A/N: Well, this isn't my most successful fic so far, but you know what?
I'm having a lot of fun writing it, so oh well..
Session 3: Red Dragon Jazz
"I didn't do it, I swear!"
Margie looked up from her computer, a single eyebrow arched as she stared at the sudden intruder. "Where is Ms. Heartilly?" she asked, giving a death glare through her thick bifocals.
"It's... it wasn't my fault. We were just walking along the dock, and suddenly, the thing just blew up! I screamed... and I screamed for help... But I can't swim, see?" Faye gasped as she leaned against the front desk. "I couldn't find anyone to help, and Rinoa... she..."
Margie's eyes widened, and she pressed a button on her desk. "Mr. Spiegel, Rinoa's missing!"
It seemed as if it took only a mere second for Spike to come shooting out of the elevator, and skidding to a stop on the slick floor. "What?" He turned to Faye and demanded, "What did you do to her?"
"I don't know what happened, we were just walking on the docks, and-"
"Dock A?" he interrupted.
Faye nodded. "She fell in the water. I can't swim. I ran all the way here, and I tried to help, really, I-" she was interrupted once more as Spike ran for a set of double doors next to the elevator. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked, following him.
"I'm going to get my sister!" he yelled back.
As Faye looked around she realized they were in a hanger. Dozens of small, personal-sized ships were parked in the dimly lit area. She followed him to a large, almost antique model painted red with a needle- like point at the front.
"This is what you ride in?" she questioned as he opened up the top and jumped in.
"There's nothing wrong with my Swordfish. Just because she's a little old..."
"Whatever, just scoot over! I'm coming with you!"
"Hey! This is a one person ship!" Spike growled as Faye squeezed into the seat next to him. "This isn't gonna work, your ass is too big!"
"What!" Faye screeched, a small vein popping out on her forehead.
"Forget it! There's no time," he barked out as the glass top slid closed. "Just shut up and don't touch anything!"
"You know, I didn't have anything to do with this," Faye explained.
"I know," he replied, watching the hanger door open. "Dock A was where an accomplice of mine was testing out some explosives. I meant to tell the two of you to steer clear of that place before you left, but by the time I thought of it, you were already gone."
"I see. So... do I get the job?"
The only answer she received, as the Swordfish lifted into the air, was a two-toned death glare.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*)
"You know, this is highly uncomfortable. What are you, anyway, some kind of freak?"
Artic colored eyes stared wordlessly at the whining girl, making her squirm in discomfort. Her damp hair fell in tangles over her shoulders, and she wore an over-sized black T-shirt and boxers. A white bandage was wrapped over her shoulder, a few spots of red seeping through from where the crazy little girl's teeth had broken the skin. Her slender wrists were handcuffed above her head, the chain looped over a steel pipe.
"At least I let you sit down," he growled at last. "The last bounty had to stand up from Europa all the way here. You know, that bounty that you made me lose."
Rinoa leaned her head back against the wall and crossed her legs. The steel bar hung over her head, above a cold metal bench where she sat. "Sorry, sorry. Look, I'll pay you the price for the bounty out of my own pocket if you'll just let me go."
He shook his head. "What were you doing wandering around the docks with a hidden weapon? It sounds too convenient to me."
She shrugged, causing herself to wince as a sharp pain stabbed through her bitten shoulder. "Can't a girl be prepared? Dollet isn't the safest town for a helpless woman to be wandering in."
He shook his head, causing his shaggy brown locks to fall gently into his face. "I don't trust Red Dragon members."
"How did you... I mean... I'm not..."
"The dragon engraved on your dagger," he answered. "It's the Red Dragon's emblem."
"Oh that," she laughed nervously. "I ripped that off of some guy I found on the street yesterday."
"What's your name?"
Rinoa rolled her eyes. "As if I'd tell you."
He reached into her soggy jacket, which was hung over the coffee table to dry, and produced a small wallet with a pink cartoon cat on the front. He reached inside and searched for her I.D.
"Hey! Get out of my stuff."
"Rinoa Heartilly," he read. "I'll have to-"
"Edward will search it!" a voice sang from the floor. The little girl that had followed Rinoa onto the ship had passed out there, as if it were the most natural place to sleep. Edward popped open the laptop sitting on the table, and pulled the goggles over her head. She pushed her feet off the table, until she was balanced on her hands, and swung her legs over so that her toes were touching the keyboard. "Rinoa Heartilly..." she mumbled as she typed furiously with her toes. "Ichi, ni, san, shi... Edward found hits three... Rinoa Heartilly, Julia Heartilly-Caraway, Rinoa Caraway."
"Look up Rinoa Heartilly," Squall instructed.
"Restricted, restricted!" Ed announced. "Edward will fix this!" She pounded the keys with her big toes, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she grimaced in concentration. "Welcome to the Red Dragon Syndicate," Edward read. "Rinoa Heartilly... recent syndicate member. No previous criminal record, no qualifications... Black hair, brown eyes... Wanna hear more?"
