~Fallen Seraphim~
~Revelations~
Spike dropped onto the worn yellow couch, his lengthy limbs flying in every direction. Finally getting himself settled, his right leg ended up on the ground, his left propped on the sofa. His left arm draped across the back of the couch and his right across his chest.
Jet stumbled through the doorway and the room to the chair across from him. "I can't believe it took us so long to ditch those guys."
"They're Red Dragons, they aren't exactly street thugs loaded up on whatever drugs they can find."
"I understand that, but…I still don't get it…why is the Syndicate after us? Let alone travel to Earth just to get us!"
Spike remained silent, the sound of Shin's words running through his head. A soft beeping sound pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced over to the monitor. "You've got mail."
Jet stared at his partner for a few moments before turning his attention to the screen. Tapping the keyboard, an image of an aging police officer filled the screen. "Donnelley?"
"Hey Jet," the older officer greeted his former comrade. "I got that info you requested."
"Really? That sure was fast for an old guy like you," Jet answered only half surprised.
"Yeah, well, it isn't like the 'Black Dog' is still as black. In a few years you might be called the 'Gray Dog'," Donnelley shot back, but immediately turned serious. "That guy you asked me to look up, Michael Rollins."
"Yeah, what about him?"
"He doesn't exist."
"What?" Jet exclaimed. Spike decided to sit up at that point, his attention fully devoted to the screen.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked, his voice low.
"The name is real, the person isn't. It's an alias. We were able to find that it belongs to this guy," the black and white image of a man appeared on the screen. It had obviously been taken at a distance through the lack of clarity given to the figure. But even so, Spike recognized him immediately.
"That's him!" he yelled, slamming his hand down on the table.
"That's who?" Jet asked confused.
"That's him! That's the guy from my dream!" Spike looked closer at the image, then turned to the vitals displayed on the right. "Age: unknown, weight: unknown, height: unknown, is there anything that you do know about this guy?"
"We know his code name; Seraph. That and the fact that he's wanted for nearly every crime we have a law against."
"Does he have a bounty?" Jet asked.
"Umm…I don't think that's a good idea," Donnelley replied hesitantly.
"Just tell me," Jet pushed farther.
"Fifty million, dead or alive."
"I've never heard that one before," Spike mentioned, completely ignoring the price on his head.
"That's because it's never been done before," Donnelley answered. "They want this guy so bad they don't care how he comes in."
Spike stood from the sofa and began walking towards the hanger, but suddenly stopped in mid-stride. "Just one more thing. Does he have any connection with any Syndicates?"
"None that we know of. From what we can tell, he's completely freelance. Meaning he might have worked for them, but we don't have any records of it," Donnelley answered after a few moments of thought.
Spike nodded, then continued on his way to the Swordfish II.
- - - - -
The sudden acceleration forced Spike's body to conform to the stiff seat in the cockpit of the Swordfish II. The so-called runway of the Bebop became a gray blur as it rushed past, all clarity removed at speeds rapidly approaching the sound barrier. Pulling back on the two handles, the ship's bow rose from the horizon created by the runway and Spike angled the fighter away the fishing ship.
"Spike, what's the plan?" Jet voice crackled through the comm.
"Try and get a hold of Faye will ya?" Spike replied, turning the ship towards the upper atmosphere. The comm was silent for a few moments. So Vicious is to be executed…he won't let that happen. The Van must have become more senile if they think putting him in the chamber will do anything. Spike's eyes narrowed slightly. They should have just had him killed when they caught him…but no, in the immense knowledge of everything, they're going to try and teach him a lesson…those morons.
"Spike. Do you read me?"
"Yeah, what's up on your end?"
"I couldn't get her, she must have her comm off or she just isn't picking up," Jet replied, Spike muttered a curse under his breath. "But I was able trace the residual from the call."
"The what? Wait, scratch that, where is she?"
"Hang on, I'll send you the coordinates."
- - - - -
The stench of disuse and neglect assaulted Faye's nostrils as she stepped into the cellar. The light from the morning sun streaming through the opening above the stairway illuminated a rectangular area of to the left of the stairs. The light also catching the millions of dust particles floating through the air; beyond that, the room was as dark as night. Reaching into her jacket, Faye removed her lighter and quickly flicked it with her thumb. A small spark and a flame sprouted to life, casting a small amount of light across the cluttered room.
She heard a soft click and turned in its direction to see a cone of light streaming from a figure. The soft glow from the flashlight covered about ten feet before colliding with piles of cardboard boxes stacked against a wall. Faye crossed the short distance from where she was to where the boxes were stacked.
"You might want to use this instead," Michael's voice resounded through the room. She turned towards the voice and saw him extending a cylindrical object in her direction. Reaching out, she took the flashlight from his hand and fumbled to find the switch. Finally finding it, she flicked the switch on and a beam of light extended from the end to land on his face. "You wanna watch where you're pointing that thing?"
