter. "Not yet. We're still on the runway awaiting clearance."
"Oh." Erika clutched the back of her father's seat. "Are you sure they'll let us through?" she asked suddenly.
Jonah smiled. "I paid the pass and followed all the rules. You see, Erika, when you do things right people will just let you walk past."
Erika sighed, leaning her head against the seat. "How much longer do we have to lie to everyone?"
Jonah winced. "Don't call it that, Erika. It's not lying, it's just... playing pretend. And don't worry, it won't be much longer. We just need to get to Ganymede." He frowned, annoyed, and hit a button on his communicator. "Hey, we've been waiting out here for a half hour!" he said, trying to stay calm.
"We're sorry, sir, but there was a man requesting a delay until he could speak to you."
"Who the heck is he?"
"He said his name is Spike Spiegel."
Jonah gasped and slammed his foot down on the pedal. Bursting out of the hangar he flew to the nearest runway, taking off as fast as he could.
--------
Session 3
Pinball wizard
-------
Spike looked up from the picture on the screen, through the windshield at the black ship taking off hurriedly. With a shrug he started up the Swordfish and took off after it. Punching a few buttons he tried to get a connection with the black ship, but they wouldn't answer. "Oh well," he said, a slight smile crossing his face.
-------
"Daddy, what's going on?!"
Jonah pushed the zip craft as hard as he dared, willing it to go fast enough to escape. Out of the corner of one eye he saw the red ship, out of the other eye he saw the communicator blinking. Ignoring both he gunned the engine, feeling the ship begin to shake as they broke through the atmosphere.
"Daddy, say something!"
"Everything's under control," Jonah cried desperately, as if trying to convince himself. The ship felt ready to shake apart around him.
Then suddenly they were out, in space. Erika pressed a hand against the window, feeling the cold pressing through to her fingers. She grinned, her pale eyes sparkling. "Now we're in space?"
"Yes," Jonah said, half-relieved. Spinning the ship in a U-turn he plotted a bee-line for Ganymede. "We're going to have to go fast to get away," he said.
"Get away from who?" Erika asked, turning her face toward him.
He place a hand on her head comfortingly. "Just some man trying to bother us."
"Oh," she said. "What does he look like? Who is he?"
"A bounty hunter," Jonah said quietly. "I read about him. Don't worry, though, we'll get away from-"
Suddenly the pointed red craft was in front of him, and he could see inside the cockpit. The man was smiling, and gave a friendly wave. He pointed at the communicator in his own cockpit, and reluctantly Jonah picked it up. "Hey," said the voice. "We're from an old friend. We're not going to hurt anyone, we just need to talk-"
"Can it!" Jonah yelled into the communicator, not wanted to say anything stronger in front of the little girl. "If you're from Hope's 'grandmother', then tell her to go boil her head!" He slammed the communicator down, smiling when Erika giggled at his insult.
Spike stared at the communicator. "And now comes the time for decision," he said quietly. He looked up at the black zip craft as its pilot planned a path around him. The money, and a possibly innocent old woman, or was he selling these people to an evil witch? "Either way, I need answers." He made his decision quickly, just then the black zip craft darted to the left. Spike was quick to mimic the action, still in the way.
Jonah frowned in annoyance. He usually liked persistent people, but this wasn't one of those times. He stared long and hard at the Swordfish in front of him, trying to figure out how best to evade it.
"Daddy?"
Jonah glanced down at Erika. "What is it?" he asked distractedly.
"It's unlucky to sail an unnamed ship."
Jonah smiled wryly. "Your mother tell you that?"
"Yup!"
"Well then. How about the Naomi?"
"Why Naomi?"
Jonah slammed his foot down, dodging to the right, but the Swordfish was in front of him in a flash. "We almost named you Naomi, after a friend of your mothers. A friend who... who died before you were born."
Erika grinned. "Then that's a perfect name. Now come on, Naomi, get us out of here!"
Jonah nodded, and with a roar slammed the zip craft to one side and over the Swordfish before Spike had time to react. Then it was off, dodging around other ships and space debris. Spike glanced over his shoulder, still smiling. "Okay, if that's how you want to play."
/Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball/
Slamming the pedal, Spike did an upside-down U-turn and sped after his quarry. Looking over his shoulder, Jonah noticed, and rolled his eyes.
/From Soho down to Brighton, I must've played 'em all/
"Hey, Erika?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you make of this guy?"
Erika closed her eyes for a moment. "He's..." She searched for the right word.
/I ain't seen nothin' like him in any amusement hall/
"Is he mean, or greedy?" Jonah asked, dodging around a fat tanker. He was really starting to get the hang of this.
"No, in fact, he's... nice."
/That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball/
Spike sped up, the nose of his ship clipping the left wing of the Naomi. "Come on, you don't want to play?" he called.
Jonah couldn't hear him, but swerved away and circled a trucker ten cars long. "Nice or not," he said ruefully, "he's good."
Erika squeezed her father's hand. "You can outrun him," she said confidently. Jonah looked down at her, smiling, and broke away from the trucker. Throwing himself into the mad dash he jumped into a crowd of minis and hid there for a moment before dodging out and behind another tanker. Looking all around he couldn't see the Swordfish anywhere. He sat back, heaving a sigh of relief. "We're home free," he said, patting his daughter on the head.
The ship shook suddenly, coming to a stop. Jonah looked back and saw the Hammerhead, its grappling hook latched on to the Naomi's damaged wing. "This is the Bebop," Jet's voice said over the communicator. "You are under arrest."
"Um, Jet," Spike said on a private connection. "There's no real bounty on them, so isn't this kidnapping?"
Jet scratched his head. "Uh, well... they don't know that."
-------
The woman looked up as she came out of the bathroom, saw the man standing in the shadows and started to scream, but then there were hands over her mouth, a finger prodding a nerve in her neck and knocking her off into unconsciousness.
------
Jonah kept his arms firmly around Erika, carrying her out of the cockpit. He looked around at the inside of the Bebop's docking bay, shivering in the chill air. He looked over at Spike, who had just parked the Swordfish and gotten out. "Alright, we're here, what do you want?"
Spike's voice was level, his eyes calm. "Hope Johnson isn't dead, is she?"
Jonah struggled to keep his face calm. "She is."
Spike raised an eyebrow, closing his eyes. "No body. No witnesses. A bloodstain that tastes suspiciously like ketchup and tobassco sauce. And two separate testimonies of her death that don't match up."
Jonah took a step back, his eye on the door to the cockpit of the Naomi. Erika was silent, listening to Spike's voice.
"One stated that a burglar came and killed her. The other states that she fell out a window. Neither sounds like Hope. From what I hear she was very agile for a blind person, and could have defended herself even in the dark."
Jonah whirled around suddenly, trying to leap up into the cockpit, but Spike grabbed his leg and held him back. "I just want some answers," Spike said quietly. "That's all, I swear."
Jonah stayed frozen in that position for a long while. He felt the bounty hunter's grip on his leg, knew he wouldn't let go until he got what he wanted. He looked down into his little daughter's unseeing eyes, and sighed very slowly. "I'll tell you," he said, "but you won't believe me."
-------------------------------
thaaaaaat's chapter 3! well, coming up next is the story of Jonah and Hope, and maybe a few answers to the questions you've all been wondering!
1. Who is creepy snack-aisle lady?
2. What was/is this strange power of Hope's?
3. What does evil "starts with b, rhymes with witch" lady want with Hope and her daughter?
4. Does Jet's arm ever rust?
Okay, three out of four ain't bad. It's all next time, in Session 4, Cousin Kevin. Appropriate name, if you've ever heard the song.
