Chapter 6: To the Future.
"How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
"The Merchant of Venice"
Shakespeare
Spike stared, unseeing out the window of his hospital room. He could sit up with help now that the drugs had worn off completely. He sighed, thinking of yet another life he had just lost. Another of his own. Because of the situation with the Syndicate, his life with the Bebop was over. His luck certainly didn't seem to have improved.
Lucas entered the room without knocking. Spike turned from his view of the window. "Problem?"
"Not so far." Lucas crossed the room and pulled the blinds closed.
Spike frowned, suspicion evident on his face. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Lucas, literally or figuratively. What's going on?"
"Nothing much. Just an assassination attempt on the new head of the Red Dragons." Lucas was casual. "There's red jello for lunch."
Spike smirked at the aid's attitude. "Oh, well in that case, maybe I'll just take a nap."
"It's contained."
There was a pause as Spike studied the other man's emotionless face. "And exactly how many attempts have there been?"
Lucas shrugged. "Four or five. Nothing serious. They were all amateurs, mostly thugs that worked for our last leader." He was careful not to call Vicious by name.
"Is that common?"
"Very. We only have to worry if they start to get close." Lucas grinned dangerously. "And they have to go through a lot of people, including me, to get close."
"Well, gee.I feel so much better now."
"You should. It's a good omen for the rest of your reign as leader. It means you'll be a force to be reckoned with." Lucas' smile grew more genuine.
Spike's amusement fell away. "Yeah." He sighed heavily. After a moment he turned to Lucas and said, "It's funny how you never truly appreciate how good you've got it until you lose it."
Lucas nodded. "I know you don't want to do this and I know that you're aware of how important it is that you do it anyway. I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing a very good thing, a very important thing. Even if not everyone understands that yet."
Spike looked away, silent. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and slightly bitter. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was important."
"Good. We're in agreement then." At the sound of the room's doorknob turning, Lucas slid one hand into his jacket to touch the shoulder holster he always wore.
"It's me, sir. All clear." The door opened and a young Syndicate suit that Spike had never seen before poked his head in. "The problem is contained, sir."
"Good. Make sure to look over the accounts of what happened and fix the problem. I don't want anymore of these ridiculous attacks." Lucas dismissed the man with a wave and turned back to Spike.
Spike watched Lucas in silence until the man left. Lucas turned to meet his gaze and Spike spoke. "Where's that jello?"
tbc(help support starving writers-please review)
"How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
"The Merchant of Venice"
Shakespeare
Spike stared, unseeing out the window of his hospital room. He could sit up with help now that the drugs had worn off completely. He sighed, thinking of yet another life he had just lost. Another of his own. Because of the situation with the Syndicate, his life with the Bebop was over. His luck certainly didn't seem to have improved.
Lucas entered the room without knocking. Spike turned from his view of the window. "Problem?"
"Not so far." Lucas crossed the room and pulled the blinds closed.
Spike frowned, suspicion evident on his face. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Lucas, literally or figuratively. What's going on?"
"Nothing much. Just an assassination attempt on the new head of the Red Dragons." Lucas was casual. "There's red jello for lunch."
Spike smirked at the aid's attitude. "Oh, well in that case, maybe I'll just take a nap."
"It's contained."
There was a pause as Spike studied the other man's emotionless face. "And exactly how many attempts have there been?"
Lucas shrugged. "Four or five. Nothing serious. They were all amateurs, mostly thugs that worked for our last leader." He was careful not to call Vicious by name.
"Is that common?"
"Very. We only have to worry if they start to get close." Lucas grinned dangerously. "And they have to go through a lot of people, including me, to get close."
"Well, gee.I feel so much better now."
"You should. It's a good omen for the rest of your reign as leader. It means you'll be a force to be reckoned with." Lucas' smile grew more genuine.
Spike's amusement fell away. "Yeah." He sighed heavily. After a moment he turned to Lucas and said, "It's funny how you never truly appreciate how good you've got it until you lose it."
Lucas nodded. "I know you don't want to do this and I know that you're aware of how important it is that you do it anyway. I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing a very good thing, a very important thing. Even if not everyone understands that yet."
Spike looked away, silent. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and slightly bitter. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think it was important."
"Good. We're in agreement then." At the sound of the room's doorknob turning, Lucas slid one hand into his jacket to touch the shoulder holster he always wore.
"It's me, sir. All clear." The door opened and a young Syndicate suit that Spike had never seen before poked his head in. "The problem is contained, sir."
"Good. Make sure to look over the accounts of what happened and fix the problem. I don't want anymore of these ridiculous attacks." Lucas dismissed the man with a wave and turned back to Spike.
Spike watched Lucas in silence until the man left. Lucas turned to meet his gaze and Spike spoke. "Where's that jello?"
tbc(help support starving writers-please review)