Faye grinned slightly and turned her attention back to the boxes. I don't remember this place at all… she thought as she looked at the many boxes stacked on the wall. Picking up one of the boxes, she gingerly pulled it off the pile and placed it on the concrete floor. Bringing the flashlight up, she aimed the light at the top of the box. A single word was written across the top: Toys.
Toys?…could this really be…I don't believe this…but its my home…my home…Quickly opening the top of the box, the light shone on something she never expected…my toys. Faye's hand nervously reached into the box, afraid that a sudden movement might destroy whatever she found. She slowly removed a small doll. It wasn't really much to look at, but just the sight of it caused a small smile to come to her lips…
"Let me show you something sweetie," her Mother's voice beckoned. Heeding her mother's words, a small child no more than five years of age, came running through the halls; narrowly avoiding a collision with the tan cocker spaniel that was lying in the hallway. The dog watched as the purple haired girl went bounding down the hall and into her mother's room before he decided it didn't concern him and went back to sleep.
"What is it Mom?" Faye asked cheerfully, a slight giggle escaping at the fact that her Mom had something to give her.
"Look at this," her Mother said quietly, removing the cover of a small box that rested on her lap. It revealed a small, dark-haired doll with green eyes. The doll wore a white summer dress that was covered in small red flowers and on its head was a straw hat. In one of its hands it held a small basket.
"It's pretty Mommy," the small girl observed from her mother's side.
"My Mother gave it to me when I was a little girl. Now I want to give it to you."
"Really?" Faye leapt to her feet in excitement. Her Mother only nodded. She threw her arms around her Mother's neck. "Thanks Mommy!"
"Your welcome sweetie," her Mother answered…
Faye's eyes refocused on the small doll held in her hand. The doll was exactly as she had remembered. It was just too amazing to her. I actually have something from my past, something that ties me to my memories…Placing the doll in her jacket; she turned her attention back to the other boxes. After searching through a few, she found what she was looking for, a box labeled: Pictures.
Pulling the top of the box open, she found a dust covered photo album and a few scattered pictures. There was a word written across the front of the box but she couldn't make it out. Cleaning the dust off the cover with her hand, she adjusted the flashlight so she could make out the word. Faye.
She nearly dropped the album right there. These were pictures of her. Pictures of her friends …her family…her life. Tentatively, she pulled back the cover and found something she thought she would never see…her childhood. There were pictures of her with her friends, playing sports, her birthday parties…it was just too much. She flipped through page after page of images, none of which she completely recognized. But there were enough vague memories to know who these people are. Who these people were…I'll never know them other than through these pictures…
A barely audible, extremely choked sob escaped her throat. I'll just know the pictures; I'll never know the people.
"Faye, what's wrong?" the sound of another voice startled her from her thoughts and she managed the control herself.
"Nothing…nothing's wrong," she forced the reply.
"People don't cry over nothing Faye."
Would he even understand? Why did he bring me here? Oh screw it! "All I'll ever know are these pictures! I'll never know the people in them! I'll never know them anymore than I knew them fifty years ago!" She bit off the last words, trying to make them sound as harsh and unfeeling as possible but knowing that it was utterly in vain. "And I wasn't crying!"
The soft sound of footsteps grew steadily louder as he came closer. He crouched beside her and looked down at the photo album lying on the ground before her. "Can I show you something?" he asked softly, his voice barely audible.
All Faye managed to do was shrug. He picked up the album and began flipping through pages until he apparently found what he was looking for. Spinning the book around, he placed it before her and pointed at a picture displaying four people standing outside an airport. Faye looked at the image then turned the page, it was blank. Then the next, blank. The rest of the book was blank. This must have been the last picture taken of me…
"You see anything interesting?" Michael's voice echoed within the confines of the room. Faye turned back to the picture. There was her father and her mother standing next to her and a man. So there's my mom and my dad…but who's that…wait, those eyes…it can't be…Green eyes, long dark-hair, same facial features, hell even the same height. She turned to glare at Michael.
"It's you…it's you! How the hell are you there!" she screamed. This doesn't make any sense!
"You really wanna know?"
"Of course I wanna know you dumb ass! What kinda stupid question is that?"
"I'm your brother."
"My…brother?" Faye was dumbfounded. She was more than dumbfounded; she was completely blindsided.
"I'm your older brother, I was on the shuttle as well when the accident happened. I was put into suspended animation, just like you, but I was brought out six years ago. I was told that my sister was cryogenically frozen but they couldn't tell me who it was since all the records were lost from the gate accident and I had no memory of the events either." He was talking slowly, deliberately, obviously trying to calm her down. It was working, to an extent.
My brother, he was in the accident too…that must be why he seemed so familiar. I already knew him. But if he was in suspended animation for fifty years, but doesn't he have a debt? "But…don't you have a debt for the fifty years you were frozen?"
"It was termed null and void in a legal matter because I was in no condition to make the choice to be frozen myself, I just merely was, so the court overturned the debt." Faye winced slightly at what he said, she knew it was plausible, that's what should have happened to her, she just got shafted with a scam artist as a lawyer.
"But how…how can you just show up-" Faye began, but was cut off as the roar of an engine shook the room.