Disclaimer: Don't own Cowboy Bebop.
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//FLASHBACK//
Spike stood outside the Red Dragon building smoking a cigarette. He'd been out there for almost an hour. Vicious exited the building and stopped right in front of him.
"Been waiting long?"
"Not really?"
"Is there something you wanted to ask me?"
"How you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Spike held the cigarette between his lips and smiled.
"You're amazing."
"Excuse me?"
"She's been dead a week now; and you haven't said a word. Haven't shown any sign of emotion."
"And?"
"And, I want to see some emotion. Do you even care that she's dead?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you being such a hardass? Why are you acting like you don't even care?"
"Shut up."
"Vicious."
"Shut up."
"Just answer me."
"Shut up."
"Jesus Vicious! Will you-"
"I said SHUT UP!"
They stared at each other. Spike could see the hurt in his eyes. They were rimmed with tears.
"Vicious."
"Leave me alone."
He walked away, leaving Spike stunned. It began to rain. Spike started to walk after him. A woman watched them from the doorway. She started at them coldly.
{I can't get rid of her. Even in death he still cares for her.}
"VICIOUS!!"
"What?!?"
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I don't have time to feel pain."
"Don't have time? She was your sister for christ sake!"
"Yeah."
Spike could hear the hurt in his voice.
"She was the only family I had."
"....."
"I didn't want her to go. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I was trying to look out for her. But...."
"But what?"
"I couldn't protect her. She died because I failed to protect her."
"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know."
"I found out too late. If I knew earlier....she....oh god..."
Vicious was crying. He was actually crying. Spike had never seen him cry before. He didn't know what to do.
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{Where am i? Am i dead? Pain. You're not supposed to feel pain when you're dead.}
Her eyes slowly opened. She could hear the faint beeping of a heart machine. A man was standing next to her head. He smiled.
"You're awake."
"Where am I?"
"The hospital."
"What?"
She began to panic.
"I can't be here. I have to go."
"What?"
"I have to go. Please, I have to go."
"Where? You're too badly injured to walk right now. So where would you go?"
"Away from here. Away from Mars. I can't stay here."
"You just need to get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."
"NO! I can't stay here! You have to understand. I'm not supposed to be alive!"
The man looked at her. Thick tears were falling from her eyes. What had happened to her? Why did she want to leave so badly? And why did she want to be dead instead of alive?
"I'm supposed to be dead."
//END FLAHBACK//
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"Spike say something."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I-I don't know. Maybe 'cause you might not have believed me."
"Why didn't Jet tell me?"
"I can't answer that."
Spike steadied himself on the desk and continued to stare at Mariya. She looked so much like Vicious. The hair, facial expressions, the eerie calm. He never understood how Vicious was able to be clam, even during the toughest situations. He carefully moved back to the bed and sat down.
"I still remember that night."
"?"
"He had this look of fear on him. I've never seen him like that before. He didn't say anything as he left. I had no idea that he was about to loose his whole world within a few hours. I waited for him to come back. I'm not sure how long I waited. It must have been a while, because the sun was coming up when he returned."
Mariya sat next to him. His eyes were locked to the floor.
"I tried to talk to him about it. But he wouldn't. So I did what anyone else would do. I annoyed the hell outta him until he talked."
"Did it work?"
"Yup. But the weird thing was, he didn't seem upset. He told me he saw you die. And...."
"And what?"
"He said the whole thing was a set up. They knew you where there."
"?!"
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//FLASHBACK//
She felt a gun pressed to the back of her head.
"Look what I found."
Someone threw Mariya to the floor. She looked up to see a man smiling down at her. Her target.
"Look at what we have here."
She glared at him.
"You're supposed to be the best. And look at you. Going and getting yourself caught. Pathetic."
He pulled her up off the floor and slammed her into the wall.
"You stupid bitch. Did you actually think you could kill me? Did you?!"
"..."
He slid the barrel of his gun down her face. Then pressed it hard against her cheek.
"How does it feel? How does it feel to be prey? To be the hunted?"
She didn't answer. He lowered the gun and jammed it into her hip. She cried out in pain.
"You're my prey," he whispered into her ear.
She smiled and whispered something back. There was a gunshot and they both fell to the floor. He was dead. Mariya lay on the floor. Blood flowing from her wound. She heard the door to the warehouse open. She smiled to herself.
//END FLASHBACK//
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Mariya's eyes were locked to Spike's. She couldn't believe it. But who would do something like that? Why would they do that? She didn't understand.
"How do you know this?"