"You actually broke into the Red Dragon site?" Squall asked. "Damn... that's a lot better than Zell could ever do. Now look up Rinoa Caraway, just in case."
With a few taps of her feet, Ed began to red again. "Rinoa Caraway, parents Julia Caraway, and General W. Caraway of the Galbadian army of Mars. She has black hair, brown eyes..."
"That's enough, thanks," Squall said.
"Wait, wait! Rinoa Caraway is currently missing. General may offer a reward for her recovery in the near future."
"I see," Squall said, turning to face Rinoa. "The general's little girl ran away and joined a syndicate. Now she ends up on a ship full of bounty hunters, just as he father is about to offer up some gil for her return. Sounds like fate..."
"No!" Rinoa cried. "You can't take me back to that man! You don't understand, he was-"
"I don't care," Squall cut her off.
At that moment, Jet stepped into the living room, shaking his head. "Couldn't find a single trace of him. He's long gone now."
"That's alright," Squall replied. "This girl's the general's daughter. She ran away, so the general's thinking of offering up a reward for her return. General Caraway is loaded... the pay off should be pretty good."
Jet laughed. "Well, alright then! Guess somebody was looking out for us today. Maybe we'll have Peking Duck for dinner next week, instead of bell peppers and beef."
"Duck-duck!" Edward sang, pulling her goggles off and flailing around as if she hadn't a single bone in her body. "Edward would like duck!"
"Who's the boy?" Jet asked.
"No idea. He just jumped aboard after I pulled the girl out of the water."
"Hey! I have a name you know!" Rinoa shouted.
Squall sighed in exasperation. "Anyway, I have no idea who he is. But he's a better hacker than Zell ever was. He even got into the Red Dragon site."
"Edward is Edward!"
"Well, we can't just turn the kid out on the streets, you know," Jet pointed out. Edward pounced on Jet's leg and hugged it tightly. "Hey, don't you have any parents?" he asked.
Edward blinked up at him with wide, golden eyes. "Parents? Edward doesn't remember any parent-persons."
Jet sighed, placing a hand on his hip. "We can't let him go it alone, Squall."
"Edward is Edward!"
"I think Edward's trying to say that he's actually a girl," Rinoa pointed out.
Ed nodded her head vigorously. "Evil-Syndicate-Lady-Person is right!"
"Whatever," Squall snapped. "We can't have some kid running around here. She may be a good hacker, but it'll be another mouth to feed, and she'll only get in the way."
Jet looked back down at Ed, who was still clinging tightly to his leg. His mouth pulled into a frown, and he stared back up at Squall. "Well tough! This is my ship, and I say she stays! You got a problem with it, you can just leave!"
Squall held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's none of my business, anyway. Now, get ready. We're leaving for Callisto in a few minutes. Zell said he found a new bounty that's supposed to be hiding out there. It's not much, but it should be an easy catch."
Jet nodded. "Good. Now, how does ramen sound for dinner?"
"Hey!" Rinoa called. "I'm hungry too, you know."
Squall slapped his forehead, a disgusted sigh escaping his lips. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*)
"Nothing..." Spike grumbled, jumping down from the cockpit of the Swordfish and stretching his limbs. "She must be..."
"Did she have a communicator on her?" Faye asked, jumping down next to him.
"Come to think of it, I gave her one yesterday. She should've taken it with her."
"Well, can't you track her from that?"
Spike nodded. "You know, I think I can."
He took off for the lobby once more, Faye following close on his heels. Spike ran to the front desk, resting his long arms on the smooth surface, and asking Margie to search a specific communicator number.
"Well, the signal is weak, but it appears to be heading for Jupiter," Margie replied. "I can't get through to make a call. It might be damaged, perhaps from the water. Other than that, it appears to be just fine."
"What is she doing on a ship to Jupiter?" Spike wondered.
"Details," Faye dismissed with a wave of her hand. "The fact is she's alive. Someone must've pulled her out of the water."
"Yeah," Spike sighed. "At least she's okay for now. Margie, get my best hackers to try and track that communicator and find out what ship it's on. If they find out, have them get into the ship's system and stop it immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
"Hey, what about me," Faye called as Spike headed for the elevator.
He stared at her long and hard for a moment. "You said you were good at cards?"
Faye smiled. "One of the best."
He motioned for her to follow him into the elevator, then said, "I'm pretty good with cards, too. How about we play each other? If you win, I just might give you the job."
Faye could only smile. Of course she would win. Her new outfit was sleeveless, but she had stuffed her spare cards in the collar of her vest, and the tops of her boots. It was a little bit more difficult than the old sleeve trick, but she was a master of distraction. It would all work to her favor.
They entered his office, which was now filled with fading sunlight from the window. He sat down in his seat once more, prompting her to sit across from him. They both pulled their decks from their pockets and stared at each other.
"One round, random, standard trade," Spike proposed. "Lady's first, of course."
