I got one review, yay! No, I expected that…after all, my first chapter didn't really tell you much about the story. It was more of a prologue. Anywhoooo – second chappie, more action. Read and enjoy… Enjoy, dammit
Disclaimer: Uh…I have a confession to make…the FanFiction police stopped by my house the other night and demanded I tell you the truth – I don't really own CB. I know, I know, you're all horribly shocked. Poor Jet will never grow a new arm…*sniff*
you stop the crowd
i cried out to break the spell
you wait and smile
i just snapped and lost control
distracted by irrelevance
the stress and the tension
the stress and the tension
i'm in a lull
there's nothin' more dull than talkin',
talkin' 'bout yourself
and what i meant to say
i'm sorry that I lost control
distracted by irrelevance
the stress and the tension
crawlin' through the keyhole
when i'm in a lull
Faye stretched out on the couch languidly, flat on her back. She slid forward until her butt met the armrest and her legs dangled over the side of the couch. One shapely calf swung forward and back absently, as she flipped through a fashion magazine. She'd barely gotten through the second page when he showed up.
"Spike!" she exclaimed, the magazine slipping out of her hand and falling to the floor. Faye propped herself up on her elbows. "I, uh, didn't hear you dock," she said, trying to regain some composure. Spike moved into the room, his expression unreadable. He reached into his jacket slowly and pulled out a thick wad of money, tossing it down to Faye. She flinched as it hit her chest, spilling onto the floor.
"300 million woolong," he said quietly. She gazed at him questioningly, her heart pounding. "The White Tiger Syndicate put out a 300 million woolong bounty on Vicious' dead body." Faye stared for a moment longer, then smirked slyly.
"Ah, I see… So you agree that I deserve a percentage of his bounty? Really, Spike, how unlike you! But I'm impressed, really I am." She swung her legs around so she could bend over and pick up the scattered bills. She'd just finished stacking them into a neat pile when a shadow fell over her. Glancing up, she found herself staring into a face rigid with fury. Frightened despite herself, Faye stuffed the money into her jacket pocket and attempted to edge away from him. Spike reached down and grabbed her by her red jacket, pulling her to her feet roughly.
"Ouch! Dammit… What the hell is the matter with you, Spike? Let me go!" She tried prying his fingers apart, her nails biting into his flesh.
"You had no right interfering," he said menacingly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" she spat, then bent her head forward and bit one of his hands viciously.
"Fuck!" he cursed, snatching that hand away while continuing to hold her with the other. She smiled nastily, pleased with her victory. Spike lashed out and smacked Faye violently, striking as quickly and fiercely as a coiled serpent. Her neck twisted painfully and she gasped sharply, tears stinging her eyes.
"300 million woolong," Spike said, breathing heavily. "That's the value you placed on Julia's life by killing Vicious." Faye clenched her jaw against the pain of her bruised cheekbone.
"You're insane. I didn't kill Vicious, and I don't give a fuck about that tramp, Julia." The second slap brought her to the edge of unconsciousness, a loud buzzing filling her ears, the room swimming blurrily. Her head lolled back on her neck weakly and her lip began to swell and split. Spike's grip on her jacket was the only thing holding her up.
"Don't ever talk about Julia like that," he warned softly. Faye tilted her head forward excruciatingly, forcing herself to smile.
"You're pathetic," she laughed harshly. Spike growled angrily and pushed the couch away with one foot. Shoving Faye backwards, he slammed her up against the wall, bringing his face close to hers.
"Tell the truth: you killed Vicious." Faye looked up at him from under long, dark lashes, her breathing faint and shallow.
"No. I. Didn't," she gasped out forcefully. He swung her around and flung her across the room. She hit the floor hard and skidded across the slick metal, crashing into the opposite wall. Raising herself into a sitting position, she leaned against the wall heavily, grimacing at her many bruises. Spike started forward, but stopped halfway across the room. Something about the way her shoulders sagged, the way a curtain of black-purple hair shrouded half her face, her deep-green, liquid eyes downcast – she looked so vulnerable. Fuck. Beating up women isn't my style. What if she really didn't kill him? Spike ran his fingers through his bushy green hair in frustration.
"Look, Faye, I'm – "
"I didn't expect you to be grateful, but jeez…"
"What did you say?" Spike demanded dangerously. Faye looked up, pushing the hair out of her face.
"That's right. I killed the bastard."
"For the bounty money," Spike stated quietly. Faye laughed.
"Sure, for the bounty money. What other reason could I possibly have?"
"But why did you leave the body then?" Faye grinned obnoxiously.
"Silly Spike. Played right into my hands. It just so happens that I have some, uh, past discrepancies with the White Tiger Syndicate. I was afraid that, even though I went to all that trouble of killing that bastard, they'd be less than grateful and deny me my money. I knew you'd be along sooner or later, and well, while you go on and on about that stupid bitch, Julia, you love money just as much as the rest of us. You couldn't resist cashing in on 300 million woolong." Spike was shaking with rage.
"Why you little – "
"Hello-hello! Edward has returned to the Bebop-Bebop!" Ed sprang into the room, her brown face glowing happily. Ein barked from his position in Edward's arms. "Ein has returned as well!" Edward sang.
"Ed!" Faye blurted out in amazement.
"Yes Faye-Faye? Ooh, Faye-Faye doesn't look so good… What happened to Faye-Faye?"
"How did you get here?" Faye demanded.
"I brought her," Jet grumbled from the hallway. "The little wench hacked into my computer and set the course for Earth."
"Wench, wench!" Ed repeated gleefully.
"Yeah, wench, that's you," Jet growled, coming into the room. "I was doing something really important too, Ed – " He stopped abruptly, noticing Spike for the first time.
"Spike! Is that really you?"
"The one and only," he responded, smiling slightly.
"I – glad you're back," Jet grinned. "There was no way I could keep these two in line without you." He glanced over at Faye.
"Christ! What the hell happened to you?" he blurted out. Faye looked at him coolly, rising to her feet as gracefully as possible.
"Just Spike, keeping me in line," she responded calmly, brushing herself off and fidgeting with her hair fussily. Jet looked at Spike sharply, and even Ed paused in her merrymaking to regard the scene with wide eyes. Faye strolled over to Spike leisurely. He turned slightly to face her, his expression unreadable. She reached into her jacket and drew out the bounty money, carefully selecting one small bill from the wad.
"You said I placed a 300 million woolong value on Julia's life? I am truly sorry, I would never intentionally do that." She tucked the bill into his pocket. "This will much more appropriately cover her worth." She patted his breast pocket gently and spun around on her heel, walking out of the room assuredly. Spike pulled the woolong out of his pocket and stared at it intensely. After a few moments of cold silence, he shredded it into many tiny pieces and left the remains on the table.
Alright, so maybe Spikers was a little OOC. But I needed him to be a big bully to move the plot line along, ya dig? Song lyrics by Radiohead, titled: "Lull"
Stand by for subliminal message…(review, review, review, review, review, review)…End subliminal message.