"Vicious told me."
"I don't know how Jet found me. All I remember is waking up in the hospital."
{And that I wanted to be dead.}
"Look, Spike, I'm sorry."
"No need to appologize."
"I just wish I knew sooner."
"Why? To make sure that you did die?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"Just to know."
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"Jet, tell me what you found out."
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? Someone has Spike's body and I want to know who!"
"That's the thing. I don't have enough information on the woman."
"Oh god Jet! I have to find Spike. I just have to."
"I know. I want to find him too."
"I love him so much. And I never told him."
"I know."
"Please, we have to find him."
"We will. I promise."
Jet sat his communicator down. Ed looked at him with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?"
"We can't find Spike."
"Why not?"
"We don't know who took his body."
"Silver haired woman."
"What?"
"Silver haired woman took Spike-person."
"Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh. Ed saw her."
"You saw her?!"
"Uh-huh."
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Spike stared at the ceiling. Thousands of thoughts ran threw his mind. About Vicious. About Julia. About his life on the Bebop. And about Mariya.
{I should've known.}
He could hear Mariya moving around in the other room. She was pacing in the kitchen. Thinking about what Spike had said. She knew that they didn't just find her there. She was too skilled. But why? Who? She couldn't figure it out.
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"Ed do you remember anything else about this woman? Did you hear anyone say her name?"
"Ed thinks so."
"Please, Ed. This is important."
"Someone called her Mariya."
"!!!"
"You okay Jet-person?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Let me see what I can find out."
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"They're probably looking for you."
"Doubt it."
"Why?"
"They think I'm dead."
"Doubt it. I saw Jet as I was leaving the Red Dragon with you. So they know you're alive. And I saw this girl there, also. A red head. Must have been at least fourteen."
"Edward?"
"You know her?"
"Yeah. What was she doing there? And why is she on Mars? She's supposed to be with her father on Earth."
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Faye sat on the motel bed. She was becoming impatient. She wanted to find Spike so badly. Her communicator went off. It was Jet.
"Her name is Mariya."
"Is she the one who has Spike?"
"Yes. But I want you to be careful. I don't know if she's dangerous or not. She's still on Mars. But I don't know for how long."
"Thank you Jet."
She grabbed her gun, took one last look around the room, then left.
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//FLASHBACK//
Spike stood outside the Red Dragon building smoking a cigarette. He'd been out there for almost an hour. Vicious exited the building and stopped right in front of him.
"Been waiting long?"
"Not really?"
"Is there something you wanted to ask me?"
"How you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Spike held the cigarette between his lips and smiled.
"You're amazing."
"Excuse me?"
"She's been dead a week now; and you haven't said a word. Haven't shown any sign of emotion."
"And?"
"And, I want to see some emotion. Do you even care that she's dead?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you being such a hardass? Why are you acting like you don't even care?"
"Shut up."
"Vicious."
"Shut up."
"Just answer me."
"Shut up."
"Jesus Vicious! Will you-"
"I said SHUT UP!"
They stared at each other. Spike could see the hurt in his eyes. They were rimmed with tears.
"Vicious."
"Leave me alone."
He walked away, leaving Spike stunned. It began to rain. Spike started to walk after him. A woman watched them from the doorway. She started at them coldly.
{I can't get rid of her. Even in death he still cares for her.}
"VICIOUS!!"
"What?!?"
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I don't have time to feel pain."
"Don't have time? She was your sister for christ sake!"
"Yeah."
Spike could hear the hurt in his voice.
"She was the only family I had."
"....."
"I didn't want her to go. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I was trying to look out for her. But...."
"But what?"
"I couldn't protect her. She died because I failed to protect her."
"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know."
"I found out too late. If I knew earlier....she....oh god..."
Vicious was crying. He was actually crying. Spike had never seen him cry before. He didn't know what to do.
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{Where am i? Am i dead? Pain. You're not supposed to feel pain when you're dead.}
Her eyes slowly opened. She could hear the faint beeping of a heart machine. A man was standing next to her head. He smiled.
"You're awake."
"Where am I?"
"The hospital."
"What?"
She began to panic.
"I can't be here. I have to go."
"What?"
"I have to go. Please, I have to go."
"Where? You're too badly injured to walk right now. So where would you go?"
"Away from here. Away from Mars. I can't stay here."
"You just need to get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning."
"NO! I can't stay here! You have to understand. I'm not supposed to be alive!"
The man looked at her. Thick tears were falling from her eyes. What had happened to her? Why did she want to leave so badly? And why did she want to be dead instead of alive?