"Deal," Faye answered as she skillfully shuffled her deck and picked five from the top. Spike followed suit, and waited for Faye to put down her card. In her hand she held mostly low-level beast cards from Venus. The best thing she had was a government level card from Mars, bearing the picture of a current politician. It wasn't much, but she would have to start off with it. She slapped down the card in the corner, its weaker sides shielded. While he studied his own hand, Faye crossed her legs, bringing one of her boots closer to her hands. She lowered her cards until they were almost below the table, then skillfully slipped her worst one out and replaced it with the card she'd stolen from Nida.
"A Vinzer Deling card, huh?" Spike said finally. "I'm afraid I don't have much to counter it with."
He slapped down a Venus beast card in the other corner, much to her delight. The card had three weak spots, meaning that one was left exposed even when it was placed in the corner. Not feeling the need to use her cheat card just yet, she slapped down another card and easily turned his in her favor. Spike nodded and counter with a stronger beast card, turning hers in his favor.
(Not so fast, my handsome dragon) Faye laughed to herself as she placed her mystery card down, taking control of the game once more. Just as she was congratulating herself, she noticed the frown form on his face as he studied the card she'd put down. Feeling slightly panicky, she switched out another card with one hidden in her collar, passing it off as a casual flip of her short violet tresses.
"A forbidden syndicate level card?" Spike said finally.
She quietly rejoiced at his words. The syndicate level was just one level away from the highest. The government had banned the making and trading of the syndicate level cards, so they were very rare, and thus, very valuable.
"Oh, is it?" Faye replied nonchalantly. "Won it off some guy on the street."
Spike's only response was to frown deeper, before placing a card on the opposite side of the board.
(Great. Somehow I've managed to piss him off. I guess the only thing I can do is keep trying to win.)
She put down her favorite card, a celebrity level card with her favorite singer painted on the front, and over took a couple of his unturned cards. The darkness in Spike's eyes seemed to lighten, and a flicker of a smile played on his thin lips.
"Julia Heartilly," he mused, scrutinizing the card in admiration.
Faye nodded. "She's always been my favorite singer."
His smile grew as he placed another useless card onto his desk. Faye countered with her last card, not causing any damage. That was fine, she'd already won the game.
"Well, looks like you are as good as you say, Ms. Maximoto."
"You're not so bad yourself," she laughed as she randomly took one of his cards. "Well?"
Spike watched her gather her cards, paying close attention to her syndicate and celebrity cards. One deeply disturbed him, while the other reminded him of better days. He knew she'd cheated the whole time. Her movements had been smooth and fast, but he had a sharp eye for those things. Despite that, he decided he'd let her in. After all, she had said that his beloved mother was her favorite singer.
"Alright, Ms. Maximoto. You've got the job."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)
A beeping sound roused Ed from her deep slumber of the floor. The room around her was completely dark, save for the glow of the computer screen, which sat in front of her. Jet had told her she could have the spare room, and had given her the laptop to keep her entertained.
She studied the screen with groggy eyes, and noticed what appeared to be an animated red dragon swimming up onto the screen and rummaging through the files on the desktop. "Hackers..." she mumbled in a sleepy voice, and tapped a few keys with sluggish fingers, before falling over backward and starting to snore.
In the Red Dragon building in Dollet, inside of a brightly lit room, a man sat in front of a computer; one hand typing vigorously while the other gripped a large mug of coffee. As he stared with wide, blood shot eyes at the screen, a little smiley face popped up and briefly glanced around his computer files. He blinked, thinking he had imagined it, when suddenly his entire screen was filled with the face. The screen was yellow, and the eyes were thin black lines curved upward in a sign of great happiness. A huge, toothy grin covered more than half of its face, and rosy little circles marked what would've been its cheeks. A few taps on his keyboard revealed that his computer had frozen up.
All around him were several rows of people working on computers. One by one, the screen froze on the smiley face image, until the power shut down. Every computer in the entire building had been frozen.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)
Rinoa tossed and turned several times, before finally settling in a new position with a tired huff. The yellow couch must have been ancient, and wasn't very comfortable. Still, it was better than having to sleep on the cold metal bench. She pulled the blanket she'd been given up to her chin, and rubbed her wrists, which were still sore from the handcuffs.
"I'm so tired," she had said earlier that night. "Sleeping like this is gonna be hell."
At the time, Jet had been sitting there, watching some kind of bounty hunter program called 'Big Shot' on the computer. He stood, heaving a sigh and said, "Well, the hanger is locked for the night, and we're in the middle of space, so I guess it couldn't hurt to let you loose."
He'd let her free of the handcuffs and instructed her to sleep on the couch for the night. He'd even been nice enough to bring her a blanket and a pillow to make her more comfortable. Now she lay there, staring into the endless expanse of stars as they moved slowly past the ship. Rinoa had rarely ever been into space. She could vaguely recall going to Venus with her father and brother when she was five years old. It was shortly after her mother died, and her father was leaving the two of them with her aunt.
Her lips curved into a small smile as she thought about the miserable months she and Spike had spent on her Aunt's farm. At the time, everything in their life seemed wretched. The grief over their mother, the numerous chores, the sweltering heat, and the constant fear of monster attacks put a bit of a damper on their summer. Her eyelids grew heavy as she remembered nine-year-old Spike kicking at things and cursing the heat, his short, neatly cut green hair lying flat against his head. Even then he was a tall, gangly little boy. This image, however, was replaced in her mind as she drifted off to sleep, by a short, dark-haired little boy that she didn't remember ever seeing.
She was suddenly brought to a rude awakening as she heard something clatter to the floor down the hall. She sat up on the couch, wiping the sleep from her eyes and debating whether she should bother getting up or not. A muttered curse sent her to her feet, and she wobbled down the hall on unsteady legs until she reached the open bathroom door.
He stood with his back turned to her, wearing only a pair of black drawstring pants. He was pulling at a large bandage on his back, the medical tape pulling painfully at his skin. When he finally pulled the whole thing off, Rinoa couldn't help but gasp. He swung around and scowled at her immediately.
"What the hell are you doing free?"
"Jet let me free," she answered quietly. "It's not like I can go anywhere, and making sleeping on that bench with my hands cuffed over my head would be cruel."
"Whatever," he replied, before turning his head so that he could see his back in the mirror. "Now, could you please leave so I can put my bandage back on in peace?"
"You're not going to put the same one back on, are you?" she asked, noticing the traces of blood on the gauze he pulled off. Upon seeing his cold glare, she shook her head. "That's not sanitary. You need to put a new one on."
"I can't put a new one on by myself," he growled.
"Then let me help you."
"Like hell," Squall spat. "I don't trust you."
"So you'd rather face infection?" she demanded. "Or get one of the others to help you? Hmm... I wonder if they know you're a syndicate member?"
Squall clenched his teeth together, and leveled his burning gaze at her. "Are you trying to black mail me?"
Rinoa tilted her head to the side, smiling gently. "Yes, but only because I'm concerned for your health, you asshole."
"Whatever," he grumbled, handing her a new gauze and surgical tape.
"Don't you have something to put on it?" Rinoa asked. "You should have some kind of anti-biotic ointment to put on it."
"How would you know?" he asked, handing her a small tube of generic anti-biotic.
She giggled lightly, and tugged his arm, pulling him toward the darkened living room. "It'll be more comfortable in here. And I would know because I have a tattoo also. You know, it's one of those stupid things you do in high school. You get a tattoo where no one can see it so they'll think you're cool, but since they can't see it and you don't want to show it to them, they think you're lying. It's nothing big like yours is, though."
As she pushed him down on the floor and sat on the couch behind him he couldn't help but wonder where exactly she'd gotten her tattoo. He shook the perverted thoughts from his mind and replied, "No, I wouldn't know about stupid high school things."
She placed a small bit of the ointment on the tip of her index finger and slowly began to rub it into the black ink-marked skin of his back. "Well, it's sort of like getting a tattoo of an emblem of a syndicate that disbanded three years ago."
"I didn't get it just yesterday. I was getting it touched up. I already had it."
"I see. You were a member of the Black Lion syndicate, until it disbanded," she concluded as she studied the figure of the black lion across his shoulder blades. "That's why you took an immediate disliking to me. The Red Dragon syndicate and the Black Lion syndicate were arch rivals."
He nodded his head, trying not to relax beneath the gentle kneading of her fingers. "That was a lifetime ago."
"Yet you still hold a grudge?" she asked, then bit her lip at the feel of his muscles rippling beneath his skin.
"Old habits die hard."
She placed the large strip of gauze across his back and quickly taped it up. "I think it's more than that," she whispered as she allowed her fingers to glide over his skin until they reached his shoulders. "You're awfully tense," she murmured and began to delicately massage his neck. His eyes fluttered closed and a soft sigh escaped his throat against his will. "I think you're having trouble letting go of the past," she continued.
He stood up suddenly, her words breaking through his dream-like state and causing him to plummet back to reality. "It's none of your damn business!" he hissed. "If you're hoping you'll get to know me and I'll feel sorry for you and let you go, save your breath. As soon as your father offers up that reward, you're going back home. That's just where a little girl like you belongs, so stay the hell out of my life!"
The sound of the door sliding closed behind him was soft, almost inaudible, yet still it echoed in her brain. He was just another person to add to her list of people that didn't believe in her... so why did it hurt so much? Tears rolled out from beneath her thick black lashes, and she looked out over the cold void of space. Soon they would land on Jupiter. How much longer would it be, she wondered, until she was a prisoner of her father once more?
**
See you space cowboy...
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*) A/N: I don't like the word ointment. It makes me think of rashes. But that's what my Neosporin tube said, so... To explain a little bit about the card game, it's just like Triple Triad but with government, celebrity, syndicate, and hero levels, instead of numbers. The beasts wander on Venus, but not the other places.
Next Session: "If loneliness were a place, this would be it. The buildings stand in ruins, like the crumbled towers of dreams, and the people here wander aimlessly, like ghosts of a forsaken past. It's said that everyone loses something of themselves here, in this place untouched by the rest of the solar system. I've already lost my bounty. What more is left?" Session 4: Callisto Melody
Session 3: Red Dragon Jazz
"I didn't do it, I swear!"