"I'm supposed to be dead."
//END FLAHBACK//
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"Spike say something."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I-I don't know. Maybe 'cause you might not have believed me."
"Why didn't Jet tell me?"
"I can't answer that."
Spike steadied himself on the desk and continued to stare at Mariya. She looked so much like Vicious. The hair, facial expressions, the eerie calm. He never understood how Vicious was able to be clam, even during the toughest situations. He carefully moved back to the bed and sat down.
"I still remember that night."
"?"
"He had this look of fear on him. I've never seen him like that before. He didn't say anything as he left. I had no idea that he was about to loose his whole world within a few hours. I waited for him to come back. I'm not sure how long I waited. It must have been a while, because the sun was coming up when he returned."
Mariya sat next to him. His eyes were locked to the floor.
"I tried to talk to him about it. But he wouldn't. So I did what anyone else would do. I annoyed the hell outta him until he talked."
"Did it work?"
"Yup. But the weird thing was, he didn't seem upset. He told me he saw you die. And...."
"And what?"
"He said the whole thing was a set up. They knew you where there."
"?!"
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//FLASHBACK//
She felt a gun pressed to the back of her head.
"Look what I found."
Someone threw Mariya to the floor. She looked up to see a man smiling down at her. Her target.
"Look at what we have here."
She glared at him.
"You're supposed to be the best. And look at you. Going and getting yourself caught. Pathetic."
He pulled her up off the floor and slammed her into the wall.
"You stupid bitch. Did you actually think you could kill me? Did you?!"
"..."
He slid the barrel of his gun down her face. Then pressed it hard against her cheek.
"How does it feel? How does it feel to be prey? To be the hunted?"
She didn't answer. He lowered the gun and jammed it into her hip. She cried out in pain.
"You're my prey," he whispered into her ear.
She smiled and whispered something back. There was a gunshot and they both fell to the floor. He was dead. Mariya lay on the floor. Blood flowing from her wound. She heard the door to the warehouse open. She smiled to herself.
//END FLASHBACK//
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Mariya's eyes were locked to Spike's. She couldn't believe it. But who would do something like that? Why would they do that? She didn't understand.
"How do you know this?"
"Vicious told me."
"I don't know how Jet found me. All I remember is waking up in the hospital."
{And that I wanted to be dead.}
"Look, Spike, I'm sorry."
"No need to appologize."
"I just wish I knew sooner."
"Why? To make sure that you did die?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"Just to know."
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"Jet, tell me what you found out."
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? Someone has Spike's body and I want to know who!"
"That's the thing. I don't have enough information on the woman."
"Oh god Jet! I have to find Spike. I just have to."
"I know. I want to find him too."
"I love him so much. And I never told him."
"I know."
"Please, we have to find him."
"We will. I promise."
Jet sat his communicator down. Ed looked at him with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?"
"We can't find Spike."
"Why not?"
"We don't know who took his body."
"Silver haired woman."
"What?"
"Silver haired woman took Spike-person."
"Are you sure?"
"Uh-huh. Ed saw her."
"You saw her?!"
"Uh-huh."
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Spike stared at the ceiling. Thousands of thoughts ran threw his mind. About Vicious. About Julia. About his life on the Bebop. And about Mariya.
{I should've known.}
He could hear Mariya moving around in the other room. She was pacing in the kitchen. Thinking about what Spike had said. She knew that they didn't just find her there. She was too skilled. But why? Who? She couldn't figure it out.
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"Ed do you remember anything else about this woman? Did you hear anyone say her name?"
"Ed thinks so."
"Please, Ed. This is important."
"Someone called her Mariya."
"!!!"
"You okay Jet-person?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Let me see what I can find out."
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"They're probably looking for you."
"Doubt it."
"Why?"
"They think I'm dead."
"Doubt it. I saw Jet as I was leaving the Red Dragon with you. So they know you're alive. And I saw this girl there, also. A red head. Must have been at least fourteen."
"Edward?"
"You know her?"
"Yeah. What was she doing there? And why is she on Mars? She's supposed to be with her father on Earth."
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Faye sat on the motel bed. She was becoming impatient. She wanted to find Spike so badly. Her communicator went off. It was Jet.
"Her name is Mariya."
"Is she the one who has Spike?"
"Yes. But I want you to be careful. I don't know if she's dangerous or not. She's still on Mars. But I don't know for how long."
"Thank you Jet."
She grabbed her gun, took one last look around the room, then left.