Margie looked up from her computer, a single eyebrow arched as she stared at the sudden intruder. "Where is Ms. Heartilly?" she asked, giving a death glare through her thick bifocals.
"It's... it wasn't my fault. We were just walking along the dock, and suddenly, the thing just blew up! I screamed... and I screamed for help... But I can't swim, see?" Faye gasped as she leaned against the front desk. "I couldn't find anyone to help, and Rinoa... she..."
Margie's eyes widened, and she pressed a button on her desk. "Mr. Spiegel, Rinoa's missing!"
It seemed as if it took only a mere second for Spike to come shooting out of the elevator, and skidding to a stop on the slick floor. "What?" He turned to Faye and demanded, "What did you do to her?"
"I don't know what happened, we were just walking on the docks, and-"
"Dock A?" he interrupted.
Faye nodded. "She fell in the water. I can't swim. I ran all the way here, and I tried to help, really, I-" she was interrupted once more as Spike ran for a set of double doors next to the elevator. "Hey, where are you going?" she asked, following him.
"I'm going to get my sister!" he yelled back.
As Faye looked around she realized they were in a hanger. Dozens of small, personal-sized ships were parked in the dimly lit area. She followed him to a large, almost antique model painted red with a needle- like point at the front.
"This is what you ride in?" she questioned as he opened up the top and jumped in.
"There's nothing wrong with my Swordfish. Just because she's a little old..."
"Whatever, just scoot over! I'm coming with you!"
"Hey! This is a one person ship!" Spike growled as Faye squeezed into the seat next to him. "This isn't gonna work, your ass is too big!"
"What!" Faye screeched, a small vein popping out on her forehead.
"Forget it! There's no time," he barked out as the glass top slid closed. "Just shut up and don't touch anything!"
"You know, I didn't have anything to do with this," Faye explained.
"I know," he replied, watching the hanger door open. "Dock A was where an accomplice of mine was testing out some explosives. I meant to tell the two of you to steer clear of that place before you left, but by the time I thought of it, you were already gone."
"I see. So... do I get the job?"
The only answer she received, as the Swordfish lifted into the air, was a two-toned death glare.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*)
"You know, this is highly uncomfortable. What are you, anyway, some kind of freak?"
Artic colored eyes stared wordlessly at the whining girl, making her squirm in discomfort. Her damp hair fell in tangles over her shoulders, and she wore an over-sized black T-shirt and boxers. A white bandage was wrapped over her shoulder, a few spots of red seeping through from where the crazy little girl's teeth had broken the skin. Her slender wrists were handcuffed above her head, the chain looped over a steel pipe.
"At least I let you sit down," he growled at last. "The last bounty had to stand up from Europa all the way here. You know, that bounty that you made me lose."
Rinoa leaned her head back against the wall and crossed her legs. The steel bar hung over her head, above a cold metal bench where she sat. "Sorry, sorry. Look, I'll pay you the price for the bounty out of my own pocket if you'll just let me go."
He shook his head. "What were you doing wandering around the docks with a hidden weapon? It sounds too convenient to me."
She shrugged, causing herself to wince as a sharp pain stabbed through her bitten shoulder. "Can't a girl be prepared? Dollet isn't the safest town for a helpless woman to be wandering in."
He shook his head, causing his shaggy brown locks to fall gently into his face. "I don't trust Red Dragon members."
"How did you... I mean... I'm not..."
"The dragon engraved on your dagger," he answered. "It's the Red Dragon's emblem."
"Oh that," she laughed nervously. "I ripped that off of some guy I found on the street yesterday."
"What's your name?"
Rinoa rolled her eyes. "As if I'd tell you."
He reached into her soggy jacket, which was hung over the coffee table to dry, and produced a small wallet with a pink cartoon cat on the front. He reached inside and searched for her I.D.
"Hey! Get out of my stuff."
"Rinoa Heartilly," he read. "I'll have to-"
"Edward will search it!" a voice sang from the floor. The little girl that had followed Rinoa onto the ship had passed out there, as if it were the most natural place to sleep. Edward popped open the laptop sitting on the table, and pulled the goggles over her head. She pushed her feet off the table, until she was balanced on her hands, and swung her legs over so that her toes were touching the keyboard. "Rinoa Heartilly..." she mumbled as she typed furiously with her toes. "Ichi, ni, san, shi... Edward found hits three... Rinoa Heartilly, Julia Heartilly-Caraway, Rinoa Caraway."
"Look up Rinoa Heartilly," Squall instructed.
"Restricted, restricted!" Ed announced. "Edward will fix this!" She pounded the keys with her big toes, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she grimaced in concentration. "Welcome to the Red Dragon Syndicate," Edward read. "Rinoa Heartilly... recent syndicate member. No previous criminal record, no qualifications... Black hair, brown eyes... Wanna hear more?"
"You actually broke into the Red Dragon site?" Squall asked. "Damn... that's a lot better than Zell could ever do. Now look up Rinoa Caraway, just in case."
With a few taps of her feet, Ed began to red again. "Rinoa Caraway, parents Julia Caraway, and General W. Caraway of the Galbadian army of Mars. She has black hair, brown eyes..."
"That's enough, thanks," Squall said.
"Wait, wait! Rinoa Caraway is currently missing. General may offer a reward for her recovery in the near future."
"I see," Squall said, turning to face Rinoa. "The general's little girl ran away and joined a syndicate. Now she ends up on a ship full of bounty hunters, just as he father is about to offer up some gil for her return. Sounds like fate..."
"No!" Rinoa cried. "You can't take me back to that man! You don't understand, he was-"
"I don't care," Squall cut her off.
At that moment, Jet stepped into the living room, shaking his head. "Couldn't find a single trace of him. He's long gone now."
"That's alright," Squall replied. "This girl's the general's daughter. She ran away, so the general's thinking of offering up a reward for her return. General Caraway is loaded... the pay off should be pretty good."
Jet laughed. "Well, alright then! Guess somebody was looking out for us today. Maybe we'll have Peking Duck for dinner next week, instead of bell peppers and beef."
"Duck-duck!" Edward sang, pulling her goggles off and flailing around as if she hadn't a single bone in her body. "Edward would like duck!"
"Who's the boy?" Jet asked.
"No idea. He just jumped aboard after I pulled the girl out of the water."
"Hey! I have a name you know!" Rinoa shouted.
Squall sighed in exasperation. "Anyway, I have no idea who he is. But he's a better hacker than Zell ever was. He even got into the Red Dragon site."
"Edward is Edward!"
"Well, we can't just turn the kid out on the streets, you know," Jet pointed out. Edward pounced on Jet's leg and hugged it tightly. "Hey, don't you have any parents?" he asked.
Edward blinked up at him with wide, golden eyes. "Parents? Edward doesn't remember any parent-persons."
Jet sighed, placing a hand on his hip. "We can't let him go it alone, Squall."
"Edward is Edward!"
"I think Edward's trying to say that he's actually a girl," Rinoa pointed out.
Ed nodded her head vigorously. "Evil-Syndicate-Lady-Person is right!"
"Whatever," Squall snapped. "We can't have some kid running around here. She may be a good hacker, but it'll be another mouth to feed, and she'll only get in the way."
Jet looked back down at Ed, who was still clinging tightly to his leg. His mouth pulled into a frown, and he stared back up at Squall. "Well tough! This is my ship, and I say she stays! You got a problem with it, you can just leave!"
Squall held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's none of my business, anyway. Now, get ready. We're leaving for Callisto in a few minutes. Zell said he found a new bounty that's supposed to be hiding out there. It's not much, but it should be an easy catch."
Jet nodded. "Good. Now, how does ramen sound for dinner?"
"Hey!" Rinoa called. "I'm hungry too, you know."
Squall slapped his forehead, a disgusted sigh escaping his lips. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*)
"Nothing..." Spike grumbled, jumping down from the cockpit of the Swordfish and stretching his limbs. "She must be..."
"Did she have a communicator on her?" Faye asked, jumping down next to him.
"Come to think of it, I gave her one yesterday. She should've taken it with her."
"Well, can't you track her from that?"
Spike nodded. "You know, I think I can."
He took off for the lobby once more, Faye following close on his heels. Spike ran to the front desk, resting his long arms on the smooth surface, and asking Margie to search a specific communicator number.
"Well, the signal is weak, but it appears to be heading for Jupiter," Margie replied. "I can't get through to make a call. It might be damaged, perhaps from the water. Other than that, it appears to be just fine."
"What is she doing on a ship to Jupiter?" Spike wondered.
"Details," Faye dismissed with a wave of her hand. "The fact is she's alive. Someone must've pulled her out of the water."
"Yeah," Spike sighed. "At least she's okay for now. Margie, get my best hackers to try and track that communicator and find out what ship it's on. If they find out, have them get into the ship's system and stop it immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
"Hey, what about me," Faye called as Spike headed for the elevator.
He stared at her long and hard for a moment. "You said you were good at cards?"
Faye smiled. "One of the best."
He motioned for her to follow him into the elevator, then said, "I'm pretty good with cards, too. How about we play each other? If you win, I just might give you the job."
Faye could only smile. Of course she would win. Her new outfit was sleeveless, but she had stuffed her spare cards in the collar of her vest, and the tops of her boots. It was a little bit more difficult than the old sleeve trick, but she was a master of distraction. It would all work to her favor.
They entered his office, which was now filled with fading sunlight from the window. He sat down in his seat once more, prompting her to sit across from him. They both pulled their decks from their pockets and stared at each other.
"One round, random, standard trade," Spike proposed. "Lady's first, of course."
"Deal," Faye answered as she skillfully shuffled her deck and picked five from the top. Spike followed suit, and waited for Faye to put down her card. In her hand she held mostly low-level beast cards from Venus. The best thing she had was a government level card from Mars, bearing the picture of a current politician. It wasn't much, but she would have to start off with it. She slapped down the card in the corner, its weaker sides shielded. While he studied his own hand, Faye crossed her legs, bringing one of her boots closer to her hands. She lowered her cards until they were almost below the table, then skillfully slipped her worst one out and replaced it with the card she'd stolen from Nida.
"A Vinzer Deling card, huh?" Spike said finally. "I'm afraid I don't have much to counter it with."
He slapped down a Venus beast card in the other corner, much to her delight. The card had three weak spots, meaning that one was left exposed even when it was placed in the corner. Not feeling the need to use her cheat card just yet, she slapped down another card and easily turned his in her favor. Spike nodded and counter with a stronger beast card, turning hers in his favor.
(Not so fast, my handsome dragon) Faye laughed to herself as she placed her mystery card down, taking control of the game once more. Just as she was congratulating herself, she noticed the frown form on his face as he studied the card she'd put down. Feeling slightly panicky, she switched out another card with one hidden in her collar, passing it off as a casual flip of her short violet tresses.
"A forbidden syndicate level card?" Spike said finally.
She quietly rejoiced at his words. The syndicate level was just one level away from the highest. The government had banned the making and trading of the syndicate level cards, so they were very rare, and thus, very valuable.
"Oh, is it?" Faye replied nonchalantly. "Won it off some guy on the street."
Spike's only response was to frown deeper, before placing a card on the opposite side of the board.
(Great. Somehow I've managed to piss him off. I guess the only thing I can do is keep trying to win.)
She put down her favorite card, a celebrity level card with her favorite singer painted on the front, and over took a couple of his unturned cards. The darkness in Spike's eyes seemed to lighten, and a flicker of a smile played on his thin lips.
"Julia Heartilly," he mused, scrutinizing the card in admiration.
Faye nodded. "She's always been my favorite singer."
His smile grew as he placed another useless card onto his desk. Faye countered with her last card, not causing any damage. That was fine, she'd already won the game.
"Well, looks like you are as good as you say, Ms. Maximoto."
"You're not so bad yourself," she laughed as she randomly took one of his cards. "Well?"
Spike watched her gather her cards, paying close attention to her syndicate and celebrity cards. One deeply disturbed him, while the other reminded him of better days. He knew she'd cheated the whole time. Her movements had been smooth and fast, but he had a sharp eye for those things. Despite that, he decided he'd let her in. After all, she had said that his beloved mother was her favorite singer.
"Alright, Ms. Maximoto. You've got the job."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)
A beeping sound roused Ed from her deep slumber of the floor. The room around her was completely dark, save for the glow of the computer screen, which sat in front of her. Jet had told her she could have the spare room, and had given her the laptop to keep her entertained.
She studied the screen with groggy eyes, and noticed what appeared to be an animated red dragon swimming up onto the screen and rummaging through the files on the desktop. "Hackers..." she mumbled in a sleepy voice, and tapped a few keys with sluggish fingers, before falling over backward and starting to snore.
In the Red Dragon building in Dollet, inside of a brightly lit room, a man sat in front of a computer; one hand typing vigorously while the other gripped a large mug of coffee. As he stared with wide, blood shot eyes at the screen, a little smiley face popped up and briefly glanced around his computer files. He blinked, thinking he had imagined it, when suddenly his entire screen was filled with the face. The screen was yellow, and the eyes were thin black lines curved upward in a sign of great happiness. A huge, toothy grin covered more than half of its face, and rosy little circles marked what would've been its cheeks. A few taps on his keyboard revealed that his computer had frozen up.
All around him were several rows of people working on computers. One by one, the screen froze on the smiley face image, until the power shut down. Every computer in the entire building had been frozen.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)
Rinoa tossed and turned several times, before finally settling in a new position with a tired huff. The yellow couch must have been ancient, and wasn't very comfortable. Still, it was better than having to sleep on the cold metal bench. She pulled the blanket she'd been given up to her chin, and rubbed her wrists, which were still sore from the handcuffs.
"I'm so tired," she had said earlier that night. "Sleeping like this is gonna be hell."
At the time, Jet had been sitting there, watching some kind of bounty hunter program called 'Big Shot' on the computer. He stood, heaving a sigh and said, "Well, the hanger is locked for the night, and we're in the middle of space, so I guess it couldn't hurt to let you loose."
He'd let her free of the handcuffs and instructed her to sleep on the couch for the night. He'd even been nice enough to bring her a blanket and a pillow to make her more comfortable. Now she lay there, staring into the endless expanse of stars as they moved slowly past the ship. Rinoa had rarely ever been into space. She could vaguely recall going to Venus with her father and brother when she was five years old. It was shortly after her mother died, and her father was leaving the two of them with her aunt.
Her lips curved into a small smile as she thought about the miserable months she and Spike had spent on her Aunt's farm. At the time, everything in their life seemed wretched. The grief over their mother, the numerous chores, the sweltering heat, and the constant fear of monster attacks put a bit of a damper on their summer. Her eyelids grew heavy as she remembered nine-year-old Spike kicking at things and cursing the heat, his short, neatly cut green hair lying flat against his head. Even then he was a tall, gangly little boy. This image, however, was replaced in her mind as she drifted off to sleep, by a short, dark-haired little boy that she didn't remember ever seeing.
She was suddenly brought to a rude awakening as she heard something clatter to the floor down the hall. She sat up on the couch, wiping the sleep from her eyes and debating whether she should bother getting up or not. A muttered curse sent her to her feet, and she wobbled down the hall on unsteady legs until she reached the open bathroom door.
He stood with his back turned to her, wearing only a pair of black drawstring pants. He was pulling at a large bandage on his back, the medical tape pulling painfully at his skin. When he finally pulled the whole thing off, Rinoa couldn't help but gasp. He swung around and scowled at her immediately.
"What the hell are you doing free?"
"Jet let me free," she answered quietly. "It's not like I can go anywhere, and making sleeping on that bench with my hands cuffed over my head would be cruel."
"Whatever," he replied, before turning his head so that he could see his back in the mirror. "Now, could you please leave so I can put my bandage back on in peace?"
"You're not going to put the same one back on, are you?" she asked, noticing the traces of blood on the gauze he pulled off. Upon seeing his cold glare, she shook her head. "That's not sanitary. You need to put a new one on."
"I can't put a new one on by myself," he growled.
"Then let me help you."
"Like hell," Squall spat. "I don't trust you."
"So you'd rather face infection?" she demanded. "Or get one of the others to help you? Hmm... I wonder if they know you're a syndicate member?"
Squall clenched his teeth together, and leveled his burning gaze at her. "Are you trying to black mail me?"
Rinoa tilted her head to the side, smiling gently. "Yes, but only because I'm concerned for your health, you asshole."
"Whatever," he grumbled, handing her a new gauze and surgical tape.
"Don't you have something to put on it?" Rinoa asked. "You should have some kind of anti-biotic ointment to put on it."
"How would you know?" he asked, handing her a small tube of generic anti-biotic.
She giggled lightly, and tugged his arm, pulling him toward the darkened living room. "It'll be more comfortable in here. And I would know because I have a tattoo also. You know, it's one of those stupid things you do in high school. You get a tattoo where no one can see it so they'll think you're cool, but since they can't see it and you don't want to show it to them, they think you're lying. It's nothing big like yours is, though."
As she pushed him down on the floor and sat on the couch behind him he couldn't help but wonder where exactly she'd gotten her tattoo. He shook the perverted thoughts from his mind and replied, "No, I wouldn't know about stupid high school things."
She placed a small bit of the ointment on the tip of her index finger and slowly began to rub it into the black ink-marked skin of his back. "Well, it's sort of like getting a tattoo of an emblem of a syndicate that disbanded three years ago."
"I didn't get it just yesterday. I was getting it touched up. I already had it."
"I see. You were a member of the Black Lion syndicate, until it disbanded," she concluded as she studied the figure of the black lion across his shoulder blades. "That's why you took an immediate disliking to me. The Red Dragon syndicate and the Black Lion syndicate were arch rivals."
He nodded his head, trying not to relax beneath the gentle kneading of her fingers. "That was a lifetime ago."
"Yet you still hold a grudge?" she asked, then bit her lip at the feel of his muscles rippling beneath his skin.
"Old habits die hard."
She placed the large strip of gauze across his back and quickly taped it up. "I think it's more than that," she whispered as she allowed her fingers to glide over his skin until they reached his shoulders. "You're awfully tense," she murmured and began to delicately massage his neck. His eyes fluttered closed and a soft sigh escaped his throat against his will. "I think you're having trouble letting go of the past," she continued.
He stood up suddenly, her words breaking through his dream-like state and causing him to plummet back to reality. "It's none of your damn business!" he hissed. "If you're hoping you'll get to know me and I'll feel sorry for you and let you go, save your breath. As soon as your father offers up that reward, you're going back home. That's just where a little girl like you belongs, so stay the hell out of my life!"
The sound of the door sliding closed behind him was soft, almost inaudible, yet still it echoed in her brain. He was just another person to add to her list of people that didn't believe in her... so why did it hurt so much? Tears rolled out from beneath her thick black lashes, and she looked out over the cold void of space. Soon they would land on Jupiter. How much longer would it be, she wondered, until she was a prisoner of her father once more?
**
See you space cowboy...
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)( *)(*) A/N: I don't like the word ointment. It makes me think of rashes. But that's what my Neosporin tube said, so... To explain a little bit about the card game, it's just like Triple Triad but with government, celebrity, syndicate, and hero levels, instead of numbers. The beasts wander on Venus, but not the other places.
Next Session: "If loneliness were a place, this would be it. The buildings stand in ruins, like the crumbled towers of dreams, and the people here wander aimlessly, like ghosts of a forsaken past. It's said that everyone loses something of themselves here, in this place untouched by the rest of the solar system. I've already lost my bounty. What more is left?" Session 4: Callisto Melody